Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

universal credit question aibu??

66 replies

plodalong12 · 14/06/2021 05:27

AIBU to think it is unadvisable to let someone in a full-time working job think they can claim either housing benefit or universal credit? Working 37.5 hours per week earning £1150 after tax per month and rent is £625 per month. I said this person is likely to not be entitled to help for either housing benefit or universal credit- Am I right? This is some where in England, but not London.

OP posts:
Original poster
plodalong12 · 14/06/2021 15:43

@TheQueef

Who has told them they are entitled? YABU this is someone's livelihood if you aren't 100% certain you say nowt and direct them to real advice.
I was responding to someone else telling them they WERE entitled to a lot of money each month. So I said basically don't take what that person said for granted because you will most likely not be entitled to anything. The other person was BU. I was just trying to be more realistic.
OP posts:
Original poster
plodalong12 · 14/06/2021 15:45

@JustLyra

No, I was doing the opposite actually. Someone else told them they would be qualified for a significant amount of money each month and I was telling them not to take advice from that person because it sounded wrong to me and I didn't think they'd get anything so not to get their hopes up because they were thinking it could help them out.

So you did exactly the same as the other person then...

No, I was being realistic in saying don't believe what this person is saying because it is most likely untrue for your circumstances.
OP posts:
JustLyra · 14/06/2021 15:47

No, I was being realistic in saying don't believe what this person is saying because it is most likely untrue for your circumstances.

But you don’t know any better than the person. As people have said, with calculations, there is a good chance they are entitled with those figures. So your advice is just as poor, if not poorer if it puts them off applying, than someone saying they’d get a good amount.

TakeYourFinalPosition · 14/06/2021 15:48

What makes you think that the other persons advice is unrealistic?

Or even that it’s any less unreasonable for you to guess randomly than it is for the other person?

The only calculation in this thread shows that they may get £300 a month. They also might not… but they might.

Direct them to qualified help.

Original poster
plodalong12 · 14/06/2021 15:50

Ok, fine, I will do that, thank you.

OP posts:
Original poster
plodalong12 · 14/06/2021 15:53

@JustLyra

No, I was being realistic in saying don't believe what this person is saying because it is most likely untrue for your circumstances.

But you don’t know any better than the person. As people have said, with calculations, there is a good chance they are entitled with those figures. So your advice is just as poor, if not poorer if it puts them off applying, than someone saying they’d get a good amount.

Other people were calculating things and mentioning things like children and disabilities and I had already clarified earlier this person has no children nor living with any children. They do not have any disabilities either and are single.
OP posts:
JustLyra · 14/06/2021 16:00

Other people were calculating things and mentioning things like children and disabilities and I had already clarified earlier this person has no children nor living with any children. They do not have any disabilities either and are single.

The first calculation that showed in detail doesn’t mention children or disabilities and showed a probably £300 award.

I hope you’ve actually told the person that they should apply and not put them off as your advice could cost them a considerable amount.

motogogo · 14/06/2021 16:09

If they don't have children they are unlikely to get help, I tried and hot nothing on a salary of £1150

LakieLady · 14/06/2021 16:09

I think there's a small entitlement, but I made it £229 pcm.

sbhydrogen · 14/06/2021 16:51

I used to work 37.5 hours per week and take home £1100 (after tax). With no dependants surely it's called 'having a job'? 🤔

Getawaywithit · 14/06/2021 17:03

Someone else told them they would be qualified for a significant amount of money each month and I was telling them not to take advice from that person because it sounded wrong to me and I didn't think they'd get anything so not to get their hopes up because they were thinking it could help them out

But you don't know! Fine if you have some experience with the welfare system but you don't. You don't know which of you might be right or wrong. Your assumption is that you are correct. The danger is telling people they might not be eligible means they won't apply for the funds that they are actually entitled to. The knock on effect of that is enormous, particularly on mental health and particularly in the current situation.

marchez · 14/06/2021 18:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

marchez · 14/06/2021 18:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

carben · 14/06/2021 18:09

Depends entirely on LHA rate for the area they live in and we haven't been given this info so impossible to say.

Faevern · 14/06/2021 18:17

And age @carben

@plodalong12 It is unadvisable to tell someone they are not entitled to UC when you don’t know what you are talking about. 50% chance you are wrong.

carben · 14/06/2021 18:28

Yep and age...

RaginaFalangi · 14/06/2021 19:31

Could have just said you're not sure but there's no harm in applying for it Or told them to contact someone who's job ot is to advise people on UC.

XenoBitch · 14/06/2021 19:43

@Getawaywithit

Someone else told them they would be qualified for a significant amount of money each month and I was telling them not to take advice from that person because it sounded wrong to me and I didn't think they'd get anything so not to get their hopes up because they were thinking it could help them out

But you don't know! Fine if you have some experience with the welfare system but you don't. You don't know which of you might be right or wrong. Your assumption is that you are correct. The danger is telling people they might not be eligible means they won't apply for the funds that they are actually entitled to. The knock on effect of that is enormous, particularly on mental health and particularly in the current situation.

This! I didn't apply for UC for years, as my sister (who worked for DWP) told me that I wont get anything as I drive (I was applying for the sickness element). Put me off and I got into debt that I didn't need to have.
TulisaIsBrill · 14/06/2021 20:04

The thing is also remember that saying £200/300 p/m is a ‘small’ entitlement is really not the case when you’re a low earner.

Yes, it’s a small amount of money if you take home 5k p/m, but for someone taking home less than 1200 it’s a bloody massive amount of money relatively.

It’s the difference between eating poorly and potentially eating very well and healthily for a single person, or a subsistence existence vs one where at least you can have some enjoyment. Hell. It’s enough to run a bloody car. It’s a huge boon, and potentially telling them to forget about even investigating it is a terrible thing to do. The worst case is yes, no entitlement. The best case is literally life changing.

TulisaIsBrill · 14/06/2021 20:06

Honestly, the more I think about this the angrier I get that you thought you were being reasonable. It’s totally ridiculous behaviour.

Original poster
plodalong12 · 15/06/2021 00:20

@motogogo

If they don't have children they are unlikely to get help, I tried and hot nothing on a salary of £1150
Yes this is what I thought too.
OP posts:
Original poster
plodalong12 · 15/06/2021 00:23

@sbhydrogen

I used to work 37.5 hours per week and take home £1100 (after tax). With no dependants surely it's called 'having a job'? 🤔
I mentioned they worked in a full time job in the first sentence.
OP posts:
Original poster
plodalong12 · 15/06/2021 00:27

@marchez

I work for UC, and with the limited info it gave an award of about £300/month.

But without further info it is impossible to say for sure, so the only thing to do is to make a claim.

That way the person will know for certain instead of getting random and possibly incorrect info from an internet forum

What makes you say that? This person has no dependents nor is disabled as previously asked/mentioned. I don't think on the wage I mentioned they would be entitled to anything. Another poster said they applied and didn't qualify. What do you think goes in their favour to qualify?
OP posts:
PawsQueen · 15/06/2021 00:27

TBF I would have said "probably not but best check" as I work 40hrs FT, and if I don't get any commission it's min wage. I would say that because I know personally I'm not entitled to anything but I have a mortgage so if they rent I would say check..

Original poster
plodalong12 · 15/06/2021 00:31

@Faevern

And age *@carben*

@plodalong12 It is unadvisable to tell someone they are not entitled to UC when you don’t know what you are talking about. 50% chance you are wrong.

I think people have misunderstood my AIBU. The other person was BU by telling this person they were definitely entitled to claim UC and get help with housing costs. I was asking whether people agreed their behaviour was BU, not my own. I was being realistic to them. I didn't say "no, you will definitely not get UC" I just said what that person told them is unlikely to be right.
OP posts: