To think you shouldn't be better off a single parent living with family than being in a working couple? **Title edited by MNHQ**

[CallingAllLovers]

In a nutshell, I'm working 17 hours a week and getting £700 take home salary, plus £82 something Child Benefit. I have one DC.

On top of this, I get about £800 it so in tax credits.

I'm now separated from my husband so living with family.

I'm far better off financially than I was when both myself and H worked and ran a home together.

I have a friend who's really struggling, her DH and her both work full time with one DC. Another friend in a similar situation with two DC.

I was incredibly panicked when leaving H, I often kept staying when things were really tough due to being petrified of how skint I would be.

But it's not the case.

I did wonder why the money I get was so high, then I was told tax credits don't care about your bills/outgoings, just your childcare.

AIBU to think I shouldn't be better off than someone working full time, or a hard working couple working full time?

I realise this thread sounds really goady, but I'm not trying to be.

It just seems like people are penalised for working more/having a partner.

Yes we are worse of since I've decided to back to work 2 days a week .

p.s. those of you are think you would be better off single - nothing stopping you leaving your partners and claiming the riches of a single parent life

And when you're adding up how much you'd get as a single parent, remember, the government stopped counting CM as income because the majority of LP's don't any/enough/regular payments, so I wouldn't count maintenance (or practical or emotional support) in your sums.

I've yet to meet a single parent who's said "Oh, yeah, my ex pays me more than he should and he's always there to help out with childcare and unexpected costs". I mean, I'm sure they exist but they are a minority

My money has to cover everything the kids need. My ex pays a minimal amount per month (£40 per child, per month) because he too believes in the mythical single parent benefits. He won't buy them school uniform because single parents get a grant for uniforms, someone at work told him (we don't). He doesn't contribute towards clothing them because I get a clothing allowance from the government for them (I don't) and he also won't give them lunch money/a packed lunch if they stay with him on a school night because I'm entitled to free school meals for them (I'm not).

I wish I got more as LP than I did in a couple but the reality is we can't actually afford to live. Meanwhile, their father goes on frequent weekends away and holidays overseas once a year.

The point is that tax credits top ups equate to MORE than the cut off point.

I’m not sure why people aren’t getting this.

Add the cost of a whole other human, the council tax reduction and so on and if you’re on the boundary it is far more financially viable not to live with a partner.

Their income doesn’t cover the lack of tax credits and benefits it creates.

cat

What can I say, living without him was just too hard

I think it's only more financially viable without a partner if a person and their partner arrange their finances in a way other than a joint pot like the government expects. Some people have very different set ups (did someone say further up thread their partner only pays the rent and his food?!) that make them worse off in a couple but this isn't the governments fault. If people don't have a balanced relationship financially that is an issue they need to resolve (including leaving if necessary) and not blame the system for.

Okay I reread back and it's even more laughable now. If you have debts and credit cards then DUH there will be less disposable income 😂😂😂

Delusional.

show us your maths to prove your point, Cantakerous.

*cantankerous

Cant

Your partner earns £36k and you harp on about the loss of council tax reduction.

What’s that? All of £100 a month.

Why can’t people accept that I have been there and was better off. Your situations may be different to mine but that does not mean my experience is irrelevant.

huffp.st/okRiVbH

Give with one hand, take with the other.

The thing is, if a couple is skint, that couple has the option of one person taking on some extra hours or a second job on a weekend/evening while the other does the childcare. A single parent doesn't have that option. They can only work when childcare is available.

I don’t think you’re really understanding me. I am not ‘harping on’ about my own situation. I am saying that as a single earning person, my top ups were more than I recieved from DH into the family pot. This is accounting for the HB I recieved, CB etc.

I am not saying ‘woe is me I deserve more’ I am saying there is a discrepancy in this country where working families don’t recieve help and that SPF (rightly) recieve the help they need.

All I am saying is that working families need more help. My situation is besides the point, DH clearly has a good job with good wage, many working families don’t have one wage earner doing so well, things must be really tough for them.

I’m not sure why a discussion around working families needing more support (this is clearly obviously do some rudimentary research for goodness sake) is so contentious.

**
All I am saying is that working families need more help. My situation is besides the point, DH clearly has a good job with good wage,*
Not what you said upthread.
You said that your family was better off with benefits than when your partner on £36k a year moved in

CantankerousCamel

Because the pot of money has a limit. So obviously has to be rules and restrictions

@Caribbean there are many ways to extend the pot. Possibly encouraging families to work more than 24hrs between them would be a start.

Not bombing people would be a start

I said I was better off topped up then now. Working but topped up

I am saying there is a discrepancy in this country where working families don’t recieve help and that SPF (rightly) recieve the help they need

Good god. In what way is a single parent and children not a family? Or a working single parent not heading up a working family?

This terminology is disgusting.

Stop claiming if you don't need the money.

Single Parent FAMILY

The belligerent hand wringing here is absurd

I claim nothing, thanks

CantankerousCamel

Because you can’t?

No because I choose to break my back working around my husband so I don’t have to claim childcare! We have enough money but it’s sfill less disposable income than I had when I was working the same job and had top ups.

Anyway this is a problem for many working families, not just mine. I used mine as an example because we have a high wage earner and yet have less disposable income than I did when he lived away.

This is a problem for many families who can’t afford to live together