To believe £780 month lone parent benefits income is adequate to live on.

[goldfacegreen]

There's some myth busting required at last I think.

As a lone parent of two under 6, I receive a total of £780 a month in benefits:

Income Support, Child Tax Credit, Child Benefit, CSA (£5 a week).

I receive full housing benefit for a two bedroom house (£75 shortfall which has to come out of my income support, currently being paid via Housing Discretion Award) which doesnt go into mybank account, it gets paid direct to landlord, and £16 a month council tax shortfall also has to be paid out of income.

I'm on meters and gas and electric are around £20 a week each, some of which pays off accrued debt. Water is deducted directly from my income support via an 'attachment of earnings' type court order.

I don't have loans or credit cards, no landline, no satellite tele, no car, no travel expenses, no socialising costs, don't smoke, my Internet is paid for by someone else although I should have organised a bill swap ages ago and I run an old phone on £10 month contract. My other costs are regular swimming, yoga, wax salon, and I buy school uniform and children's clothing as and when required.

Childcare such as nursery (pre-school), morning and after school clubs are free to those on income support, school holiday clubs are heavily subsidised, as are school meals, dentistry, doctor's prescriptions, council run leisure centre swimming and gym classes, and many other recreation facilities.

My budgeting skills are atrocious but having recently done some sums, I actually have around £250 a month 'spare' from all benefits income. Although for the past year or two I've been constantly overdrawn by around £500 so whenever income is credited, I'm always 'one step forwards, two steps back' amd because of this will never get back in the black again.

So, with better budgeting (I don't buy a regular weekly food shop for instance, instead spend a fortune every few days buying dinners and sundries at the overpriced local Tesco Metro) I just don't understand how so many lone parents claim they can't afford to live on these same benefits.
Even if you have debts, there are features in place to reduce your debt payments to just £1 a week or even write them off altogether as a last resort.

Also, the father of my children earns thousands but fraudulently claims benefits, so he is only required to pay the minimum £2.50 a week per child direct from his benefits. Many lone mothers receive full child support which isn't deducted from their other benefits income, so can be receiving up to £800 a month on top of their benefits depending on what the chikdren's father earns. I have noticed that rarely will lone parents on benefits state this fact or include it in their income along with their complaint.

Yes, it is a struggle trying to support myself and two young children on £780 a month (but mostly because I can't get over this overdraft debt shackle) but on paper, budgeting well, it is entirely doable, and if you are frugal, you could even save a little too.

Why does the Daily Mail stereotype exist that single mothers are rolling in handouts, given the above figures? Just under £195 a week is an adequate income for one adult and two young children, surely..

If you're reasonably happy/doing OK on £780 a month disposable income then good for you.

I heard some interesting figures the other day which stated that anyone with less than £220 a week disposable income (after housing costs and council tax and water I think it was) was considered to be below the poverty line, as this was 60% of the median amount. I worked out this meant the median amount was £350 or so. We have about this but still find it hard to make ends meet. We have few luxuries - the odd bottle of wine and children have some extra curricular stuff such as music lessons, also probably spend quite a bit on petrol. DH cycles to work, run one old car between us, no fancy TV packages. We do have teenagers though!

I was on long term benefits as a single parent to one child until recently and my experience has been similar to OP's. Not sure what it adds up, a bit less than OP as I only have one child for CTC/CB but then I have no rent top-up to pay. No maintenance at all from DS's father. I have always been able to budget, save enough for emergencies and avoid interest-bearing debt, I have read quite a few accounts about life on benefits in the press/on MN and often it's quite alien to me - not being able to put heating on or scrambling around for change to buy reduced food - I had been on benefits for five years but life was never that bad. For me it's been a mixture of luck, local policies/opportunities, but also some determination regarding getting my benefits in place, as well as being good at researching other discretionary help. E.g., I live in a council flat so no top up rent to pay, and 2 beds so no bedroom tax. We live in London where children travel free on the buses, and you get a half price bus discount card on IS. There are also loads of free activities on offer in museums/galleries/public spaces, and things like free swimming for dcs. No need for me to run a car as public transport covers everywhere we need to go. Personally I do spend a bit of money on social/after school activities but that's because I/DS enjoy them, there are lots of other things we could do for free if we had to. I don't spend any money on smoking, salon treatments (including haircuts), TV licence (watch everything on catch up), any childcare, pay about £10pm for mobile phone.

I'm not on prepay meters but I have a DD of £55 a month for gas/electric combined coming out every month. Our flat is quite cheap to run as we have neighbours on three sides to keep us warm, and the council has installed double glazing.

There is a furniture recycling place linked to our borough, but I don't know if/what they charge - I've either had free donations from family/friends/freecycle, or used budgeting loans to buy new (loans are still available to those on IS, a friend has just been given one).

I do understand though that other LPs are in different circumstances, it is much harder for those who are in private rentals, a mortgage to service, or live in areas with fewer amenities and have to run a car, or if they have existing debts. OTOH I know a few LPs who are on benefits but who are very comfortable due to very well off exHs who pay maintenance and also make direct payments for mortgage, school fees etc. I think benefits can cover the basics but it's when families live in areas which don't have a lot of facilities, or when their basic level of benefits are reduced through sanctions/delays, then that is what makes life harder. I've read that most people accessing food banks are those who aren't getting the full amount of benefits due to sanctions, or are actually working so have to pay a lot of expenses that are usually covered for those on benefits which ironically makes them worse off.

annie

Being in receipt of WTC prohibits you from obtaining the two year funding,the rules for the funding are the same as those for free school meals so if you don't qualify for those then you won't for the funding. revenger has very clearly said she gets WTC,don't give the poor woman more useless work to do.

revenger go get a HB letter and check on it your disregarded income section it should include 100% of your childcare costs so yes they do add it as income but then they disregard the entire sum.

I've noticed rather a lot that it is not being disregarded in error,if yours is not then notify them ASAP as its a mistake if they give you gip about only back dating there error by a month pm me and I will help you deal with if.

Anybody else there are also huge problems with not disregarding childcare when you go on ML then saying your not entitled to have it disregarded YES you are when on HB for the sole purpose of childcare expenses you are entitled to recieve the disregard if you are still liable for the expense and it was being used in the week before you went on ML you do lose the in work disregard (the £25 your allowed to keep from wages) but not the childcare disregard.

When we fled exh I had to get a crisis loan for furniture, we went to a furniture project you speak of but it still cost us £100s for what we needed (all donated free)

That's because they charge most people.

Just to be clear this is not a government resource they are charities who have used furniture donated by other people they are not sold especially cheap when they get sold on not much different prices to the ones you see pop up on fb selling sites or in your local paper,but its stuff that gets checked you know your not being conned and they deliver.

The vast majority only give it free if a referrer asks them to you can't get a referrer to do that unless you have significant social issues even then you are still supposed to pay for delivery and any testing. If your lucky you may be able to get the referrer to cover the costs of those but you would have to be in a nightmare for that to happen.

sockreturningpixie - You clearly havent read the posts. Revenger works with surestart, as do I and we were talking about that.

Free after school club? I don't think so!

When I needed after school care while on benefits and at college, I had to pay for it. colleges sometimes have a bursary fund but it never covers everyone and it didn't cover me.

£15 for two children per day it was. thank god I was only studying part time.

It was myself who commented on the low income and fsm. I hate the fact that the government claims those on income below £16k qualify for things like the 2 year funding and fsm but in actual fact I don't know anyone who qualifies under that criteria. I know people who qualify due to is etc just not under the low income category because wtc disqualifies you.

annie

Sorry how silly of me to think you were talking about the thing you linked to in the context of someone else who can't get it saying they couldn't.

Right, after reading this I'm pissed off.

I've just worked out that with my HB and council tax (which I don't see at all) is £700 a month. Out of tge £400 goes on rent and £65 on ct. Every fortnight I spend £50 at the butchers and then £60-70 at Iceland. Iput at least 20 on tthe electric meter and 30 on the gas. I spend £10 a month on dd2 nappies, and around 7 on ds's nappy. I pay out 8 a month on dd2s milk for her 1 to 2 bottles per day. Out of what is left I have to provide clothing for the kids(most of which I buy on fb second hand), shoes and school stuff for dd1. I have trips and after school clubs to pay for.

I pay for dd2 to attend a toddler class but that is my only luxury.

I desperately need new shoes and clothes but I simply can't afford them unless I stop going to dds class and she loves it so I can't justify cutting out £20 a term for me to have something so I just pick at bargains and try reduce my shopping that fortnight.

I wish I could go back to work but I just cannot get a job and is only 12 weeks old. Plus, the nearest child care is 20 mins on a bus away, there are no local childminders with places and dd1 is 9 so I can't leave her home alone for a few hours a night and I don't knowanyone in the well enough to ask them. So I'm kinda stuck til I can getthat zsorted.

Ah well...

wow.

I work full time, am a single parent, not eligible for any benefits, other than a small ctc payment. I would love to be as financially free as you, OP.

quite disheartened, frankly.

YADNBU. Been in the exact same situation myself.

We weren't living the life of luxury, but there was never any question of having to choose between food or heating, or not being able to afford a basic primary school uniform from Asda or a bottle of cough medicine yadda yadda yadda.

From what you read on Mumsnet tho, we were either sharing a bowl of gruel for dinner- or off out every Saturday to buy a brand-new flat screen TV for the goat pen.

Nothing much to add except to ask the person further back who mentioned free household furniture and white goods. Where from please ?

I would also love to spend less than £50 a month on heating etc. Currently gas is nearly £70 a month and electric is £50! Perhaps the OP meant £20 per week though.

I manage okay....but it is just me and DS so costs are less but I do buy all furniture second hand and food plan etc.

@SaucyJack

Drbonnie I used to work fulk time too.....I can almost guarantee that you are still financially better off IN work. I know that I was,

If they do the free nursery places for under 2s in your area you have to earn under 16,190 to qualify. We did last year but not this year.

ok, Jake, well I can accept that as not been on the flip side. all I will say is that I have so little disposable income, as in £60 a week, which which to feed, clothe, pay for transport etc. and I work within a profession, so in theory a reasonable salary. it just sticks a bit to hear £700 odd being bandied about.

But moomins I would assume that when you earned below 16k you got wtc so you still wouldn't have qualified.

JakeBullet I know someone who has used St Vincent de Paul which offers free furniture to those in need. It doesn't operate in my area though, but we have a furniture recycling scheme in our borough which is cheap and offers free delivery, but I've found Freecycle more convenient so haven't used it. I was also referred to a scheme which offered low cost secondhand white goods so there are definitely some around, but was recommended to buy new if I could afford it as most donated goods will be close to the end of their working lives anyway. In London most areas have furniture recycling schemes.

We did get a Community Care grant when we first moved in which paid for flooring/household goods but CCGs have been replaced by a local scheme and you need to be in very difficult circumstances to get them now.

Just back from my 1-2-1. Two year funding is NOT for all two year olds in Calderdale, you still have to have other needs, for example, living in a 20% or below deprivation area.

Thank you so much Sock for the very kind offer. I have been overpaid HB and also Council Tax Reduction (not paid to me but you know what I mean). The letters came after Christmas and the figures show receipt for childcare £70, disregarded amount £60, so according to them, they were treating £10 a week of my childcare from WTC as income. They want over £300 now (not in instalments) for council tax. My rent is £500 (cheap for the area), are now paying £300 a month HB and will sanction the overpayment by £120 a month. So I need to find £320 a month for rent until the arrears are repaid. I earn £747 a month after tax. I am paid at the minimum living wage level.

Add to this that I owe £600 to my DD's nursery as I got behind due to a delay in processing my tax credits claim.

I sleep on the floor currently as I had to entirely furnish my new house (I came with nothing), I can't even afford a bed. School meals for my DC come to £22 a week and the other is on packed lunches. I have no sky, basic broadband etc etc.

I am working though so I don't know if that makes me a 'better' kind of benefits claimant. All I know is my goat can eat for free on the village green so that's something .

They should be disregarding 100% of your childcare (so not just what WTC pay) on top of that you should also have an additional £25 in work disregard.

So add up all income deduct disregards (CB and CSA plus all child care and an extra £25) then deduct your premiums these should be listed on the bottom right of your letter check they are all there. What's left should be what they would pay,the difference between the two will be your over payment claw back. If the figure they say they are claiming back is different phone them ASAP then follow up with email if able as it sounds like they have not disregarded the correct amount (over payment will not change disregards as they are worked out before any overpayment reclaim is applied)

Hth

No transport costs? Wot SP said. Do you live in some idyll, next to aldi, the doctor's surgery, your yoga place and local swimming baths, or something?

Can't speak for OP, but I live within a 5 minute walk of 3 and 10 minutes of the 4th. Fairly common for city dwellers, surely?

I would grass the ex partner up.