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.

You get £82 child benefit for one child, I'm sure I don't get that much.
Also £800 in tax credits sounds excessive.
Is this for childcare ?

Really Squeezy - I'm an LP have been for years and I've never been entitled to a reduction or top-up of £££s for my gas/electricity in the winter or anytime. I have checked this. Nor do I get 'free' Council Tax - I get a 25% single person reduction and some Council Tax Support which is means-tested. Free childcare for LPs only - is this an additional amount of free childcare on top of the entitlements that everyone has?

I thought rent was taken into account via housing benefit? Surely they don't just give X amount of tax credits based on income and number of children without taking into account rent, like they would for childless people?

I kind of see where you are coming from? Sort of. I think.
My partner recently moved in and as such I don't now get any working tax credits because the threshold for a couple is lower than that for a single person. And yet aside from him contributing to rent my real time costs haven't gone down that much, as I still pay for the kids on my own-because they aren't his.
But then that's more due to the way we split money really.

For what it's worth I actually think the tax credits I was getting were too much really. I work full time and earn 28k ish-which isn't bad-I live In the south east which makes it harder in terms of housing costs I guess-but I was still getting 149 a month which seemed quite a bit as whilst things are tight we aren't on the breadline. (That said I didn't say no to it I guess and it did help towards paying for the Cm)

Re who you live with, that's why you can't claim HB unless it's your home.

Meant to say that if I stopped work however I would be on a fair whack of tax credits-a friend in a similar position gets nearly 700 quid a month. Which seems crazy to me-she has two school aged kids and no reason she couldn't work more hours really other than choice.

As for the OP surely it is pretty obvious that you will have more disposable income than other single parents because you are living rent and bill free. I don’t know any adults that don’t have rent/mortgage and bills to pay. Even those living here with family pay rent to help cover costs, it would be pretty shitty not too.

I'm a single mum with 2 kids, I don't work ATM but get income support as my kids are under 5 (my youngest isn't even one yet).
At the moment after rent is paid (by housing benefit) and council tax is paid (by council tax support) I get a little shy of £550 in my hand over the course of a month. It doesn't go that far. I only spend £60 a week on groceries (that includes £10 on formula + £6 on nappies and all cleaning items)
My gas meter is £10 a week at the moment, but my electric is £40 a week (and no, there's no cheaper tariff. It's a prepay meter and I'm trying to figure out how I go about switching to a cheaper bill meter)
This leaves me £110 a month/less than £30 a week for any emergencies, treats, savings, savings for Christmas and birthdays (I'm doing surveys and cashing out in Amazon vouchers to help with that as I can't afford to save for Xmas on my income). I have to find £75 for my eldests school uniform for September (and that's with a big discount on account of claiming income support).
It's shit and honestly I don't know why anyone thinks this opens doors?

Well I never received a reduction on my gas and electric bills as single parent.
Neither did I receive housing benefit.

My husband has a great job, £36k salary

We are STILL worse off than when I was working in the same position as a single parent

My neighbour has a sore leg, I’m sure it is sore, but because she has a sore leg, she has full mobility allowance, a mobility car (brand new 67 plate) her husband is her stay at home carer.
They claim over £500 a week in various benefits.

It’s an absolute disgrace ans I KNOW these are extremes but they shouldn’t exist.

Also, the "reduced gas and electric", is that the £100 on your prepay meter you get once a year, generally in winter? Because if I had the gas on a lot as I would in winter I'd burn straight through that In under a month.
But I'm so fortunate, me!

Chicken- ring your utility supplier and ask them to take the meter out and tell them you want a cheaper/better deal.
If they are awkward about it, tell them you will swap suppliers. I think they need a few weeks to do the cha be over.

Also most companies offer a better deal if you go paperless and so everything on line.

I’m not saying it’s right but I do see it as doors opening. I was in a position 3 years ago when I claimed and was so much better off financially.

You do get extra on your heating if it is particularly cold. I lived in the UK years ago, it snowed for a few weeks, it was either 20 or 40 pound extra a week, which was needed for those in need at the time to top up gas.

@chickenoregg6 yes that is what I am talking about!
Lucky me? Why see it as an attack. I’m not saying it’s wrong. What I am saying is that there should be more support for working parents.
I’ve been there myself. But why should I be better off whilst being employed. It’s mad.

My neighbour has a sore leg, I’m sure it is sore, but because she has a sore leg, she has full mobility allowance, a mobility car (brand new 67 plate) her husband is her stay at home carer.
They claim over £500 a week in various benefits

So much bollocks in one thread

Nobody is handing out PIP and motability cars for “sore legs”. Honestly.

I can’t even face claiming it for a severe spinal cord condition myself at the moment. I’ve helped with so many PIP claims, that even though the form is here (and so are my MRI images, consultant reports etc) I don’t have the emotional energy yet for the refusals and the appeals and so on. I wouldn’t expect to get higher rate anyway, because the descriptors re walking are so very miserly.

I DID apply for the blue badge and that now needs appealing because the issue of how permanent my disability is in doubt. They’re not doubting how restricted my walking is, just whether it’s a permanent condition.

Honestly, nobody is showered with freebies for a “sore leg”.

*i meant worse off when employed

@hatels if I left my job both my young DC would be entitled to free childcare. My youngest would receive 15hrs free and my middle child would be entitled to 30hrs free.

And the council tax free if you are unemployed.

So what you’re really saying is “If I left my partner and quit my job, I’d be poor and would therefore qualify for benefits. Are people really so dense that they feel jealous of someone in this situation? The mind boggles .

The reality for people completely reliant on benefits is that these can change on the whim of government policy leaving the individual or family struggling for the basics. They're on benefits because of need, it's not like they're able to say "ah well now that this living on benefits thing isn't working so well, fuck it, I will take that £45k salary job" ffs.

Of course plenty of two income family paying child care and rent/mortgage will struggle but it's for a limited period of time. Their income stays the same or even goes up while a big chunk of their outgoings (childcare) reduces or ends completely. It's a stupid comparison.

Oh squeezy so this £100 winter top-up is something that only people on Income Support can claim? Not working LPs? To ask for clarification is not an attack.

My points flown right over your head.
I'm not better off out of work in fact I struggle, I'd be considerably better off (to the tune of about £500 a month) for being in work, even part time minimum wage work.

I’m not saying it’s wrong. What I am saying is that there should be more support for working parents.

There is. Couples are assessed for top ups on exactly the same basis as single people.

You’re conflating several different issues (couple v single, unemployed v working, low pay v sufficient income).

If you resign from your job, your benefits will go up but your earnings will go down. You seem a bit obsessed with the idea that other people are getting more “free stuff” than you but you’ll always be better off in work. That’s how the system is designed. So if you can, work, and stop worrying about what other people are getting. You’re benefiting from making pension contributions, the possibility of progression and having an unbroken work record. Other people who can’t or don’t work miss out on those things.

OP does your XH not work? If he does, then you have omitted to include CM in your income figures. This won't affect your tax credits but is still income for you.

If OP moved out of grandmas, she would probably get housing benefit to cover her rent, so she would only be a little worse off as she currently buys her own groceries. She would have to pay out for utilities and council tax and that would be all her additional expenditure.

I do agree with the point OP made that many women stay in unhappy situations because of financial fear. When I found out how much TC I would get once I finally split from XH I was gobsmacked. It made me wish I had done it sooner.