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)

needsahalo. The CMA chased my ex around the world - found him and took £2000 out of his tax return. Sorry you didn't have better luck but it can and has been done

It is pretty much impossible to get money out of a father if he's determined not to pay.

My Mum chased her dp for 14 years and never got one penny for their four kids. One of whom is severely disabled.

Not sure why OP is acting like the Benefit Cap has come as a huge surprise. Benefits were first capped to £26000 a few years ago which equated to an annual salary of more than £32000 so was still very high ( I think) and so has been reduced to the equivalent of the average salary. Also, affected people have been written to several times over the past few months advising them of this and inviting them into Jobcentres for help and advice so it strikes me that OP has buried her head in the sand but now wants us to feel sorry for her.

"I know people with quiet server disabilities on £100,000 a year"

Piisssedoff Why did you use a plural term when its actually one person that you know?

Its clear the Government needs to spend more time reforming the child maintenance system. Is your ex living on beans and dressing rags, if not, then he must be making enough money to live.

As a net contributor to taxes, parents abdicating their responsibility for their children annoys me a lot more than the benefits going to lone parents.

HelenaDove I've met more than one and as I wrote their job offer letters I know what they are paid.

I'm wondering why you seem so hostile about even trying for social housing op, it could help a lot if you are in the se....

"The benefits cap is very popular indeed"

Not with me it's not, and I come from a family who claims no benefits and pays higher rate of tax.

I understand the self-righteous glee that people like yourself will feel knowing non-working single mothers will now be punished for their fecklessness by being plunged into severe poverty. But I live in a poor community where many children will be severely harmed by this and I feel very sad about it. There are ways of encouraging people off benefits which don't cause suffering to children, but this governments way is easier and cheaper. :-(

I don't actually want more money. I'd like a job and affordable childcare which doesn't leave me worst off.

matching, that's correct. OP won't be any better off but people on here are more concerned about her saving the taxpayer than what she's actually worried about.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-62439998.html

3 bed, less than you're paying now!

Gowgirl. Not hostile. It isn't possible to get social housing unless you are homeless or in medical need. You can say it until you are blue in the face. I'm not hostile, I'm realistic. I'm guessing you still think there are such things as housing lists? You have to bid for houses. You get given a band according to your circumstances. Hundreds of people bid on one house. It goes to the top banded person who's been on the list the longest. Top band is always emergency or medical.

It's not even about being better off its about long term. At some point those children will leave home, then what OP that's what was on my mind night and day. When dickhead stops paying CS and I stopped getting any government help I was starring down the barrel of a shared house maybe if I didn't get my act together. That's what frightened me into action

You would be entitled to 75% of your childcare costs in tax credits if it's done through a registered provider.

Do you see the bit that says no DSS ould?

old

But surely the amount has nothing to do with it.
We earn around, probably just short of the OP, our mortgage is a less than third of her rent. We have one dependant child and the gov subsidise her food for half the year. There are two of us so we can work more hours, move, change jobs, choose our own lifestyle freely like all other couples.
SP don't always have the chance to do this.

It doesn't maher what the cost is. They'd rather have a smoker than a benefit scummer

Pisssedoff You are using one group of disabled people to bash another group of disabled people.

That is disabilist.

Its not the first time ive seen inflammatory posts from you either.

more likely it's a condition of their mortgage

PIssedoff, your survivor bias by proxy does not prove anything.

The CSA / CMS is a pretty poor net. XH has been ducking and diving for sixteen years with me informing them and chasing them up every step of the way with the limited information I can glean. The latest is he's back on benefits, has been for six months but the DWP cancelled the pittance he pays out of it, my phone calls were not followed up so I've lost six months of payments as there is no backdating or recourse.

He will soon receive a six figure sum which they cannot touch as it is not "income". He won't even have to pay off his arrears let alone a weekly payment.

I wonder how much more efficient these systems would be if the government paid what was owing to RPs and collected it back from the NRPs? Of course this will never happen because child support as optional seems to be socially sanctioned.

Do you see the bit that says no DSS
Do the only way your life is going to improve is by getting a job and not claiming it then isn't it ?

Small. I was in the shite not very long ago myself, so not by proxy. My posts aren't to highlight how bloody brilliant I am, but to point out its not impossible.