Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

To think universal credit is for essential items.

103 replies

RC1511 · 31/03/2020 20:23

I am very aware there’s going to be a massive influx of people applying for this right now - rightly so.. For now oh is still working but this could well change with the current situation. I wish he wasn’t still working but anyway..

A friend of mine, her hubby is self employed and no longer working after this week. Hard times of course. They applied for UC - they have dependents at home.

I know little about Uc myself but she said they won’t get their first payment for a while but they received an advance or something? I assume to cover costs until the first payment comes in.

I won’t give away what they bought as I don’t want to give me identity away but they received an advance and went out on blew it on a luxury item costing £450. Not essential at all. It was one item costing that much.

I know we are on hard times. But I just assume the advance payment is for bills, car costs, food, toiletries etc etc. Essential items - things for the children etc.

Maybe I shouldn’t judge. Maybe I will be slammed on here. They are rightly entitled to UC now but surely the point of the advance is to get you through not to blow it in one hit? What will they live on until it comes through? That’s my main concern. They have been known to blow all their money before and ask others for help when they can’t afford to eat!

They literally have now have no money aside. No savings or anything as far as I know. She’s quite open about her financial situation.

My friend has already moaned now she’s now broke and has to wait at least a month for more money.

OP posts:

Whatsmyname26 · 01/04/2020 11:07

They can spend it on what they want. My guess is a games console or similar which currently is probably a good investment. Maybe they will use overdraft or get a mortgage break to ride them through till their regular payments start

vodkaredbullgirl · 01/04/2020 11:14

They will pay it back and get less UC. Also when back at work, they will have to pay it back.

MellowBird85 · 01/04/2020 11:15

Can’t understand why everyone is aggressively stressing they are entitled to this money and to do as they please with it. Yeah of course they, but that doesn’t mean that what they have done is completely irresponsible and reckless. What’s the difference between this and a bloke blowing his wages gambling and down the pub? I mean, he earned it - it’s his money!

PeterPiperPickedWrongAgain · 01/04/2020 11:16

I wasn’t aware an advance was paid back. Not too bad then but still an issue of when they will be claiming poverty soon!

There was a programme on recently where the claimant blew her advance and was then really short, she did not comprehend that by blowing it all she would get reduced payments. Maybe it’s not explained very well to people? YANBU to be annoyed they have blown it if they are then going to be asking you for money. It’s alright pp saying you need to say no but, if it comes to DN not having food, you are hardly going to refuse.

dontdisturbmenow · 01/04/2020 11:19

Probably one of those who will tell their landlords they can't pay rent, call the electric, water, gas, mobile phones providers, coming up with a sad story asking for it to be frozen and then hoping that all the debts will be written off, which might very well be because everyone will believe that they had had it so hard and it's not their fault they couldn't pay their bills in the first place. The luxury item will not be mentioned ever.

PeterPanGoesWrong · 01/04/2020 12:01

Are you for real op?

You think it’s for someone else to decide what folks spend their money on?

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 01/04/2020 12:07

Can’t understand why everyone is aggressively stressing they are entitled to this money and to do as they please with it. Yeah of course they,

You’ve answered your own question there.

What’s the difference between this and a bloke blowing his wages gambling and down the pub?

Precisely no difference- they’re both none of OPS business.

TooGood2BeTrue · 01/04/2020 12:09

Why do some people always have to stick their nose into someone else's business 🙄?

kirinm · 01/04/2020 12:14

Are you the same poster who wanted to report her 'friend'? For a non judgemental post, you sure are judgemental.

Zombiemum1946 · 01/04/2020 12:19

Depends on their reasons . They may well have paid for it on a credit card and wanted to clear the debt. Whatever the reason don't dwell on it. UC is for essentials, but it's their choice, it may appear to be a poor one to you but it's their business.

GrumpyHoonMain · 01/04/2020 12:20

An advance is a loan paid back from UC so you aren’t being unreasonable at all. If the item isn’t essential then they shouldn’t be getting into debt.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 01/04/2020 12:26

How they do or don't manage their money is nothing to do with you. Mind your own beeswax.

Ponoka7 · 01/04/2020 12:32

Perhaps they've stock pilled and decided the item was a good use of the money, if as suggested it was a games console/laptop.

They could claim up to £1000, so have obviously planned to use this as an intrest free option to get the item. It takes nothing away from the treasury.

As said, if people bail them out, rather than help because he's waiting to be paid, then they are enabling them.

It wasn't really thread worthy, but it's a welcome one. Shame you didn't just highlight the cheekyfuckery of wanting bailing out, while not planning ahead.

Snog · 01/04/2020 12:34

Sometimes adults make poor decisions, but if they are not breaking the law or causing harm to others then they are allowed to make poor decisions. I'm not sure how it can be any other way?

Also whether the decision is a poor one is not always universally agreed.

adaline · 01/04/2020 12:36

An advance isn't free money - they'll be paying it out of their future payments.

Keep your beak out.

DeeCeeCherry · 01/04/2020 12:39

You're not much of a friend.

& What is a luxury item to you may not be to somebody else. Maybe given these uncertain times where many's working lives are now topsy turvy, they're trying to cheer themselves up.

A good start would also be not having a 'friend' like you but as you're 2 faced I guess they don't know who you really are. You're a good reminder why it's unwise to talk to (or answer nosey questions from) so called friends who are focused on your money and what you do with it. They're normally jealous of something about your life and it never ends well.

SouthernComforts · 01/04/2020 12:41

The real question is why you/your family as stupid enough to bail this couple out? They are clearly idiots who cannot budget, but it seems they've been enabled by people lending them money. It really is very simple - you all stop funding them and they dig themselves out of the mess they've made.

Clevererthanyou · 01/04/2020 12:46

It’s shitty adulting if you blow your only available money on one luxury item and think to hell with the necessities, no matter where you get your money from. It’s not on to make poor choices and then ask people to bail you out afterwards! Are they teenagers ffs? I don’t see this thread as you telling benefit recipients what they can or can’t do with their money Op, YANBU for not waiting to support the feckless eejits.

OptimisticSix · 01/04/2020 12:47

I'm guessing sex pond... And whatever gets them through the next few months can o ly be a good thing 😁

OptimisticSix · 01/04/2020 12:48

I don't know why the smiley faces on my phone always turn into gritted teeth

NiteFlights · 01/04/2020 12:53

What is a luxury item to you may not be to somebody else

Can you give an example of something that costs £450 that could be perceived - in these circumstances - as a luxury item to some people and not others? The only thing I can think of is an expensive tumble dryer or possibly a dishwasher.

If they had bought, say, a new washing machine OP might have said they could have got it cheaper but wouldn’t have called it a luxury item.

Even if it was a tv or a tablet, would that be a luxury item if they didn’t already have one?

PurpleCrazyHorse · 01/04/2020 13:58

No need to worry about it if you're not bailing them out.

HB7182 · 01/04/2020 14:53

In general, I don't think it's acceptable for anybody on UC or other benefits to buy any expensive luxuries. Cigarettes is the one that gets on my nerves the most!

MinkowskisButterfly · 01/04/2020 14:57

You should mind your own fuckjng business.

InTheSummerhouse · 01/04/2020 15:00

So it is our business when we are being asked to pay more taxes, to volunteer, to donate to foodbanks, to vote for increased benefits; when we are being attacked for voting Tory, (whether we did or not), when we are being told to be ashamed that people are living in poverty. Then apparently it is our business. Yet it is not our business when clearly people are abusing the system.

A lot of people are struggling. They won't get UC because they worked and saved. Maybe they saved every penny for the deposit for a house. Many PPs on MN mention living with in-laws in order to save, being "nearly there" with £10k saved hard. If they have lost their jobs - and many will have - they will now be expected to spend that first to survive before they can get UC.

So maybe they see it as being their business.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Swipe left for the next trending thread