To ask for help with universal credit? As a sahm

[CallingPeopleACuntOnFb]

I honestly cannot find the answer to this anywhere 😩

I work in a support role helping parents and i have a service user who’s very worried about UC coming in. She has depression / anxiety anyway and it’s really getting her down.

She’s a SAHM to 3 dc, 3 year old twins and a 6 yo. Her dp earns 26k a year working long and irregular shifts. He works 45-50 hours a week. so being a SAHM is her only option atm as they also both have zero family support.

They have a mortgage so wouldn’t need or be eligible for the “housing benefit” element. She’s in Leicester. At the moment they receive tax credits but will move to UC at some point (no idea when)

She wants to know if she will still be able to be a SAHM as work isn’t an option for her while the DC are so small.

I have no clue, I don’t claim myself, we don’t even get TCs anymore and as I said I can’t find any info online other than the benefits checker on entitledto. Which says she’s eligible for UC at a similar amount to her tax credits. but says nothing about whether she’s going to have to job search as a condition of getting the money.

It’s so bloody complex ! Hope someone can shed some light 💡 x

They’re featuring me in their new report due to how UC have screwed me over!

KathArctic. This might blow your mind but im a childfree by choice social housing tenant. There are some lower down the scale who make this choice.

Could i get sterilised? Could i fuck!

Helena the effects are going to be very far reaching 😔😔

Protecting- I’m guessing you’re not in the Midlands 😄 in a lot of areas you can get a decent ish 3 bed for about 90-120k. So doable on a salary of around 25k.

And the low paid jobs came before the tax credits. In the late 90s our JC was advertising full time jobs at £50 a week and £1.50 an hour.

Secondly, the threshold for earnings will be 2 X 35 hrs at minimum wage, which will be about £27,300. As the lady's DH earns £26000, she would have to be 'ready' for work, but not have to look for work.

Is this true? Because I've been applying for grad jobs in London, and I would depend on benefits for us to be able to live. This is my turn2us calculations of being on 28k? Says I'd be better off. Please advise. If there's a threshold I have no idea what we'll do. Move up north? Hundreds of miles away from my family and support system, when I've worked my whole life to get a good education, and all I want is to live in a modest house with my DD

My rent for a poky 2 bed is 1100. My childcare fees are 450 for 23 hours with 15 hours free. Next year I'll get 30 hours free, but will need 45ish when I get a 'real job'. So will increase. How do I pay for this please? Even if I'm working my arse off in a skilled job I've worked hard to get?

Pretty much everyone I've grown up with (3rd worst school in the country) has either had babies which means they have got a council house. Or work in an unskilled job and get topped up. Are you seriously telling me that because I worked my arse off - working all day, studying all night as well as managing my 2 year old as a single parent - I'll have to move away from everyone I love!? Surely not.

I also have severe diagnosed GAD. I worry every day I'm going to get sacked. But my depression has near on disappeared since I've started working. Agree with posters that reinforcing the idea that working is impossible is a bad idea (and I've worked as a support worker before). But also agree the system is fucked. Reading about the 5 week rule has me terrified.

Oh tequila that sounds tough. Actually...beyond tough, hugs to you.

FYI - (and any other posters struggling with UC) - I’ve found a support group on Fb called “Universal Credit survival” there’s thousands of people in it. May be worth searching it out and asking to join x

Calling thank you, I'll look it up. I'm always nervous about those types of groups though. Don't want it flashing up on people's news feeds. Do you know anything about this stuff?

Sorry to derail. I'm panicking a little now.

I'd be so interested to know how the people who think people who earn 26k can live anywhere in the south without tax credit top ups? That's £1737 a month after tax, no pensions. My rent is £1100, my childcare bill is £400. If I moved to London, where most of the grad jobs are, it's more like £1400 and £600 (with the 30 hours free).

I'm applying for jobs in government; civil service jobs in social research - literally shaping new policy and laws. I'm very academically able. Winning scholarships all over the shop. On track for a first. Got the equivalent of AAA* at A level in my access course.

I've also been to one of the worst schools in the country, been homeless as a teenager, had addiction problems, had mental health issues, been homeless in pregnancy, have escaped an abusive relationship, and have worked in the NHS and volunteered researching and campaigning against NHS cuts.

Not only have I been through all this stuff whilst gaining exemplary grades, which IMO proves I'm not empty behind the ears as my teachers used to say.

But also, surely I'm somebody that would be invaluable in a job which shapes future policy. Surely most people would want somebody like me to have a say in stuff like this. Surely so many of this country's problems come from most of these jobs being inhabited by WMCM.

Should somebody like me suddenly be cut off from public funds which are readily able to people who've done fuck all all their lives? Should we make sure that important gov jobs in London should only be accessed by rich kids? And god forbid they have young children, and have the skills to raise them single handedly whilst smashing university and working hard in the NHS! God for-fucking-bid!

And I certainly am not bashing benefit claimants, it's not a life I'd want. But I couldn't survive on a grad job wage in my area. Surely that's not right?

Oh, and I'm only 23. So I have a very current knowledge of the troubles facing people suffering with MH or addictions, single parents, homeless people, young people going to shit schools, students, NHS workers etc.

Honestly I'd go for the PM job if there wasn't so much shit the papers could dig up on me

No it’s not right and you sound fucking awesome. You should be proud of you self and I 100% agree that people like you, people who understand real struggles, should have a say in policy implementation and law making.

I wish you all the luck in the world

As for the group, afaik it’s a private, closed group so it won’t show up on your feed etc. but if you’re concerned maybe set up a pseudonym Fb account to join.

Average weekly earnings from Govt (Ons) source. Fully clickable graph back to 2000.
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/timeseries/kab9/emp

Actually Calling, I'm going to make my own post and see if all of these people think it's ok when they're actually faced with a hard working young mum - there are millions of us - rather than people who are oh so easy to judge.

TequilaLemonSalt I am confused my your post you will be earning well above the threshold. So you wil have no claimant commitment.
Also the quoted post is wrong the op will not need to be ready or look for work as on 26k her partner earns more than nmw x55.

TequilaLemonSalt I am confused my your post you will be earning well above the threshold. So you wil have no claimant commitment.

I'm not sure I understand your statement. I will be earning well above the threshold, so does that mean I can't claim? I can't find any info on this online. All I get is how much I could get. Would appreciate any advice.

People who support a small family on that deserve benefits

First of all they get child benefit
Secondly working tax credit surely

I don't see it as a benefit actuallly - more
Of a tax cut

No tequilla earning above the threshold was bad wording sorry. I should say you will be earning above your claimant commitment so you will have no requirement to seek extra hours, attend job centre appointments, go on courses or earn more money.
Basically earning more than " the threshold" is a positive thing. Your earlier post read like you thought it was a negative.

Their is no maximum you can earn online as it depends on so many things. Are you single , how many dc do you have, are they disabled , are you disabled etc.

Oh no! I'm getting absolutely ripped to shreds on my other post because I said about the injustice of it all never mind! Good news. Thanks

protecting We got a mortgage on my DP earning 14k and me nothing, and just got a second now he earns 27k.

Actually Calling, I'm going to make my own post and see if all of these people think it's ok when they're actually faced with a hard working young mum - there are millions of us - rather than people who are oh so easy to judge.

I don't think anyone on this thread has had a bad thing to say about hard working people. If you work and still don't earn enough to meet rent payments or childcare costs, then of course the government should help you out.

The OP is about someone who can work but doesn't want to, that's what is rubbing people up the wrong way.

Tequila I’ll go read that

I don’t understand why people including some of the posters here have kids, or as many kids, when having then puts the family in such tight financial circumstances, with resulting stress.

I don’t understand why people including some of the posters here have kids, or as many kids, when having then puts the family in such tight financial circumstances, with resulting stress

Did it occur to you that their circumstances at time of conception may have been different?

Happy you understand perfectly , stop trying to derail the thread.

Well from what I have found out it sounds like the lady I support wont have to work anyway if she doesn't want to / can't (based on her dp salary.). And neither will others in similar circs

I must say.... I love the thought of Happydoingitonce and her ilk sitting frothing impotently about it :D :D

It did occur that their circumstances might have changed but then they might not have done. I know families who continued to have children despite not being financially secure enough. And no, I really don’t understand it. I knew a second child would stretch us in too many ways so I stopped at one. I’m now a higher rate tax payer and the tax I pay is the tax I pay, whether it’s spent on social welfare, schools or the ballet. I support help for families, I received tax credits myself when my son was little. What I am ambivalent towards is families who stretch themselves beyond their means and beyond the extent the state is able to help them. I genuinely don’t know why they do it.