To think the benefit cap is going to plunge families into poverty

[Firsttheworst]

Next month the benefit cap comes in. It sets out the maximum that can be claimed in a week across all benefits. This doesn't include disability or wtc. Its aimed purely at women (mostly) claiming income support. You can only claim income support if you have a child under 5 and don't work.

The benefit cap is in the government owns words designed to get IS claimants out to work. The cap is currently £500 and will be reduced to £384 a week.

This includes, housing benefit, CT benefit, tax credits, income support. So all in total cannot be more than £384 a week. Over a 30 day month that comes to £1645.

From that £1645 I need to pay

rent £900 a month (no I can't move, its impossible to rent on benefits as it is, not giving this house up and its below market rent as it is)

CT - £60 a month

Electricity £80

Oil £80

Diesel £ 120 (rural don't drive anywhere other than school runs and supermarket/town once or twice a week)

Car insurance £49

Car tax £19.99

Phone/internet £40 (thats a basic mobile and broadband)

House insurance £13

TV licence £11

That leaves 272 a month to pay for food, clothes, car breakdown, school trips, birthdays, miscellaneous and god knows what else. For one adult and 3 children.

AIBU to think that the government have just decided that if they starve us out for long enough we'll be forced to go out and find a job? Like I said rural area so jobs are rarer than hens teeth and believe me i'm looking. It is pure discrimination against single mothers with small children (i doubt many men claim income support)

Super - well the OP probably won't have a 4 bedroomed house will she? So that's kind of impossible.

And what's wrong with working cash in hand? You surely don't need to ask that? But if so then it's wrong because you should pay tax on your income thus supporting the welfare system for others in need.

badtaste in no place has the OP said she wants to live on benefits (which is a derogatory statement anyway). She wants to earn but is finding it hard to get back into work as she lives in a rural area and has 3 kids to look after. At some point she no doubt will be able to work again.

Oh, meant to add if you do decide to move, my local council cover the deposit for people on benefits so you wouldn't have to save up for that.

AndNowItsSeven - yes, £11.75 per week

'cash in hand - why on earth not?? my friend when on benefits due to mental health issues (psychotic etc) used to do cash in hand jobs.'

Because it's benefits fraud if you are on means-tested benefits and earn over about £25/week (if that, may be less)!

Manu, you can make five dinners out of a Bury St Edmunds and still have enough for sandwiches

But the system is there to help people up. It's not there to maintain them indefinitely in a situation everyone else has to work to achieve. We, as a nation are paying people (99% Mums) to raise children in their early years, it's not indefinite. We are doing it because we know that for many Mums tey have hit a set of circumstances that make working not viable until their children are older. IMHO this is the mark of a civilised society.

There is a gap between paying the deposit for the new house and getting the old one back. So you have to have the money upfront for the new one + first months rent before you ever move. You then get the old deposit back (assuming they don't try and deduct which they often do)

So when we moved in here it was

Week 1 see house immediately pay agency fees of I think it was around £60
Also pay next months rent of 675 on old house since we couldn't move yet.

Then week 3 pay deposit plus first months rent (£900 deposit plus 750 first months rent) so that month we effectively covered 2 rents plus a £900 deposit.

We didn't get the old deposit back until 2 weeks after we had already moved in.

Rebecca I get what you say...

OP's best choice for now would be to retrain (yes like my mum did though unsure if teaching best bet now - my mum did this in 70s because she could pick us up after school and had holidays with us).

It will be harder to find work in a rural area so best to move nearer for work.

don't get me wrong I do sympathise.

PS - no idea if my mum paid tax on her cash in hand jobs, many don't even if it's illegal.

Expat, I am not recommending it and it's certainly not legal but with kids you have to do what you can.

Manu, you can make five dinners out of a Bury St Edmunds and still have enough for sandwiches

'Expat, I am not recommending it and it's certainly not legal but with kids you have to do what you can.'

Risk going to jail and coming out with a criminal record? I'd say that's a really unwise move if you have kids.

minifingerz - median household income is around 25000 so OP is well over 60% of that. Several thousand in fact.

also looking at things realistically the deficit you have is:-

£116

are you sure there aren't savings to be made etc that could add up to that?

FGS so now we're saying the OP should break the law as a solution to her current problems. Why don't we just suggest she uses the (apparently) extortionate car for some ram-raiding of all the (understaffed) supermarkets which litter her area. She could get a trolley-load of avocados and set up a sideline in guacamole, cash payments only.

well expat my friend killed herself a few years ago, so benefits people don't have to worry about her anymore. mind you she paid more than enough tax having worked from when she was 17 to 33.

I think OP has demonstrated why the benefits cap has been brought in actually.
Benefits should be available to those in need not paying for cars and expensive rents that others that work full time can't afford.

By the way, £1248 a year is 24 x 52 weeks of the additional earnings that the DWP allows. That can make a big difference to the household's comfort factor.

I wonder if this ought to be £50+ a week so that people can develop a buffer. £2500 a year.

Rebecca - I am not saying that at all - my last suggestion was retraining actually.

YANBU to say it's not much money, however YABU because lots of working people earn a lot less than that a month! Of course it's not your personal fault, it's the fault of the government so..... Minimum wage should be higher and there (IMHO) should be a 'living benefit'/wage that you can actually live off paid to everyone regardless of circumstances and then those who work can top up to live a 'more expensive' lifestyle and thise who can't work (disability/carers/have young children/elderly etc) should get a top up ammount of money...... Of course I realise that it's not so simple but.....
Basically YANBU to think it's not much to live off, but your rent etc does seem pretty high and while many people (such as myself) work and earn less than that then not everyone will be sympathetic. For myself, I agree with you, but also do get a little annoyed that it is more than some FT working people actually earn. However, as I said, that's not your fault so...

super - sorry that wasn't to you, I saw your last and nodded sagely at it!!

What about all the working mothers who pay taxes in order to allow other mothers to stay at home for their children's entire childhoods because it's more difficult to work/not worth their while? Is that a 'marker of a civilised society'? The benefits system is a way of trying to make it more doable to work, not a lifestyle choice.

OP, there is a lot on your list that can be re-negotiated.

Oil and Electricity together - we pay nowhere near that much and live in a draughty 5 bed house. What happens when your tank runs low - do you go online and look for the cheapest deal? Oil prices fluctuate greatly.

Electricity - have you looked into cheaper electricity. There are fuel trackers out there and nowadays it is very easy to change.

Mobile/internet - that seems massively expensive. Can you look at re-negotiating your contract?

Car Insurance - my goodness, what sort of car do you drive to be paying that much? Again - look at when your insce is due for renewal and go on price comparison websites. It is boring, it is tedious, it is lengthy but my DH has just saved himself over £200 doing this.

Ditto house insurance.

Use moneysavingexpert - there are forums, good advice, websites, help for all sorts of things to reduce your outgoings.

Get savvy.

Sometimes mums on benefits house share to reduce costs. I nearly did that once but then we both found really affordable flats by fluke so almost reluctantly stepped back from the arrangement.

We, as a nation are paying people (99% Mums) to raise children in their early years, it's not indefinite. We are doing it because we know that for many Mums tey have hit a set of circumstances that make working not viable until their children are older. IMHO this is the mark of a civilised society.

OP has been circumspect about the ages of her children, but we know that one of them is 11 and they all seem to be school-aged. How long should mothers be out of work?