To think this doesn't make any sense?

[melononapear]

I'm not going to use actual figures as I don't want to give all my financial details but it's just an example to illustrate what I mean!

I was furloughed during the first lockdown receiving £1000 a month. This was not enough for me to live on so I applied for UC and this was topped up by £200 a month as the government have calculated this is the minimum I need to live on.

I lost my job completely so now I am on full UC and I am now only receiving £900 a month. Now I'm hearing everywhere that actually this includes an extra £80 a month which will eventually stop. So effectively I 'should' only be getting £820 a month.

How can this be?!?! When they decided that my furlough wasn't enough to live on and topped it up I was getting more than they are giving me now! I'm freaking out a bit thinking about my UC being reduced even more if I can't find a job when I can't make ends meet as it is.

I already live very frugally and have cut my expenses as much as I possibly can. I have nothing to sell and don't spend money on anything that isn't essential. In addition my landlady has just decided to put my rent up by an extra £50 a month and I just don't know what to do. I can't move, I'm already in a very cheap place as it is, I won't get anywhere cheaper. The £50 I will have to now spend on extra rent is half my food budget for the month, so do I just have to not eat now? If I update UC about my rent increase will they increase my UC to cover it? Feel so stuck.

UC isn't really intended to provide enough to live off.

@Sgjudxbyef

UC isn't really intended to provide enough to live off.

Really? So people who have been made redundant 'shouldn't really have enough to live off'?

[quote lottieree]@normalnormas so you claim tax credits, yet feel it necessary to make a judgy remark about UC? I bet as a single parent you get more than £900 a month in tax credits/ housing benefit/ child benefit/ child maintenance plus your wages. Would you manage on £900 UC as your only income? No. [/quote]
Ffs I was judging the employers. Wtf is your bloody problem ?

I'm confused. How did you lose your job completely? Why could you have not stayed on furlough?

If £900 a month is enough why have you made the choice to increase your earnings via tax credits?

That's with the fucking tax credits

And no I don't work 37 hours a fucking week, I work all the hours my employer will give me.

I can tell you lot are fucking bastard Tory voters

@jgjgjgjgjg in the second lockdown they decided to get rid of my job as the business was too slow to justify it - then immediately advertised for 2x NMW part timers 🙄 Pretty obvious what they were doing, especially since they never bothered to give me the opportunity to take reduced hours.

@normalnormas so you're unhappy with the hours/ wages your employer gives you and that's why you contributed to the thread?

Righto.