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)

I'm hiding this thread now, it's getting ridiculous. I don't care if you're on benefits, working full time, swinging from the bloody chandeliers while singing I believe I can fly. A reality of being an adult, and especially a parent, is living within your means. If you can't do that, find a way to change it. Move to a cheaper area, drop luxuries, get a job. It's just what has to happen. I think the benefits system is great, it's there to support people who are going through really tough times and I'm proud that this country has it. This isn't about benefit bashing, I simply stated DPs income as it's similar to what OP brings in and apart from child benefit, it's our sole income. The difference is that we moved to a significantly cheaper area, made cuts to luxuries, and have had 1 holiday in 8 years.

'There was no place in the village school for him so he had to stay at the school in town so he isn't entitled to a bus pass.'

How is this so? The council has to provide transport if the school is over 2 miles for primary and 3 for secondary. You need to appeal to the council over this. If this was the only place he could go then they have to give him a bus pass.

I feel for you OP, I've been in a similar situation and it was awful.

I have no advice, as back then I was "lucky" and moved myself and DD back into 1 room at my mums as we couldn't find a private rental that HB covered or a landlord that accepted HB.

The system is shit, and don't seem to realise that single parents need more support rather than more shit thrown at them.

I hope you manage to work something out

rebecca - It's lovely that you are happy to support the op. Do you earn 78000? If not then you can't support her at this level or the level which she would wish to be maintained at. Of course that would account for all your income tax so lets just hope that the other tax you pay VAT etc tots up to enough to pay for the NHS, education , defence spending etc because all your income tax is going directly to this one family.

The blame here lies firmly with the children's father. The OP is being encouraged to better her situation herself and that is absolutely good advice. It sounds like the dad could pay something but is avoiding doing so. But even if he currently can't afford anything he is the one who should be targeted to improve his income so that he can. He hasn't got childcare etc issues. This is where the state ought to do more. Parents (both) are responsible for their kids and only where there is death and illness should benefits need to be more than the OP describes.

Big mouth it wasn't a calculation sorry, it was an estimate. DH earns £32k a year and takes home about £1700. There are other things going on there now I think about it though (cc vouchers etc)

AndNowItsSeven that's what the calculator said but according to Tax Credits we're not due anything, in fact they took a load of money from DPs wages saying we'd been overpaid last year (we hadn't as his hours were only 40 p/w last year) and weren't entitled to anything this year.

That's more or less what my DH earns. We get child benefit on top of that, but nothing else. Our council tax is also higher (presumably you get single person discount, we don't). And we have additional costs such as my prescription card, travel to hospital appointments, new glasses (you will get help with these costs due to the benefits you claim).

I also earn however with a preschool child, my wages basically equal the amount that we spend on childcare while I'm working.

Your car seems to be taking a lot of money (compared to my costs anyway) in insurance, tax and diesel, would it be possible to change?

I know you said your DC isn't entitled to a bus pass, have you double checked this? As I was under the impression that if there's no space within 2-3 miles (depending on age) they had to issue a bus pass, you're only not entitled if they offered a closer place and you refused it.

Your electricity and oil costs seem to be high (I spend £70 on gas and electricity combined) have you shopped around or tried energy saving measures?

£40 a week on food sounds doable if you are careful, I spend £40-50 on 2 adults and 1 child.

Yes it sucks when the goalposts change. But I don't think you're worse off than a lot of people are.

Nameo- it blows my mind that non resident parents don't have to contribute to childcare so the resident parent can work. So many single mothers at my DT nursery and they are paying childcare fees without any contribution from the father.

'I don't believe for a second that there is no McDonald's or Tesco in the area! '

Haahahaahaa!!! You really have no clue, do you? We're not even that rural in comparison to say, the Western Isles and there's FA here. The nearest Tesco is either a 2-hour drive or a £20 ferry crossing+1/2 hour drive. The nearest McDonalds is about an hour and a half away over a mountain pass.

These absent parents who don't pay should be thrown in jail.

Wouldn't that be great?

Sadly, it's the parents who stay and do the hard work without the help of CM that get the abuse, as this thread shows.

I pay tax and I'm happy to do so to support people like the OP who need it. And 3 children is hardly excessive.

Me too. Millions of people DO still support the welfare state. It's a good system.

People have got too used to the state supporting their lifestyles. Even if it isn't an affluent one. OP, you have plenty of money to live on; you're just dividing it unwisely.

Imo if the benefits are cut then there will be a LOT of people forced to work who otherwise wouldn't bother. Which can only be a good thing.

Most Landlords stopped taking on HB tenants because the government decided to pay the rent directly to the claiment instead of straight to the Landlord. The only exception is if there's problem in your life which meant you felt unable to pay it to the LL yourself alcoholsim/gambling addiction etc
It's shit. You can't just move even if you wanted to in most cases. Finding a job to enable you to come off most benefits partially especially when you have 3 kids is exceptionally hard. If you're on income support and all children are over 5 (in school) you HAVE to attend JC appointments where they show you EVERY TIME how much you could get if working 16hrs. Which is about £30 extra (when I was in that situation with 2 kids) I understand your predicament OP, it's tough. It looks as though to make any real difference you would have to move somewhere totally different, move schools, get rid of the car, your ex would have to travel/meet up to see his kids. If he won't pay you any money there isn't much you can do other than go to CMS. It feels impossible

YABU - you get more than what I earn working full time.
I'm surprised that you can even afford to maintain a car on benefits.

Rosegold or even a job at the children's school, neighbour is lunchtime attendant and after school attendant a few days a week even after her kids have both left that school.

user - pathetic argument. Everyone who can pay tax should to support those in need.

OP has never said she doesn't want to work or in any way intimated that she has no intention of doing so in the future. But right at this moment in time she is severely hampered in what she can do. I am a higher rate tax payer as is DH and I'm proud that my taxes support people, especially lone parents who have a bloody hard job of it.

Have I got this right that you're unemployed because you don't know how you'll cope when your children are sick?

Can someone please explain how they expect OP to move?
Lets say, for arguments sake that Miles down the road there are a few more jobs going and the rents for the equivalent of OP's house is £600 a month.
So OP needs to raise at least £600 (For the deposit) and another, for rent in advance. That amounts to £1200.
Now OP needs a man and a van. Op can't afford this so hires one at £50 per day, spending an additional £20 on fuel to do a fair few runs between the two properties, to get all of her and DC's stuff.
So that amounts to £1270,
and we are assuming that OP is- fully stocked up on food for the DC's, Everything OP has she owns outright so she can bring with her (If not, then OP will have fun replacing it all.... out of fresh air....) Also assuming that nothing essential breaks during the housemove (In my last house move my dishwasher, oven and vacuum broke... oven and vacuum are pretty essential IMO) and that OP won't be paying any set up fees or installation fees for any services she requires, because if she does thats easily another £100 (For 1st months broadband....) plus everything else... Now... Shall we set up a go fund me or should just one of us hand the OP the 1.2 thousand that she needs?
because even if she manages to save £100 a month thats still going to take a year to move, assuming her car doesn't break down or fail an MOT or similar crisis happens. which then wipes OP out and she has to start again.

More than I bring home working 37 hours a week even with overtime!

And I'm supposed to feel sorry for a benefit cap? No sorry

More than a single parent friend of mine and I take home. We both work as teachers ft in a small private school and take home £1600 p/m.
Fine for me, as DH earns well, but friend, as I said, is single parent, with childcare, mortgage, car, bills etc. to pay. She works long hours.

Seems unfair that people can get that amount for doing nothing.

It's good that you CAN get help with bus fairs and free transport if the school is further than 3 miles (I think) if it's not then you're screwed.

Get a bloody job...

Wow, are you that charming in real life Super?

So prior to separating, your exH worked. You want to stay near him, yet you're consistently not answering questions about his contribution. I suspect this is because he is contributing, but it's not counted/doesn't reduce what you can claim, thus giving you even more tax free income.

What a strange site this is. People telling the OP she is not listening to all the brilliant ideas frankly most of which are laughable. Moving is impossible she is stuck where she is. Oil heating is stupidly expensive I breathed a sigh of relief when gas eventually came to this backwood hell hole I live in. I have to drive my kids to two different school buses and when I had my old zafira school runs, and shopping and dentist/doctors/hospital/haircuts etc etc my fuel was £60 a week. I cannot imagine being a single parent in the village I live in. Working is possible for me as I have a husband who looks after them and a mother who thankfully moved up with me when my brainless husband forced us to move to the wonderful healthy country . I could afford a new car which has saved me fuel money. I have a good job luckily and so does my husband but it is still going to take another 3 years of saving before we can move back to civilisation. You can't do that on benefits. I feel some of you need to volunteer in organisations like welfare rights or citizens advice to learn how things really work before giving advice.