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)

No magic chicken here. In my family, we eat a modest amount of food (basics only, cheap wine ) and walk everywhere.

Pisssssedofff Mon 10-Oct-16 22:25:37
needs so she goes to court and says if the ex doesn't want her to move he'd better pay the rent or have the kids full time, judge will agree with her and over turn court if it gets issued in the first place.

So we didnt need the Child First campaign then. Because they always do what the mother wants.

We tried to live in zone 6 in a dodgy 2 bed flat on that amount (working shifts over a week). It was awful and soul destroying as we just couldn't do it. I'm amazed you expect to be in a 3 bed house. We had to move and now commute a ridiculous distance.

OP needs money or her ex to have more contact, withholding it doesn't achieve anything for her

So the children should just forgo a relationship with their father cos the mother isn't happy?

No no no needs the father can have a great relationship with his children but he needs to pay for the roof over their heads and the food in their bellies. It's nothing to do with the mother not being happy, she doesn't want to run off to the costa brava with her new boyfriend she wants the man that consent tally came up her to way for the resulting children.

You don't have parental rights, you have responsibility. Which does he want ? In any case generally, not this one or mine particularly

OP with the best of intentions, some of your bills look really high
Def shop around
Also would the house be okay with oil filled radiators? You could buy a few for just one months oil cost

Care work would fit with your hours
Or cleaning work, or see if any local people want any kind of home help?

Heldna yeah they pretty much do because 9/10 I would say the resident parent puts the Child first and the nrp is in court to upset the rp, talking shite and doesn't have a case.

"Is house insurance vital"

Did the PP who suggested this mean contents insurance?

Of course its fucking needed.

Pissed off you keep missing the point that many NRP dont want the responsibility of paying or looking after their children. So what then?

In your view she withholds contact and her ex magically says ok I will give you more money. Or he would be willing to have the kids full time ?
It really doesn't work like that

No Xmas we established a while back you are correct it wouldn't get her anywhere

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/guest_posts/2552873-Guest-post-Children-are-at-terrible-risk-if-the-family-courts-dont-put-their-safety-first-Warning-upsetting-content

WTAF!!!! I earn half what you do OP with 3 part time jobs that mean I work 30 hrs a week! !! Look at yourself love, we all have tough times, get on with it! !!! Fuck me. I've got it wrong somehow if I can have double my monthly income if I don't work :-(

Sadly it is popular to benefits bash. Austerity causes this type of envy. Wages have been frozen which isn't helping.

DH and I earn in the mid 30K region. Have some friends who seem to think we are loaded because of this. Yet they actually are probably better off with top ups and help with things/childcare etc.

This doesn't bother me because I would prefer everyone to be at a good level than drive some down so we 'have more'. But when people are left fighting over scraps this will happen with many. Mail amd benefits shows etc encourage this so they reduce further.

I totally agree with the people that said it isn't as simple as 'just move'. Moving costs a fortune. Also many people don't realise how hard it is being a lone parent or living rurally. Good luck OP.

What you need to do op is become self employed, 16 hours pw doing anything and everything, ironing, mystery shopping, dog walking, school pick up for other ppl. They you can get wtc, small wages and won't be affected by the cap.

Before the SPBB's Single Parent benefit bashers get too comfortable judging from their ivory towers. Can we please be mindful that. It does take 2 to procreate. In other words these children do have fathers. That could be hounded and criticised

I'm surprised at the total lack of info from OP about her DCs father. How often does he see them? Does he have them at weekends? Pick them up from school sometimes? Take them to activities? Did they own their home together? He's mentioned as a reason for staying, so there must be some level of contact?

Surely the problem is lack of government owned council houses? I live in Northern Ireland, and the housing executive here are great. In my area a single parent waits around six months to three years for a property, rarely longer, and you can do swaps (just need to sign some papers) with other tennants. If you do end up working and stop claiming benefits, the rent is still reasonable Mine is £0.00 atm, as I claim housing benefit, and I don't think they charge themselves iyswim. The full rent charge is £280 (per month). We live in a decent two bed house with back garden, in a nice area, right beside a school.

It's also pretty easy to find a landlord here to take housing benefit, we still have an option to have it paid directly, people who're working may flake on payment dates etc, but the housing benefit people (dhss?) are reliable. You can claim the deposit money under a "crisis loan", and the repayments (reasonable, no interest) are taken out of benefits before they reach the recipient, or some charities will pay it directly, no repayments.

Exdh left when my 2 DC were 4 and 5 for OW he did pay maintenance but not much as her children were included in csa figures
It didn't make any difference as penny for penny whatever he gave me was taken off my benefits
Tax credits hadn't been invented either
I did whatever I could to earn money and was off benefits within months
Sessional work, babysitting, cleaning, working from home doing book keeping, car boots, selling things on eBay, anything to earn money, crafts, cake decorating, I did voluntary work just for the expenses
I cut everything to the bone - insurances, bills, charity shops, reduced counter etc
Even now nearly 20 years on I have to do same running an ancient car and living on the reduced counter
I'm already planning how to cover the costs of Xmas by selling things
Once DC were at high school I went from part time to full time with extra income schemes where I could
These days I take home slightly more than you, for a very responsible stressful job, which tires me out - I still have no money as I'm trying to keep on top of day to day living whilst paying off debts accrued when times were harder - the ones where the gear box goes on your car or you need a new pair of spectacles - not luxury living just essentials
I do have sympathy for you OP but would have much more if you were trying to help your situation more
As others have said cut your outgoing to the bone, pursue ex for money - sort out DC school bus pass and plan for future - look for a solution not moan about the problem
We can't sustain the welfare bill indefinitely which includes the elderly as well as people like OP - we all have to try and do what we can

I know a lot of non paying nrps. If the rp dropped the kids off saying you had them they just wouldn't open the door.

These are shit awful scum these men who don't pay maintenance, they would simply say no.

Rps literally cannot do anything to get money out of nrps.

Took my sister over a year to get CSA to get money of her ex. He was on PAYE!!

Then finally when they started the attachment order the nrps boss would take it and hold it for a few months because the business was failing.

Then when she finally handed it over the CSA would hold on to it for two months, denying that they had received it.

One worker even told my sister she was a whore. And to fuck off.

Its a awful organization.

DP recently had to move house whilst unemployed and I was unable to guarantor him or help with a deposit
However I did ring round letting agents to find out who would take housing benefit or more recently UC claimants - managed to find 2-3 who would take him with references from previous landlord
Local council housing advice centre advanced him money for a bond
Care and urgent needs support scheme helped with second hand furniture n white goods also electricity credit
CAB gave him food bank vouchers - I'm not saying it's easy but you just have to try hard to get what you need for your family or loved ones

Oswin that is absolutely disgusting

Keeptrudging she has mentioned him. They stay with and he buys them stuff and keeps it in his house. He takes the children on holiday once a year. He does not give her maintenance.

I agree with pissed off. Morally I see nothing wrong with making access difficult for deadbeat dads who refuse to pay. If your children are going hungry you are doing them no favours rolling over and not standing up for them.

The rps don't get prosecuted in the main because it boils down to simply these men don't give enough of a shit.

Pisssss

Are your kids over about 20/25? Ive not known a judge even entertain a conversation about CM during a contact hearing for many many years.

And a bloke who can demonstrate to the Csa/CMS that he has nil income either due to none or self employment can walk into court for free, legal aid may not exist for most family law cases (apart from cp and domestic abuse) but court fees exemption most certainly does!

if you are not working or are a sahm then car insurance is sky high.