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)

Carefor i dont think that is what posters have trouble with. I think posters are at the idea of taking the kids to him and trying to force him to be a full time parent when hes already demonstrated that they would likely be neglected.

I really dont know why Pisssedoff is advocating a parental version of knock down ginger.

@ 'a parental version of knock down ginger.'

Move.

A lot of people have to move to find jobs. My best friend just moved to the Northern Territory to get a job as a cop because there aren't enough jobs in NSW. That's the reality of life.

A 500GBP cap on benefits is absurd. I think 384 is even too much, considering that's more than what a lot of full-time workers earn. There's no incentive to get a job if you can get 500GBP for sitting on your bum.

There are always jobs. People just don't WANT to take them. I live in a rural area now, but I commute 2 hours (there and back) every day to go to work, because I wanted a better paid job than I could find here. However, I COULD find a job here if I wanted: retail, cafes, restaurants (night work), medical receptionist, hospital work, receptionists in small firms, retirement villages, hotels and motels etc. Google jobs in your area and you'll be surprised at the number that come up that require no prior experience and no degrees.

What you aren't realising is that the huge benefits expense on the budget is the reason that the UK etc. are in massive debt and are not going to see a budget surplus anytime in the near future. If that continues, it's not going to be the wealthy who suffer, it's going to be people like you who are struggling. You're best to start making a concerted effort to cut down on your expenses, get the child support your children are entitled to, and find a job before you feel an even greater effect of the economic black hole.

Also, you say your car is a piece of crap but you're spending 50GBP per month on insuring it? That's more than just CTP insurance. Why would you spend money insuring a car that isn't worth it? That's illogical. I never got more than CTP on my first car because it was logical to write it off if in an accident. Spending extortionate amounts on insurance for a car that's worth shit all is stupid.

It might not be fully comp insurance. I'm 25 and if I was to drive a car it would cost me 2000 or more in insurance.

500 quid a week is not poverty. I've said it before and I'll say it again I think we as a country have lost sight of what poverty really is - to me poverty is not being able to put food on the table or some kind of roof kver your head. I don't see how)500 a week is poverty unless you have a ton of debts. Of course everyone should have money - and I hate that people have to rely on food banks - but sorry I think the new cap is fine - more than some full time workers not entitled to tc get anyway.

Poverty is relative is it not? That's the measure we use, absolute is different.

There are a some posts suggesting the UK is becoming like the USA the suggestion being there is no benefit system in the US which is simply not true. In fact, the US is far more generous with benefits including pensions.

Firstly, if you're low income or no income you receive food stamps, which is about 600US per family per month, cash benefits are time limited( Though the state can step in if they choose at the five year point) its about 400 per month you can also get section 8 housing vouchers to rent in the private market in NY its about 1600 per month. You'd also qualify for Medicaid which covers all health related issues including, Dr/dentist/hospital & medications.

If you loose your job you receive unemployment benefit of 400 Dollars per week for a year V the UK at 70 pounds per week.

Lastly, if you've worked for 10 years in total you will qualify for a full pension at 60/65 totaling over 1600 US per month indexed to inflation you'll also qualify for Medicare for health care.

I don't know if this has been mentioned as I can't be bothered reading 38 pages of replies, but council tax support is not included in the cap. That is paid on top of the cap, so whatever you're entitled to now you will still get, i.e. you'll have an extra £60 per month to live on.

In fact, compared to most European countries the UK pays you very little on benefits ,the problem in the UK is low paid work and expensive housing.

Tax credits are a Govt based corp welfare transfer allowing business to pay low wages. Its shocking to see so many low paid workers on this thread bashing someone in a worse situation when they should be angry at the fact that work is not paying them enough to live.

I guess, as long as we all fight with each other we won't think about holding the powers that be accountable for sad state of affairs we find ourselves in.

OP, it's a hard one. On the one hand, like others have said, that's a lot more than some people get working full time. I worked in call centres for ten years and only earnt £1000 per month full time. I couldn't afford to live somewhere that was £900 per month .

But on the other hand, I want to know where these jobs are that the government want people on IS to take! I was constantly looking for other work the last 3-4 years of working in call centres because I hated it, nothing skilled but jobs I could have done well with my eyes closed and constantly rejected, 100s of people applying for the same job sometimes. I was Unemployed for ten months despite always looking for work.

So it's definitely a tough one and I don't know the answer.

Migwit that makes no sense council tax support is a reduction in how much council tax you pay. You don't receive a cash sum so it is affected by the cap.

the low wages came before the tax credits. Im old enough to remember the 50p an hour/£1.50 an hour/ £50 a week jobs that were advertised in JCs in the mid to late 90s

Op, what age are your children?

While of course poverty is relevant, I really don't agree that someone who is adequately housed and can afford to run a car and have internet access can call themselves impoverished. And of course its difficult to find suitable work when you have children, and move house etc. etc. but when other people do whatever is necessary to work and provide for their own families, you cant blame them for getting frustrated when others appear to have a can't /won't attitude. Its difficult for everyone, and people that work should have more money than people that don't, otherwise why bother?

Poverty is relative not relevant!

Poverty is relative not relevant!

Agree with Glasto. A car and Internet access does not equal "poverty". Did the OP ever clarify the age of her kids or why the XH can't help? I may be a Calvinist type, but having worked since the age of 14 (including PT jobs at university) I tend to think employment is A Good Thing and it's right that we encourage people to take jobs - even if they have kids and choose to live in semi-rural areas!

For generations people have had to move to find work.
I was lucky enough to get a job straight out of uni in the rural area me and ex grew up in however it was just a year long contract so after a year I ended up making countless drives around the country looking for work (eneded up near London). It broke me and ex but I needed to find a job. I get it is harder with kids in tow but you chose to have children knowing it would make it harder to do things like work. You can't expect to be state funded for ever.

I've not finished reading so apols, but won't you get the deposit back from your existing place to help pay for the new one?
And register with the child maintenance service (cms is the new csa), they check his accounts through hmrc each yr and work out his contributions accordingly. Also look into community oil, it's cheaper to buy in bulk and then you and your neighbours benefit. You might qualify for a grant for an electric car too.

To those saying hubby earns £400 after tax for a 60-80 hour week

Why doesn't he get a better paid job then?

Presumably for similar reasons that the OP doesn't change her situation. Don't be so bloody sanctimonious. It isn't a race to the bottom.

£500 a week is acceptable now is it?

People expect so little. No wonder the Tories do so well. The turkeys keep voting for Christmas.

What the fuck? I earn less than that for working full time. What a joke. Why should people get paid a full time wage for not working? I think benefits should be the bare minimum otherwise we may as well all stay at home and then where would society be?

I'm not proposing we stop supporting the sick and old and disabled, but those that choose not to work should not be receiving so much money.

As someone who had to give up work to become a full time carer (single parent too) I have been amazed at how generous the benefits are and I can live quite comfortably. I do want to work again but I agree that there is little incentive to work when the money is pouring in.

I think the comments re the exh are ridiculous and people need to get real. I have an ex who works cash in hand and pays £28 pm in child maintenance. He denies he works at all and will never ever support his children financially. If the £28 didn't come out of his benefits at source he wouldn't pay anything at all.

When he first left five years ago we tried to come to an arrangement where he looked after the dc while I worked but it was all on his terms and it made it difficult for me to hold down the hours. He hated it and moaned if I wasn't home by a certain time so that he could go off and do his own thing.

I have tried all ways to make him step up as a parent and I am still shocked at what a poor parent he has turned out to be but I can't make him care.

We have been to court and it still didn't help. You can't make a man support his children if he really doesn't want to.

If I withheld child contact my ex would be over the moon. He only sees the dc the bare minimum out of a sense of duty and it would let him off the hook.