People on universal credit - how much do you get a month?

[VodkaCranberry2]

Just been approved for UC for me and my DP and my new baby however baby isn’t registered on there yet due to his birth not being registered yet (been told to wait 21 days because offices have not been taking appointments). We got an advance of £1,244. But won’t find out how much we get a month for 5 weeks. I’m just wondering if anyone else is getting it and what sort of figure we can expect to get?

Me - self employed, ending maternity this week
Partner - works in a supermarket

Thank you and sorry for posting here wasn’t sure which topic to post in.

The amounts seem high because it's all the main means tested benefits rolled into one MONTHLY payment, most of which will be directly going straight to landlords charging extortionate rents.

I found that the amount they offered me as an advance was pretty much spot on my entitlement before any deductions.

I’m not sure landlords are greedy for charging the going rate? That’s a bit of a silly comment.

Sure have your issues with social housing - but it’s not the fault of the landlords.

The only thing that does annoy me about these big payments is when people are also getting large amounts of child maintenance which do not have to be declared. I know most lone parents won't be getting large amounts but I do think there should be some kind of cap on that. I had one ex colleague who was getting decent , regular CM payments from three different dads amounting to hundreds of pounds a month on top of a lot of UC. Like I say I know this does not happen to everyone but I don't understand why if the dad (s) are paying why at least some of this up to a certain point is not taken into account because that really does make the rest of us look like mugs.

@blankstares 60k would give you an after tax income of over 3.5k after tax (my dh is on 70k and takes home well over 4K...no one on here said they were getting that!

@Mirrorxx I don't like to get involved in these types of discussions (I'm more of a read and run gal) but I am inclined to agree with you. I don't understand why [some] people on benefits seem to earn the same or more than working people. Surely it is not an incentive to look for a job?

2 adults, 3 dc one parent works full time take home pay from work £1550 a month, we get £1350 Universal Credit a month.

And here's us putting off having a DC until we got qualified and could afford it! Blimey! Clearly missing a trick.

Tippexy - That poster getting that amount explained that she had a disabled child which means they would get a disabled child element and a carers element because one parent is most likely a full time CARER for the disabled child. This is why it's high - because disability costs a lot of money. Do you begrudge someone that help?

Wait, what? I should have got a huge tv when I went on UC? Nobody told me that! Here I am with a third hand one that I was given by a friend when mine broke and I had no money for a new one. Should I leave a message in my journal asking for this to be rectified? Was there something about a goat too? The front lawn is getting long and I don't have a lawn mower and can't afford a regular gardener so a goat would be great. Do I get to name it myself?

Ahh I wondered how long it would take for the outrage to begin. FFS - most people I know have had to ask for help from UC at some point or another, despite one or both parties being in work, so fuck off with your blanket judgements on others and maybe, for once, consider that each individual persons circumstances are not the same as your own.

@VodkaCranberry2
The 'entitled to' calculator will help. I'm pretty sure that we were told what we were entitled to before we could apply for the advance but that may have changed now. Do you have your password/access to the UC site sorted yet? It should be on there if you can get onto it .

This is actually sickening. I know people are only claiming what they're entitled to but because I privately rent and have no kids, I have to work more hours to get less money each month than someone on UC.

Oreo - as I keep saying not everyone will be getting these amounts. And the standard elements has just gone up temporarily because of covoid which makes the amounts seem even higher. I don't know why they did that, most people I have spoken to say they are spending so much less in lockdown with only minor increases in food prices.

Child maintenance payments are typically quite low so I'm not sure how many would be making a fortune. I vaguely recall, way back when, a humane government didn't want to claw back money that might help improve the standard of living of children in low income single parent households. Also a bit of pragmatism as reducing benefits disincentivised father's from making payments. The whole business of enforcing maintenance was costing the state a fortune so they encouraged privately managed arrangements not linked to benefits.

Yes Oreo, because you don't have kids. You are cheaper to run.

There is definitely some sock puppeting going on, a sudden rush of posters with the same faux outrage and poorly written posts? No coincidence.

Benefits is such a tough one.

Part of living in a civilised country is having a benefit system to support those who need it - the issue is those who come to live on it.

If somebody earning 70k a year gets made redundant they have an incentive to get back to work as they won’t live their lifestyle on benefits.

However somebody on 20k a year with a couple of kids won’t be any worse off on benefits and there lies the issue.

emz - On Uc they will be significantly better off working because the first £292 of wages is disregarded ( if they rent) or £512 ( if they don't) before wages reduce their Uc so they do end up significantly better off by working as they have their wages and Uc top up.

Crikey, I’m going to stop feeling guilty about being furloughed.

I’ve never claimed anything except child benefit for 1 dc, have always paid everything myself as a single mum, now 56, and had been beating myself up over getting furlough payments for two months while not working.

Odd but you’ve made me feel much better .

Mintjulia - The bill for both furlough and so many more on benefits is going to be eye watering whatever.

@putanotherflakeinmyicecream

"And you're proud of that fact are you? No job and living off the state? That you're scrounging off us hard-working folk?"

Yup very proud. Thanks very much for your money.

"People like you are what is wrong with society."
Disagree, I think selfish consumerists do far more damage than I do.

"When did living off benefits become an occupation? Get off your arse and get a job."
To replace the one I lost due to Corona? Okey dokey, I'll get right on that. You'll of course realise that the job market right now is not great and childcare is almost non existent. But yeah, course it's easy to just 'Get a job'

"And despite the do-gooders on here I guarantee I won't be the only person who thinks that."
I couldn't give a flying one what people think because usually those same.people are completely wrong. For example, they think unemployed people are massive drains and take billions in tax, they don't seem to realise that compared to in work benefits and pensions, unemployment payments are actually insignificant.
But people believe channel 5 and benefit bashing papers instead of doing any actual research, but hey, I'm the one ruining society...

Now scuse me whilst I feed me goat.

I still want to get back to work though

Disability aside - I’m strongly of the belief benefits should be a short term solution.

Disability aside - I’m strongly of the belief benefits should be a short term solution.

A belief that is fundamental to the system - and has been for as long as I can remember.

As long as wages for some are low and rents are high and childcare costs are high people are always going to need them long term though.

2 adults, 3 dc one parent works full time take home pay from work £1550 a month, we get £1350 Universal Credit a month

And here's us putting off having a DC until we got qualified and could afford it! Blimey! Clearly missing a trick

This figure stuck out to me too.

That’s an income topped up to 46k, which is exactly what DH and I have left over after we have paid out an extortionate amount in nursery fees.

I’m strongly of the belief benefits should be a short term solution

Agreed.
But I also believe that people spouting "just get a job" don't actually understand the modern job market or the fact that to get UC you have to job hunt for 35 hours a week and prove your applications etc.
It's part of the reason that HR departments are inundated with applications for every job.