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)

Having no partner or free childcare from family doesn't render anyone unable to work. There are millions of single people who have children and work.

Choosing to quit work as a partner leaves is a very poor choice, the salary would have been needed more than ever. As you say you've always worked, then the only reason you're not gaining employment now is you are being too picky.

Most people want to work just a few hours a day, have lots of extra money handed to them on top and live where they like. Sadly that's not real life for many. If it were, there would be no tax to pay for lifestyles like the OP.

Take some responsibility OP, your choice to have three children so you now need to provide for them. Rather than moan the big bad state won't give you as much, be thankful the net caught you and see it as a push needed to get you back into work. Without the cut, I'm guessing the job search wouldn't even have been happening.

Rose

No it shouldn't be a full term solution, but unfortunately it has been, with very little support from government, to change this.
The answer isn't to cut benefit, I know this much.
You can't expect things to change over night and all of a sudden benefit recipients no longer needing it for whatever reason. It doesn't work like that.
Where are the cheap rents? where are the council houses?
I say this as a LL.

I haven't lived in the UK for over 50 years, but in the last couple of generations it seems to have become much more acceptable to live on benefits.

Of course, there will always be people who cannot work, either because of age or disability, but it seems that some people are building their life around the availability of benefits.

How can the country flourish if people who are able choose not to contribute economically to society?

It seems to me that there are only two ways to change the situation:

1. make it socially unacceptable to claim benefits, make recipients pick up cheques in person, long queues in the rain, work-fare, harassment of recipients, that kind of thing.
2. reduce the amount of benefits.

The UK government is heading in the latter direction. If the benefit cap gets down far enough, maybe to 90% of minimum wage, perhaps people will be less likely to choose a life that requires them to stay home, and more likely to contribute economically to society.

Harshbuttrue you'd need 3 kids though

Helena - makes me cross and I am not even in that position! Being disabled is not a choice and should not be classed in the same way as other benefits. TBH it isn't a benefit at all it is an absolute nessesity and should be treated as such!

Well I never knew the exc prions applied in term time. I am SO old

Op no mention of whether you can get childcare from dh if you can't get money or what your long term plans are? Yes I could do my job without family or dh help, in fact I do as dh can very rarely take any time off and works weekends and travels, no family around. You need an understanding employer/if you're good at what you do they'll usually put up with it and I work evenings to make up time.

manumission we appear to have solved all the op's problems, got her in the path of a wonderful new career, she hasn't had to move or look after other people's brats and convert her home into a wacky warehouse become a childminder. High fives all round I think 😁

How big is your tv, op?

No Canadian it became socially UNacceptable over the past 50 years for children to go unshod, live in unheated houses, develop tickets due to food poverty etc etc.

Unfortunately Cameron and co have now managed to bring about a regression in our collective attitudes.

Rickets not tickets

Gilly they are paid more than people working full time! How is that even remotely acceptable? How do you think people who work manage to do this?

If it were up to me we would have a voucher system 100% then people really would go back to work!

Also people may be more inclined to accept DSS in cheaper housing if there were not sooo many taking money and not actually giving it to the landlord! That is why LL take such a negative view to it!

I don't think the OP should move. And I am sure finding jobs is very difficult where she lives.

But her outgoings in several key areas are much larger than average. The benefits system, does not give money based on whether you need to run a car or how much your utility bills are. It gives a certain amount of money that is enough to live on and then you need to decide how you use it. So the only way forward is to look at how to reduce costs.

Yes I'm sure she'll be okay pissed. She's calm and intelligent and clear-eyed.

To be fair, it would be hard for OP to get a job with three children and no family help. Every job round our parts is asking for some form of flexible flexible flexible, weekends, shift work, evenings. Someone with three children isn't that flexible even with childcare helping out. An employer is going to choose someone who can work any and all hours every time over someone like OP at the moment. It's not as easy as this thread makes out to find work.

I get the chasing the father thing, i really do.
But is it really going to be the magic solution to drag lone or blended families from poverty?
The average monthly payment for maintenance collected via cms/ csa is around £125 per month, according to Gingerbread.
Seems like the fathers are in poverty too?
This is not going to replace the benefit sums by a long chalk.

*All of you who say you'd just work or carry on with your jobs. Take any help you get from your family out of the equation. Take any help or childcare you get from your DH out of the equation. Just you on your own.

Can you still do your job?*

Yes

When it came to returning to work after maternity leave I was effectively on my own.

I don't have any family near enough to help with childcare. DH works long hours and effectively is out of the picture when it comes to helping out with childcare. He has never taken time off to cover sickness, onset days or school holidays as it would be frowned upon big time by his employer. Not right I know but this is the reality.

*inset days

its really out of order that the absent parent can get away so easily with not paying in these situations. I wish the government would crack down on that.

Op, I think you need to accept the reality that something has to give and go from there. Moving seems to be not an option for all the reasons already posted. The two areas I would concentrate on are the crazily expensive car, and getting a part time job. They are about especially in the south east; a lunchtime shift in a restaurant, dog walking; or given their father is not turning a profit, can he not look after them whilst you do an evening job?

(By which I mean she hadn't thrown a fit yet despite being thoroughly slagged off by dozens of people)

For her to move she needs to be in a job for atleast 3 months and references is needed. No rental agent will gi near her unfortunatly.

"If it were up to me we would have a voucher system 100% then people really would go back to work! "

Yes because this works in the US doesn't it.

I met a woman once who made extra money ironing shirts for all the business yuppies in the area. It was the only job she could think of doing during school hours and the men were happy that they coulc bring and collect in the evening. The extra money was very helpful. Maybe you could try that too?

Mummy I am a wheelchair user, my dh is my carer , my dd is autistic, I am her carer. Why is that so hard to understand?

Will posters stop banging on about the benefit cap being less to or equal to the minimum wage.
How many times does it need to be said, the government DO NOT think families can live on the minimum wage that is why there are top ups.