£1,730 Aibu that this is alot of money

[RiceAndP]

Maybe I'm being judgey/pissed off on a Rainey day today. Friend of mine has just booked herself a weeks all inclusive holiday to gran canaries, leaving her 2 DC with her husband. He doesn't work and neither does she, has no intention of and says " Why should I". This will be the third time she has gone away this year not counting her four day trip away at Christmas, staying in a four star hotel.
Last week in the hot weather she brought an enormous swimming pool costing £180. I'm sitting there thinking shit, that would be my food bill for two months.
This week I would dearly love to take DC out for the day but cant afford to. I work but am taking this week as holiday.
I can never hope to have this sort of wage into my house of £1,730 each month? Granted one of her Dc has a mild disability and has an active life in all he does, goes to school every day. Has to attend hospital appointments twice a year for check ups.
She also gets full H/B and C/T so really that's a lot of money going into taking care of this household.
I need a bloody holiday just to get over the figures given to people that don't work... Aibu..

We are having four holidays this year but my DH works his arse off in a high end job and brings a very good salary home - I don't know how they do it as I know how much it costs us per month to save for our holidays. I know it depends on where you go but three have been done on the absolute cheap while one we've splashed out on...beggars belief.

I DO NOT begrudge anyone a break especially a carer but it just doesn't add up, that some people on benefits seem to be able to afford a number of luxuries that others work bloody hard for. It is the sense of injustice.

Claiming benefits has become a permanent life style choice for some people in this country, which is very unfortunate for the people who get tarred with the same brush who dearly wish it to be a temporary situation.

"There is no rent to pay or council tax, so they are left with the whole of the amount in their hands each month"

If that is true, then I am all for the benefits reform. And you are DNBU

What the fuck are all the "feed the starving poor" threads for then??

I really hope they are on the fiddle. If they get this much in hand then it is terrible. I feel sorry for people like you who work for less.

It cant be true, must be some mistake somewhere

Oh and if she gets, CSA?

Then bloody good on her - most don't or get so little they might as well have not bothered.

Good, it's not true. It goes to the landord....read my other posts.

So the benefit cap doesn't affect people with DLA?

Though, correct me if I'm wrong. Somebody was saying (on another thread) that the cap is in place in many areas and will be phased in nationwide over the next couple of months.

The cap will be in place, yes, but it shouldn't affect those where someone in the household is claiming DLA....for obvious reasons.

Are you her accountant? Or does she tell you how much everything she buys cost's?

Sorry but she does not get full HB, the carers premium part of HB only allows you to keep less than half of your CA.

How HB/LHA works is this

Set premiums for example child under 11,carers, in work, ect ect...

They add all of these premiums together And that becomes your protected income

They then take your entire income and disregard CB and CSA then they deduct your protected income what is left over is what you are expected to pay towards your rent.

It is possible if you have certain sanctions or deductions (not all deductions) being taken from out of work benefits that they CA will not put you above the disregard but its not the norm.

And tax credits also include it as income already coming into the household just as they would a wage so they deduct most of it from tax credits. If you claim is set up So they do not deduct it from hmrc payments then the dwp automatically reduce means testable benefits accordingly. One or the other has to.

Only ONE person can claim CA for each disabled person so only that person can claim protected carer status with dwp even if the DLA recipient requires round the clock care.

Often CA can be more trouble than its worth and can financially leave you worse off but the none monetary benefits are worth more if that makes sense.

Other than that its really very hard to get DLA for a child so I think its rather crass of you to decide this particular child does not need it when the dwp with the medical info they have access to have decided that they do.

I have a child with a disability, he gets DLA and I get carers allowance. I also have 2 more children that are not disabled.

I don't get anywhere near the figures you are giving for this family, that amount a month is not paid regardless of disability status, not unless there is a second child or adult with a disability.

I suspect she is lying to you and the money comes from somewhere else.

I haven't been on a plane for years or on a proper holiday. Life isn't fair.

So she gets housing benefit but pays no rent? Oh come on OP at least try to makes this sounds plausible!

Fags, dont forget the fags

They get just over £400 per week in their hands, believe me as its not a wind up or joke.
She tells me all this, and anybody else that will listen. As she is always telling me " I don't know why you fucking bother working, I couldn't be arsed"!!

Benefit Bashing Bingo:

Plasma TV - check
Leather Sofas - check
Weed - check
Holidays - check
Fags - check
car -
SN -
DLA - check
HB and CB - check
Swimming pool - Check

We're not saying it's a wind up or a joke. We're saying it's BOLLOCKS!

..and none of your business.

So she gets CSA and has a husband?

Ooooh, Bump, I missed that bit.

Wow this woman must be great at managing her money. She can get 4 holidays a year out of that? And she knows where to buy a swimming pool for £180?? Hats off to her. I could do with some tips.

"Mild disabilities" I bet she has the cheek to claim dla for he dc's as well, maybe you should check she isn't using that money to finance her holiday?
Op if you haven't lived someone's life then please do not judge it.

Most people on housing benefit have to pay some of their rent. Even my friend with many disabilities living in a tiny one bed has to top up his housing benefit.

Also you have no idea the debts they may have. My partner and I do work but also reliant on benefits due to disabilities. We're currently planning two big trips which for us will be very expensive (not really holidays, more 'family members close to death so see them now and/or plan the trip for their funeral within the next year' trips), it's coming out of the overdraft and a loan from a friend. The only person I know reliant on benefits not in debt is someone who received a massive settlement after losing most of pelvis and part of his lower spine and has to spend most of his days lying down. He takes rare trips, I don't begrudge him. He gets more money, a lot compared to our total but I wouldn't trade with him.

Hang on though, you can still be married and get CSA as long as the husband isn't the childrens father.

Income support £145.83
Carers allowance £59.75
Child tax credits £172.83

Those are the figures I could find. So that's a weekly total of £378.41.

So she gets CSA and has a husband?

That ones likely if the husband is not the father of the child

You are winning you do know carers allowance is counted as income don't you? You can't claim full JSA and carers.