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)

Expat - you don't think in the SE there's no McDonald's, Tesco's, Sainsbury's, Corner Shops, Garages? Gosh seems really weird that house prices would be so high with so little commodities near by, especially since the OP drives to the town each day for the school! High street made of empty buildings is it?

keeptrudging - she did answer earlier in the thread. He's not fulfilling his responsibilities but that is hardly her fault.

She did answer he is self employed and claims he has no profit!

Super - exactly! Lunch Ladies, Admin!

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

Your reading skills aren't up to much are they Keeptrudging?

That's more than my take home, and I earn 30k a year. I am not entitled to wtc etc.

So yes, I think YABU. I'm not sure how you think others live off their earnings.

'Expat - you don't think in the SE there's no McDonald's, Tesco's, Sainsbury's, Corner Shops, Garages?'

Why, yes, Rosie, I have been in places where there are no such places for many miles.

Aye I would look into that again £400 a week is not a lot for a family of five.

lilmiss I kind of agree with you!!! And I'm shocked at myself for doing something

This is an eye opener.....

That is hard, and to lose a significant amount of money suddenly is obviously stressful.

However, your income is about the same as what my dp takes home from his professional job. We work a combined total of 64 hours a week and after all bills inc childcare don't have much more to play around with than you do!

I'm not trying to put the boot in, but it's hard for everyone at the moment

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.

You can't on the one hand say that your housing is expensive because you're in the London commuter belt, and on the other say that it's so remote that you can't get to Tesco. That makes no sense.

'High street made of empty buildings is it?'

And I've seen high streets that are pretty much that, oh, and charity shops because they get lower rates or none at all but they want volunteers. The homes are mostly second homes. The owners stock up at the Sainbo's and the like in the city and bring all the stuff in for their weekend.

rebecca- it's not a pathetic argument it's reality, in order for the op to be supported with this much cash someone needs to be contributing the cash. great that you are so happy to but i am guessing that if the choice was between, schools, hospitals and the army or cash for the OP many would choose to fund the former. Virtue signalling about how proud you feel to pay tax is meaningless. If you think it's so great I am sure you could give an extra 400 quid a month to the OP, I am guessing you wouldn't be so keen on that though.

Just dropping in to say we have the tiniest 3 bed semi in SE and we pay £900pcm.
It really doesn't get much cheaper than that.

I think you need to move and get a job. Why should you be subsidised by taxpayers . I think £300 a week is a high amount to be given for nothing never mind £500. Most people have to work really hard to get the money you are being given for nothing.

I think benefits should be for short periods not a lifestyle choice.

I would love to have £384 per week!

I will say that I don't agree with the benefits cap in general.

I assume if you get a job that doesn't pay 30k, that you get benefits to top it up to that? Otherwise going out to work would be ridiculous.

You'd need to be earning a salary of around £25k before tax to clear £350 a week in your pay packet.

OP is choosing to live rurally, in an expensive part of the country. That is a choice which she is expecting the taxpayer to fund for her. Moving to other parts of the country isn't easy but many thousands of people do it every year because they have no choice. If rural jobs are like hen's teeth then you go where the work is.

'You can't on the one hand say that your housing is expensive because you're in the London commuter belt, and on the other say that it's so remote that you can't get to Tesco. That makes no sense.'

I didn't say I lived in the London commuter belt. Because I definitely don't! And you can get to a Tesco (well, a few times a year you can't due to weather but it's usually temporary for a few hours), you just have to drive for hours and/or pay a whacking ferry fee (even if you travel on foot, you're looking at a tenner return).

I have already said he doesn't contribute as his business doesn't turn a profit. According to him. CSA not interested. He buys them clothes for his house and takes them on holiday once a year.

Expat, we lived in town when DS started school so he had a place at the town school. Then we moved rurally and the village school was full. So he still goes to the town school and doesn't qualify for a pass. Not that there is a bus anyway I don't think.

I suspect a lot of you saying 'just get a job' have no idea about the job market. Just a little school job? I've tried and tried. Midday assistant isn't enough hours. LSA/ta jobs are taken by ex teachers. I am looking for work constantly believe me.

You do all realise that if I get a job and go onto WTC I'll actually get more in benefits than I do now? This isn't about saving money its about ideologically bullshit.

How is your oil £1000 per year? Ours is only about £350 at the moment for a 3 bed semi.

I'm also in agreement with those who say that c£1700 per month is a decent wage. Cut your cloth to suit it.

Err Museum, I think you'll find that expat and IP are two separate posters . Such poor comprehension ability on display from the frothers.

And I think- there is no other way to say this- that this is exactly what the government are trying to achieve. You obviously see your benefits as your long term income- you're "living" off them- whereas the government want them to be an emergency stop gap. I know it's tough on an individual level but at a population level yes, they sort of do want to starve people back to work

Well, yes. Except of course it's not starvation, is it, if cars, mobiles and broadband can be afforded? Car tax and insurance both high too, so presumably not the cheapest essential options. House insurance high, too.

Plenty of single parents get by on less than £20,000 (total income) a year after tax. Its perfectly possible to live on that amount, you just cant carry on living like you did when you had a £40,000 income. You might think you are hard done by but that money is being provided by the taxes of people who are working 48 hours a weeks for exactly the same money as you are getting.

The choice you have are the same choices all working people make. Move to somewhere in the country that has cheaper rents, meaning you can ditch the car, shop in Aldi for food, charity shops for clothes and most importantly get a job. Children having to change school is not a big deal. Seeing their Dad, well why can't he come and see them?

If your going to stay in you current situation, why can't their Dad get a paying job and contribute? If not then why can't he look after the children so you can get a full time job? Why not use bicycles and ditch the car. You dont have to pay for school trips. £50 a week on food at Aldi/Liddle buys you more than enough for 4. You have to find a way to make money, even start your own business, babysitting, cleaning, anything to get into work.

Trying very hard to bite my tongue as I am always fucking skint and couldn’t even afford to have a child on a FT wage

How old are your children OP? Are they all in school? If so, can’t you get a PT job to fit around school hours? This time of year, many shops will be advertising for Xmas temps … save some money up from doing this and that can then subsidise when the tax cuts come in to some extent

Also – are you not on the council house list? If not, why not?