AIBU about people moaning about UC!

[Lemoncurdkid]

NC for this and sure I’ll get the backlash. I’m also aware there have been other threads. I’m hoping that people will help me see the other POV.

I’m not a stranger to claiming benefits but have never claimed UC.

I seem to see so many articles on how UC have ruined my life. This article annoyed me...

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/money/8014429/universal-credit-campaign-poverty-nicola-mclean-mum/amp/

This lady was claiming over £1600 a month in UC. That’s how much I earn monthly on a full time wage and I earn £26k a year. I don’t pay a pension either otherwise it would be £100 less.

I’m comparing my life to others on UC and there doesn’t seem to be reason to complain. Maybe that’s my issue, not to compare!

Along with UC there are many other benefits you can claim for which most don’t speak about. For example, free childcare, free travel, free dentist etc.
I know a lot of people who work 16 hours or who are unemployed, they may struggle but they are not in debt and they seem to live a much happier life than mine. Once again I’m comparing, but I’m struggling, living off credit cards after our bills are paid.

I guess my complaint isn’t that they are entitled to UC, but why complain about it? Shouldn’t we be grateful that we have this option in the UK. Rather than declaring poverty. A person on UC (depending on their circumstances) can actually ‘earn’ more money than a person working full time?

I'd like to return to that figure of £305 A DAY in expenses for someone attending the House of Lords.

There used to be lots of stories of peers popping in for a few minutes whenever they were in town, just so they could pick up their £300 (although back then it used to be a lot less). I'm rather hoping that's stopped since they got rid of most of the hereditary members.

In the U.K. the lower earners never had tax breaks to take into consideration their circumstances eg dependents/childcare costs/disabilities.

Not quite true. There used to be additional allowances for children (and spouses) and at one time getting a DLA care award qualified you for an additional tax allowance, but it was only worth a few pounds a week.

The child tax allowance came in for a lot of criticism because it was (generally) the father that benefited from the reduction in tax but the mother that generally had to manage the domestice finances. All that was paid to the mother was "family allowance"*, which was a paltry amount.

There was a campaign to get this changed and child tax allowance was phased out in the late 70s. This, and the old family allowance, were replaced by child benefit, which (iirc) was £1 a week for the first child. It would be interesting to see if it's kept place with inflation.

*For a few years, there was also a top-up called Family Income Supplement for low-paid working families, which I think may have been paid to mothers, but I'm not sure.

Just said on the news they are putting a hold on rolling any more UC out,and keeping people on the old type benefits they are on for now

Lakie, I believe peers are still troughing up the daily quids. Happy to be corrected if not.

@princessTiasmum i saw a post from someone on the UC survival fb page who has been told shes owes tax credits from 2002

In 2002 she was 15 , still at school and not claiming.

shes told them this but they insist it has to be paid back,

When did the term legacy benefit come in? Does it simply mean everything pre UC? Does the word legacy mean anything in this sense? Ie if you are on them you can stay on them?

We had a letter from the tax credit people saying we owed nearly £10000.

We have never claimed tax credits, we have a 6 figure income.

We did a SAR and got a screen shot back saying

Oliversmumsarmy & Oliversmumsarmies partner owes £9867.78

We ignored the subsequent letters knowing if they took us to court we would fight it.

If it is back to 2002 I would write denying all knowledge and requesting a SAR for everything in your name.

Isn’t it time barred from 2002 anyway

HelenaDove It doesnt surprise me, they cant prove my son did have tax credits then and its so long ago he cant remember, he did claim some when his son was living with him for a short time but it was before then, and when he put a claim in again they told him he wasnt entitled to any, never mentioned him owing any.
Also it just shows they dont know what they are going, they addressed him as Mrs, on the envelope and in the letter
I have heard about a lot of people being told they owe money but almost all were from 7 years ago

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jan/07/need-to-sign-on-youll-have-to-walk-24-miles-to-jobcentre

Its just disgusting, dont know what else to say, i think in places like that they should have a mobile job centre or somewhere people can get to more easily,

they should have a mobile job centre or somewhere people can get to more easily,

In addition, for that village, it looks like the consequences will be far-reaching and encompass people who have jobs but would not necessarily be able to afford to travel to them. Never mind the older people, the young mother etc.

It seems that for some of the population, even the little that they have shall be taken away from them...

1600 is a good salary. I have a child and earn less than that from my wage per month. I think sometimes it’s not what you earn. It’s outgoings and debt that is the problem I once had a friend saying she was “struggling”. I told her I don’t understand why though. Sometimes you have to put pen to paper and write down monthly what you are actually spending. I have always been very good at money management tbh and have no debt.

This very thread is a perfect example of why UC doesn’t work.
Many folk live very comfortably on UC , provided that they ‘fit’ certain criteria yet thousands of families are left destitute on UC.
The whole system is f**d.