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)

user - it is a pathetic argument because we don't get a choice on how the tax revenue is spent. So I'm less keen on funding the military and nuclear weapons than I am on looking after the vulnerable and the overseas aid fund. The Govt isn't so I have to suck it up and know that my tax goes to fund things I'm not that happy about.

But what I do pay that does support the welfare system does make me happy.

I'd really like to know how she is supposed to move. She's on DSS, has no job and three kids. Where are all these LL's who want a tenant like this?

Yabu to think the tax payer or govermnet Job to support you or your family

Most earn way less and work for every penny for it to most people can't fell sorry for you there simply to tired from working

I do understand the difficulties of moving. But I also see a problem with a situation where both parents have effectively abdicated any financial responsibility for their dcs and simply expect the state to be the provider instead. Clearly the fault lies more with the non-resident parents, as the resident parent is at least making a non-financial contribution.

If the state wants to reduce the benefits bill without pushing children into further poverty, it needs to do a hell of a lot more to force non-resident parents to contribute financially.

Is 'i think you should move OP' going to be the new 'have you cancelled the cheque yet'

Please find me a right move advert that says they are happy to accept housing benefit. Seriously.

expat it's really strange how you're taking people's replies to refer to your situation in rural Scotland, as opposed to the OP's situation in the London commuter belt. I'm sure your situation is interesting, but it's not relevant.

also to the OP, this alone: "28 miles a day on school drop offs" - is insane. Your whole set-up sounds unsustainable, so whether the suggestions made on here are daft or not, you clearly need to do something to make your situation more sustainable. Expensive house, rural area, far from schools, no jobs, no financial support from ex... you can see how the benefits aren't the only problem here. Instead of all the can't moves, it's impossibles etc. do you have any kind of plan to make things more sustainable?

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 are you ever going to support your children if you don't take the first step towards employment? It's not ideological, it's supporting your transition. The longer you're unemployed, the harder it will be for you to get back into work.

We're relatively well-off and I have taken 2.5 years out of the labour pool in the 14 years I've been a mother, mostly because I'm deathly afraid of being unemployable.

Manumission yes I am...

get a part time job at least as some other posters have stated.

if the ex-H doesn't contribute OP would have to work in some form.

or retrain as others have said.

' 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.'

Yeah he does. They have an obligation to provide him transport if he lives 2+ miles from wherever they were able to allocate him a place. I'd be checking that out NOW.

rebecca- so why don't you offer to top up the op, you and your husband are both higher rate taxpayers so no doubt it's possible?

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 don't you ask him anon?

It's unlikely the op has 3 newborns and what she is really moaning about but nit saying it will not be viable for her to sit at home anymore she will have to work

To bloody right

Mc Donald's literally always have job it's good pay and very flexible

Some people are absolutely clueless.

Just move etc...it's not that bloody easy. The op will need rent in advance and a deposit. Pray tell me if she's struggling to pay stuff as it is how is she expected to save? She's stuck.

Get the father to pay.....again clueless. If he's determined not to the system is set up as such that he can find a way around it.

And all these people saying my dh only earns.... yes but the point is you have a dh.

No one, and I would have included myself in that, can possibly begin to understand how much harder it is as a lone parent unless and until you walk in their shoes.

If the op becomes depressed as a result of the cap and her situation so that her mental health is severely affected it will cost a hell of a lot more to foster place 3 children.

Understanding and solutions are called for. Not some of the ignorance shown on here.

Serious question are benefits really that high or it it just a one off? We lived on £20-30 pw week food after bills working. . Maybe we looking at this wrong with wages being too low making benefits more than working. Especially in my nhs job. A living wage would help.

The OP lives in the SE on the fringes of a large commuter town, she has a car, every chainstore in the land is taking on people at this time of the year, seasonal staff for Christmas. Her ex can watch the children while she works nights or works 6pm-12 etc etc. there are ways out of this without moaning and basically saying you need more cash than the thousands you already receive.
You have a house, care for three children and run a car all basically, for free.
Why can't your child walk to the bus stop? Why can't your ex take them to school? Or the bus stop or pick them up?
You won't facilitate change by blaming everyone else, you are the parent who stayed, you have to deal with this.

Those of you telling the OP to move really are showing how half of you have no clue how the benefits system works, so take your pearl clutching, judgy pants, cat bum faces elsewhere, if she moved it wont have saved her a penny, say her £900 a month rent becomes £500 a month HB isnt going to let her keep the difference FFS.

OP I agree with you, a society should be judged by it lowest member and by the looks of it some posters are happy for that to be a race to the bottom, take your heads for a fuckin wobble some of you, seriously.

user - I pay tax into the system that should be there to support people like the OP. It's not that hard to understand.

Anything on here?

www.dssmove.co.uk/

england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/housing_benefit_and_local_housing_allowance/housing_benefit_problems/how_to_rent_when_a_landlord_wont_accept_housing_benefit

"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."

^^ the difference is OP your "top up" benefits if you work will be limited to the time you have young children, or as long as your wages are low enough to qualify, after which point you'll be a working earning tax paying member of society.

If you don't work, you'll lose the child related benefits when you're children are older and yOU will still be on benefits.

I don't understand about your partners work not turning a profit- surely all that matters is whether he pays himself a wage, as his contributions come out of his wage, not the business profit. If he works for nothing (yeah right) how do HMRC think he supports himself?!

Museum exactly - I know a few SAHM's who could in theory stay at home (due to their DH salaries) and no work - but the ones who 'want' to get back into work and want a life and a salary do so quite quickly.

They've told me it's easier to return when youngest starts school as it is harder for them to return to work re gaps, skills etc.

I did also ask OP how old is DD who is a mile away from her school, she could potentially if old enough walk that mile.

Ex partner sorry

Have just right moved 3 beds within a 20 mile radius.

Cheapest is £725 a month and is in the area with one of the highest rates of deprivation in the country. They actually made a programme about it. NO DSS.

Should mention that that £900 includes my water as it comes off a private supply (big landowner).

YANBU.

Some of the attitudes here speak straight from the Daily Mail.

One of the issues is now the money is spread so much more thinly as people expect the govt to fund 2 households when people split up. No doubt it will turn out the the ex partner was abusive as always seems to be the case on MN, but people split up and then are surprised that running two households costs more than one and think the govt should step in and pay.