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?

My experience of UC...
I have a terminal illness but was told I would have to have an under four month diagnosis to get the top level disability top up straight away or wait until the fourth round of my UC. I have a 'not able to work ever' assessment.

I didn't get anything for five weeks but the man gave me a loan.... which is coming out of my UC.

My rent is being paid direct to the HC but I am receiving a monthly eviction letter as it's never paid on time.

I received a redundancy payment (was a teacher) in my wages this month. Was told by UC If it was under a certain amount it wouldn't count. Have now been told different. It is now with a decision maker. Am worried it will affect my UC, rent and disability. It was only a tiny amount and I was forced into medical redundancy.

The things I dislike the most is
A. You never know what you will get into 48 hours before. This allows no planning or what I can pay.
B. No one knows what the rules are.... I have asked advice and no one says the same thing.

So I am paying what I can. I have had a couple of food bank parcels. I am not attending London hospital appointments as I can't afford it. I don't see the point in getting stressed given my circumstances. It was much easier when it was weekly tax credits.

If you declare a Medical condition on an existing U.C claim then the claim is adjusted to your circumstances - you will have to attend a medical

If you were claiming another benefit and due to a change of circumstances had to claim U.C but had a medical assessment with a decision for example you are in the Support group till June 2019, this should be honoured dependant upon when you made your initial claim, the default will be for you to attend another medical, but if you have an Work Coach who knows their stuff the information about a decision will be passed to the relevant Case Manager.

Well, I am sick and disabled and I have just complained above that I will face a cut under UC. I am grateful there is a safety net for when I got sick but I am also sad to see that safety net shrinking year by year under the policies of austerity.

My biggest change under austerity and as a disabled and sick person is my care contributions have gone up hugely. In 2010 I was paying £41 a week towards my home care. I now have to pay £116.00 a week so taking inflation into account £41 a week in 2010 is about £54 a week now. So there is no money now for anything but essentials. I suppose some would say I should be glad that the state have given me a roof over my head and enough money for heating and should not expect more.

LOL @ 'free travel'.

I am not attending London hospital appointments as I can't afford it

Apologies if this is intrusive. Have you discussed your case with the people who administer the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme?

www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/

@wannabestressfree, I am very sorry for your terminal diagnosis. Thank you for sharing your experience of UC, the system sounds unreliable and stressful. I have yet to move onto UC from ESA but not looking forward to it. This government seems to like creating hostile systems.

If you are on jobseekers you can get 50% off your travel.

If you have no experience of the problems don't complain about the people who do daring to 'moan' about it.

No one should have to make the decision not to attend medical appointments because they can’t afford to.

Not in this day and age.

Where has our compassion gone to?

As a disabled person who is only entitled to PIP because my husband works over 16 hours a week and refused to quit his job even though we'd be better off if he did (which is frankly ridiculous), I agree, OP.

If you can get a job, you should get a job. It's not rocket science and the reason why so many of us disabled people struggle to get what we are entitled to is due to claimants that are perfectly capable of working but choose not to.

Sorry I’ve read the rest of the posts by whenwillitend1 and realised she’s completely clueless. You don’t seem to grasp people aren’t judging you for going for an education, they’re rightly questioning why on Earth you assume you should get benefits to help fund your degree rather than the student loan everyone else makes do with!

You’d prefer not to have the debt: you sound ridiculously entitled. Wouldn’t everyone?

You're talking about the Jobsseker Plus Travel Discount Card. This is the eligibility criteria:

This is provided to those unemployed claiming Jobseekers Allowance or Universal Credit for 3-9 months (18-24 year olds) or 3-12 months (over 25s). Other benefit recipients may receive a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card from 3 months of their claim and if they are actively engaged with a Jobcentre Plus adviser. Cardholders are entitled to a 50% discount on selected rail tickets.

1. Selected rail tickets. Not all rail tickets. Not everyone lives in an area where rail is the main form of transportation.

1. Not everyone qualifies and for those who do they are limited to certain times and routes.

1. Most people on Jobseekers (i.e., the majority who do not qualify for the above) pay full fare for their travel.

I notice this article appears in the sun. Reading it has produced in you exactly the reaction they and other tabloids like the Mail want i.e. an assumption that people on benefits get more than those who work and have the life of Riley, with lie ins and free time to smoke fags and watch their wide screen TVs when the reality is that life on benefits/ low wage is extremely hard. These right wing "news"papers want people like you to vilify those who are poor and on benefits so that people find it acceptable for the government can carry on with their nasty, bullshit austerity policies.
Be more discerning, do some research, listen to posters here, read some other newspaper articles for balance and stop falling for this bullshit divide and conquer propaganda.

My ds was laid off on November 2nd. His final payment from employer was made in their November pay period during which time he had used precious last wages to attend interviews and the job centre meetings. No money from signing to mid December, despite them saying he would be paid. Next pay period covers period from mid December until the day he starts work this month. He has been told that, even though no wages will have been received during the pay period, he will not be paid (can't fathom why). The bloke on the phone said that his final pay from the previous pay period should be used to keep him going for this pay period. It makes no sense. Why is UC telling him how to use his last few quid?
He therefore will have no money to cover his travelling expenses to his new job as no payment since the end of November until his new job pays out For the two weeks worked, at the end of January.
We are having to sub him for fuel etc until February pay arrives and he has a full month.
Their system is vague, the advisors have no idea what will and will not be paid or when and their rules contradict one another.

My main issue is comparing. I shouldn’t compare.
There are a lot of reasons that certain situations frustrate me. I know a lot of people on UC and many people I deal with in my work are on UC.

For the past 3 years I have been struggling financially, seriously struggling. The truth is, our killer is childcare. I have had to take out loans and credit cards to stay above water. When I see the girl in the article complaining about receiving £1640 a month in benefits, when it’s obvious she has spare cash for her and Children’s fancy clothing, it really hurts.

I shouldn’t be comparing and I know that. I have compared myself to the woman in the article which I shouldn’t have done.

But the reason I actually wrote the post was so that people on UC could educate me and get rid of this frustration I have towards the girl in the article.

If you are on jobseekers you can get 50% off your travel.

Haahahaaahaaa!! Oh, the lovely London bubble! You don't get that discount UK wide, love.

adultchild, the problem with the Healthcare Travel Cost scheme is that you have to be reimbursed. If the person has no money to pay for the transport in the first place, then the scheme will be of no use to them.

The other issue is that quite a few people with conditions like cancer is that they can become neutropenic and cannot use public transport.

And I see Lemon is still banging on.

After reading wannabestressfree's post you should be bloody ashamed of yourself!

@ladyintheradiator. The truth is my friend claims as a single parent but her partner is bringing in enough cash on the side. It’s dishonest, hence my name change. Unfortunately I work with and know a lot of people who do this. That’s possibly why they seems so much better off.

Yes and people in rural areas on jobseekers can really struggle with travel costs.

If you can get a job, you should get a job. It's not rocket science

Ever hear of something called barriers to work? Things like not having clothes suitable for work but no funds to buy them, no childcare available or no funds to pay the costs up front, no money available for bills, rent, food, travel to bridge the gap between benefits stopping and first pay packet arriving, and so on. It's not as simple as "just get a job".

the reason why so many of us disabled people struggle to get what we are entitled to is due to claimants that are perfectly capable of working but choose not to.

No, it's really not.

Good god, comparing yourself and being spiteful towards people on fucking benefits and not the absolute bastards whom ignoramuses keep voting for who have allowed the top 5% who have been allowed to hoard increasing amounts of wealth and shaft the entire country.

You couldn't make it up!

Oh yes, the mysterious 'tax credit overpayments' as well.. Almost everyone on UC seems to be hit with large 'overpayments' from years ago that have 'suddenly' appeared.

I'm not convinced that this is connected with UC, because it's happened to lots of people who aren't on UC, too. I'm a benefits adviser in an area that's got UC pretty late, and I've heard of a lot non-UC cases where this is happening.

DP (a payroll manager) and I suspect that it is something to do with the switch to RTI. Historic records are being merged with the RTI system by HMRC. He is of the opinion that (for people on PAYE) anything more than 6 years old should not be recoverable. Apparently, HMRC can't come after you for unpaid tax beyond 6 years ago and employers are only required to keep information for 6 years. (Challenging "recoverability" is a different thing from appealing: you're not saying their wrong, just that they can't make you pay!)

If they were coming after me for anything older than 6 years, I'd challenge the recovery on the basis that I'm not required to keep records so can't verify that the overpayment figure quoted is correct.

I gather that HMRC can't explain how these overpayments occurred. This makes me suspect that they don't actually know. If anyone fancies having a go at challenging them, and has their payslips/P60s and tax credit letters for the period covered, I'd be happy to talk them through how to go about it. I don't work with families, so don't get very few tax credit cases and I rather miss them!

YABU. These threads always boil down to a ‘wahh! But I have to go to WORK (foot stamp)’ mentality, like a stroppy teenager.

People receiving UC of any amount does not affect your wages in any way. If claimants could just work more to earn money, then why can’t you just get a better paid job? Oh wait, life isn’t that easy.

I’ve never claimed benefits and don’t know that much about UC, but I read enough to see how badly it is affecting people who need it.

It is not a race to the bottom, why would you want to live in a country where people would just starve to death if they couldn’t work enough?

Other benefit recipients may receive a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card from 3 months of their claim and if they are actively engaged with a Jobcentre Plus adviser.
I was told that it was only give in exceptional circumstances.

I have never understood why benefits/tops up can give an income greater than what would be earned if you had a job paying minimum wage. If minimum wage is deemed an acceptable amount by the government to pay people who work, why do some people who claim benefits get more than minimum wage?

I think the system is broken, I know people who really struggle on benefits in that they cannot afford to buy food, but I also know people who claim to be "raking it in" and it gives them no desire to work because they wouldn't get jobs that would give them the same level of income.

It makes no sense.