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.

As for whether payments should be adjusted re outgoings, the only benefit that is is housing benefit, which partly depends on how much rent you pay. Everything else is done on an income variable basis, regardless of household outgoings. I don't see how else you could do it tbh as there are so many possible permutations.

I expect op that if you rented a place you would get housing benefit too. 700£ a month is a very modest income.

I don't qualify for housing benefit with a similar income

Your £800 wouldnt even cover my rent and like you I work part time because DS has ASD and can’t cope with after school club. I’m definitely not rolling in it but we get by, by being frugal and taking advantage of some employee discounts I get on days out.

People’s circumstances are all different and I have to admit I am also surprised HMRC dont take outgoings into consideration, as if I were able to live with family and continued to live to the same frugal standards I would effectively have over £900 per month spare

Does anyone know if UC is based on outgoings or is it similar to TC?

It would be a nightmare for HMRC to means test people living with family/not paying rent/paying just food/not paying anything at all. Also, would your parents want you living with them if you received nothing and they were expected to financially support their grown child and grandchildren?

They probably assume it'll be short lived. Not many people stay with their parents indefinitely when they have children of their own.

I used the extra money I received to save for the rent on my home when I found it and fully furnishing it because I left my relationship with nothing.

But the entire premise of your thread is incorrect. You've framed it as single vs couples comparison, when really the discrepancy lies in living costs

This

I work 30 hours.

No family nearby at all.
No babysitters/friends to do it.

Childcare is £160 a week in school holidays. I work them all due, so DC doesn't have holidays.

I get a lot less than you, but I take home £1000 wages.

Then I pay childcare, mortgage, petrol, food, bills etc.

Other people are not being penalised.

You are being advantaged by having family subsidising/sharing your living costs.

It's quite an unusual position you're in to be able to claim benefits as a single person whilst being in a household of 2/3/4 working adults:

Try living on carers allowance, it's a fucking joke.

Can’t get my head around your figures, I work 22hours a week, earn 800 a month and get 350 a month tax credits and pay my rent, also have 1 child. The 350 tax credits replaced my ex’s £1,600 a month salary and my bills have stayed the same, so I’m definitely worse off.

At one point as a single mum I got £635 a week, AFTER rent and council tax were paid...

I'm confused.

When I was a single mum (2dc) and didn't work I was permanently skint. Often went without to make sure the dc had what they needed.

Then I started working part time (average less than 16 hrs per week). I was slightly better off.

Then I went full time (37.5hrs) and was better off again.

Now DP lives with is and we have 2 full time wages coming in. I'm better off again. Although the increase in outgoings means it doesn't always feel like it.

@BirthdayKake £635 a week in benefits after rent and council tax? I really don't believe that for one second. Unless you have about 14 kids!

It’s true enough.

As a single working parent of two, doing around 20hours at minimum wage, I used to get about £1400 a month including wages and benefits (Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, plus Child Benefit).

Having moved in with my partner, we only get £300 odd Child Tax Credit now, plus Child Benefit, and I’m 3.5 grand in debt for a Tax Credits overpayment. Happy days

Universal credit and tax.credits do take ren't in to consideration as part of the working out OP. Unless you have not disclosed everything properly to HMRC your figures do sound quite high but it depends on your childcare costs.

Well it's true. It included child maintenance, although I don't get that any more as ex H has tried everything to avoid.

I have four children, one with additional needs.

DownAndUnder

Do you have childcare costs?

I've just got a £4K housing benefit bill from overpayment for the past 2 years even though it was regularly reviewed and all the information I have was accurate. I wonder if the same will happen to you OP

@BirthdayKake child maintenance is completely separate to benefits!

It isn't rocket science...if you weren't living with family and were paying £600 for a two bed flat for you and two kids, that £600 would be coming from you alone and not from you and a partner. So one income not potentially two.

@DownandUnder OP said she has childcare costs so her tax credits includes that presumably. I have one DC and earning a little bit less than OP on my basic wage and I get £140 in tax credits per week, I have no childcare costs as I work school hours.

OP I think it would be very unfair to penalise a single parent for not having their own accommodation/high outgoings. It would be massively problematic if single parents who became homeless, moved in with family temporarily, wanted to move out from shared accommodation etc. How would someone save to rent a property? What if their temporary accommodation were unsafe? How would they move out if the family member asked them to?

Find the value of the free housing you are being provided with and declare that amount as income. Problem solved.

You're either goading given it would be exactly the same for a couple living with family. Or incredibly dim if you need to ask if yabu to be better off without normal living costs.

You're living with family, thats why you're not broke.
£800 in tax credits isn't much if childcare is involved. Mine used to be higher than that when I had one / two dc's at nursery.