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?

You should have changed your name to yellowgoadyfucker not lemoncurdkid.

Get your facts right, you are clueless.

And I don't understand how or why people are discussing how much they get in benefits with their friends? I don't discus it with my friends, why would I? I have a single friend who works 3 jobs to pay for her mortgage, yes she doesn't have the joy of raising disabled children bit she probably doesn't see it like that because her life is very different to mine.

I would happily swap having disabled children for being able to have a career.

My source was terrible, I totally accept that.

@userschmooser this is not solely due to UC. This is a sector I know a lot about and I can assure you there are other factors involved.

@lemoncurdkid Yeah... £200. Which went all on bills in October

@nanna50 I’m sorry I guess I didn’t make it clear in my OP or in the whole thread that I didn’t really get it. Hopefully you can read better next time.

More people than ever rely on food banks

Friend, huge house, rental property, (old family flat that they couldn’t sell years ago and have had the same tenant paying the same amount for the last 10 years)
is reduced to food banks.

She claims disability, (even that has been stopped and she is going through the appeal process but has been told it takes at least a year), the flat was never to make money out of but just cover costs so no income there.
She is in the middle of one of the longest divorce proceedings I have ever known. (Heading towards 3 years). Her stbexh (own business) has put down he is on a tiny wage so no money from him.

She is unable to work or sell anything as she doesn’t own anything outright.

On the surface she looks very well to do. But she has not enough income to feed herself let alone her older children when they come back for the holidays or weekends from uni.

This is about minimum wage not be adequate
No it is not. £26k is a decent wage, not minimum wage.
Also many people do not get paid sick leave.

I do not agree with the OP. I think UC is a disaster.
But lots of people arguing against her are writing a lot of nonsense as well.

the difference between you and your friend claiming benefits is you are investing in your future. I know how hard it is to live in the future, but that future will become your present sooner than you think

Like above. £26k is a decent wage. Most people will not earn more than this. Many people always earn less.

Wages are low, that is the reality, and many people in full time work with no kids struggle.

Err when did I say being a single mum makes me special? I didn't go to university before because I wasn't in the position to do so. I grew up in care and left school very young. I was then in and out of psychiatric institutions, worked on and off when I was well enough and then after i had my child decided to go to university to become a social worker. My point was that after I had used the maintenance Loan I would then be entitled to benefits again but would have more debt. But yeah you're right good on me, I'm actually very proud of how far I've come. With gasp, no support from any family, no handouts from the bank of mum and dad. So yeah, you don't get it until you've been there, I have a child under 3, my degree will lead directly to employment, I can only afford the childcare because I'm on the degree. Working on minimum wage would not be sufficient to afford full time child care. So then I'd be a stay at home mum, and it's not like those don't get bashed enough on here 🙄

Yes you are.

People have the right to complain if they are suffering and when things are not working, I'm at the coal-face on this and people have lost their accommodation and are immediately in debt amongst other things, just because they are poor or disabled does not mean people have no right to be upset or worried, this is a big change, in some cases disabled people have lost a significant amount of income due to the changes, how would you feel if your workplace suddenly changed it's payment system and you got £70 less per week?...it would be a shock right, you would say something wouldn't you?

The majority of the payment people receive is for accommodation and the other elements are the same as working/child tax credit (that you are entitled to), it's a finite few who are going to be significantly better off and tbh the mantra for UC is 'You're better off in work' and you are begrudging people who are employed as well??

My advice is get on with your life and don't compare yourself, we all have choices and no one knows the full circumstances of others, maybe think about when you were claiming benefits in the past, when things went wrong (if they did) would you just sit at home and hope for the best because you were lucky to have any money at all, didn't you have commitments or daily living expenses?
I have lots debt and no savings , I have a pension but who knows if I'll live to receive it but that is the way the world is, we as workers are not being paid properly to reflect the real cost of living and that is not the fault of people claiming U.C.
I know it's difficult take care O.P

You've said you don't see why people are complaining because they should be grateful. Without getting into the emotions of it people are complaining because there is a current system in place that they are grateful for and it's being replaced with something that is making them much worse off and struggling. Their goal is to raise awareness and stop the roll-out.

I am very grateful to live in a country ruled by democracy (arguably) and what that means is that if I don't like something, I can complain about it and if lots of people also complain about it then the government may decide to change the policy so they don't lose votes at the next election. Being grateful for scraps and not speaking up changes nothing.

None of this comparison is relevant.

You have said your household income is 40k. As you have two adults working full time.

The lady works part time to accommodate having an ill child. Therefore her household income is low. She is topped up by a benefit system to what is believed to be an adequate amount to raise 3 DC.

If your partner were to leave you then you would also be topped up too. Providing your third child was born before the 2 child cap.

Your situations are not comparable. Would you rather be a struggling single parent to get some nice free money?

Well maybe dump the husband, have a child with disabilities and you to could get more benefits. Try being a single parent with a disabled child having to work through the ridiculousness that is UC before you judge

@mistres I originally ignored your post as I agree with what others have said. You’re actually giving people a bad name. People who desperately need the UC. You can’t expect the hand out when you are eligible for a maintenance loan. You get the loan first then apply just like every other person with loans.

I’m a struggling parent with two adults working and 3DC. I’m in 30k worth of debt racked up in 5 years as our wages just pay our bills. When my children need food or clothes then that went on the credit card. Now they are maxed tbh we’re fucked with no way out.

10k of that we’re urgent repairs to our home.

Look at what's going on in this thread. The easiest way for the hyper-rich to mantain their super-privileged status is to get all the little people (us) arguing about the crumbs so we don't notice what they are up to. It's certainly working on the UC front, isn't it?

A lot of it is the wait. (5/6 weeks)
After that with:some of the people I work with (so not all people.) Their complaints come down to a sense of entitlement.
Lots of them have never worked just had a life on benefits so having to stick to & prove job searches, attend review's etc is hard work for them.
Some it's taking payslips & having benefits stopped & readjusted for the one month you earned a little more it's hard to budget & manage.
I see how much some people on uc get & it used to really annoy me esp since they don't have to pay for docs/dentist. Their kids get to go on all school trips, extra curricular things for free.
Where I work really hard for half of what they have & have to pay for everything. So with my kids esp I have to say no to lots of things. That someone who doesn't work can send or allow their children of do.
But I know I'm doing the right thing, there is no way I'd want my kids to grow up thinking that the benefit cycle is the best way of living.

longwalk - I don't doubt you at all but I don't understand how you can be better off financially if not in work. I don't understand the logic of that.

You need to get in touch with every company you owe money to, tell them you can't afford the repayments, and negotiate a lower mo that repayment so that you can afford to live. An organisation such as Step Change will be able to help you with this.

m.stepchange.org

If you haven't done so already then look at what you could reduce. Are you on the cheapest energy plan for your usage? Phone plan? Are you on a water meter or fixed charged as meter is often cheaper? Do you meal plan? Is there any room for you or DH to move your working hours so that one of you works while the other cares for the DC? Even one shift a week would save you a day of childcare.

You’ve always had to pay for childcare up front. It was exactly the same on tax credits.

There is also budgeting support available via the local council and/or CAB. They’re paid to provide it for people on benefits. Can also help with debt advice etc. www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Universal-Credit-Personal-Budgeting-Support

Can’t find the link now but apparently take up is very low.

@Whenwillitstop1, I think it's great that you're bettering yourself and considering an education in social work as this is a hard line of career but I don't see why you would think that you shouldn't have to take out a maintenance loan and instead have your education paid by benefits when in the end, you'll end up with the same income than your colleagues who will have to repay their students loans and might very well have children by then too. You can both be admirative of your determination without believing that you should be entitled to special treatment.

I do still have to pay for my education. 9k a year tuition loans which I will have to pay back.

I give up.

Does anybody posting about how people are 'moaning' about UC, actually have a clue about the policies of UC and how damaging they are??

Even apart from the policies, DOES ANYONE REALISE THAT CURRENTLY UC ARE MAKING MISTAKES CONSTANTLY. THE OFFICIAL FIGURE IS THAT 15% OF CLAIMS ARE NOT PAID IN FULL OR ON TIME. I'd suggest that figure is actually a LOT higher. A UC employee wrote to an MP and came out and said that UC is sometimes only paid if you complain!!

People cannot start work because childcare has to be somehow found upfront, and is so difficult to claim back. If you have 2 wages recorded in one assessment period (another common problem with UC), then that can wipe out any childcare you were due. Also there is a maximum limit for Childcare, and quite easily anyone with 2 Children breaches that limit just trying to work, so will have to pay most of their wages to childcare, anyone with 3 Children or more - no chance!! but they still expected to work or be sanctioned for 3 months.. even if Childcare is crippling you.

Old debts like council tax arrears etc, UC take 40% (yes 40%!!!!) of your amount to live on. So a single person with no Children will be left with £44 a week to live on and still have to pay a chunk of council tax out of that.

Student Parent's mainly receive no or very little UC in the term times. So expected to live just on student loans and CB

Everything is based on assessment periods, so if you are made redundant, but your assessment period clashes with your last pay from employer, you can easily end up with NOTHING for 2 months. There will be one month missing where you cannot pay any rent/bills, and you will never get it back.

These are just a few things seriously wrong with UC.

I sincerely hope that anyone smugly commenting, that they find themselves having lost their job or become a single Parent, or become ill, that they experience what it is really like to fall through all the cracks in UC. I can say no more.