To ask how people will cope with Universal credit cut.

[ponyexpress22]

Surely they aren't going ahead with cutting it by £20 a week? I'm shocked that the government could stoop this low. What the hell are they doing.

@Iheartbaby , i recommend you call 999 immediately if people are thieving your pay!

What counts as legitimate? I don't work, I have a disabled child. They go to school 8.45-3.15. Am I legitimate or a bum?

@Iheartbaby

A lot of people work in crap min wage jobs and are not happy people who do nothing got £20 a week more in the first place (and no I’m not talking about people who can’t work because they are not well, I wish they got more) for doing nothing.

By 'people' you mean you! I'm happy that people have been given a bit extra to get by personally, so are most others on the thread despite many not receiving it themselves. Those of working age who are unemployed but capable of work are pressured pretty hard under UC. It's pretty hard, too hard even, to be excused from the work commitments. There's really not as many capable people as you think sitting around with their feet up living a life of luxury on their extra £20

@Iheartbaby

A lot of people work in crap min wage jobs and are not happy people who do nothing got £20 a week more in the first place (and no I’m not talking about people who can’t work because they are not well, I wish they got more) for doing nothing.

Of your job is crap and you hate it so much, go be a UC claimant of you think it so much better.

But you won't will you?

Also, next time you take you kid to care, you walk up to one of the people paid to look after your child and tell them to their face you're glad they're losing £80 a month and facing a tax hike.

If you truly believe what you have typed here, you'd have no problem doing that.
Somehow I doubt you will though.

Empathy is in short supply on this thread. No wonder the Tories are in power, doesn't look like that's changing anytime soon.

The person looking after my child agrees with me because, guess what? She is working and not getting £20 a week more either, but let’s just pretend everyone on min wage agrees with people getting benefits and is also getting in work benefits because I can tell you they don’t agree and lots of people on min wage don’t get extra help.

If you're outraged about what the poorest in society are doing with 'your' money, you're going to be livid when you find out what the government is doing with it. Pay attention.

@Iheartbaby

The person looking after my child agrees with me because, guess what? She is working and not getting £20 a week more either, but let’s just pretend everyone on min wage agrees with people getting benefits and is also getting in work benefits because I can tell you they don’t agree and lots of people on min wage don’t get extra help.

Someone working 40 hours a week on £9ph with at least one child would be entitled to UC.

I just ran the entitled to calculator. 40 hours a week a £9ph. 1 child costing £300 a month in care fees and a rent of £800 pcm and someone in that position would be entitled to £848 a month in UC alone.

@Iheartbaby

The person looking after my child agrees with me because, guess what? She is working and not getting £20 a week more either, but let’s just pretend everyone on min wage agrees with people getting benefits and is also getting in work benefits because I can tell you they don’t agree and lots of people on min wage don’t get extra help.

If you are on minimum wage like you say, then chances are you can have them topped up with UC.. and you would have got the uplift too. It is not anyone else's fault that you have not done that. Or maybe be angry at your employer for only paying minimum wage to start with.

I have no idea how I'm going to cope with the cut and also the increase in NI.

Here.

@Iheartbaby

The person looking after my child agrees with me because, guess what? She is working and not getting £20 a week more either, but let’s just pretend everyone on min wage agrees with people getting benefits and is also getting in work benefits because I can tell you they don’t agree and lots of people on min wage don’t get extra help.

Lucky her that she earns enough and likely had a partner who does therefore doesn't need it. I look after dc day in day out and if I was on UC rather than legacy benefits I'd be getting it. I'd find it very odd if one of the DC's mums starred questioning me on my opinions on the subject though. I struggle to believe you've done that, and if you have I suspect they've agreed with what you wanted to hear with a very raised eyebrow.

@Iheartbaby

The person looking after my child agrees with me because, guess what? She is working and not getting £20 a week more either, but let’s just pretend everyone on min wage agrees with people getting benefits and is also getting in work benefits because I can tell you they don’t agree and lots of people on min wage don’t get extra help.

If she is not getting Uc I expect she has a partner who is also earnings or maybe savings that take them over the threshold for claiming Uc?

@Iheartbaby, you really should check your eligibility for UC.

Imagine having two incomes and STILL begrudging people having an extra £20 a week.

I also find it very odd you actually know the income details of your childcare providers to add to my pp where I found it odd you know their opinions on the uplift subject. Very odd indeed.

£90 left over is tiny, but the UC system encourages claimants to do a minimum of 20(?) hours work per week to provide extra income. If that’s not possible due to any kind of disability, then dla payments top up that amount. Managing on UC money alone isn’t meant to be enough

This is factually incorrect @Paquerette. Claimants have to seek work for up to 35 hours a week (if they have a child depending on age of child) or be sanctioned.

Also, if a claimant is without children or disabilities then any income they earn does NOT 'provide extra income' - any earnings are deducted from UC at 63p in the pound - what is left 'extra' barely even covers travel. So we have the situation of people on zero hours contracts scrambling about trying to get more hours than they would have got pittance on UC. If they don't get enough hours then they attempt to survive on the same pittance as their basic UC would have been even though they are working. It's a disgrace, and like you said yourself - UC is not enough to live on.

If they have children, then they get to keep £290 odd a month as 'extra' - nowhere near 20 hours a week. And take into account council tax goes up, travel costs, and your percentage of childcare to pay.

As for disablities - someone deemed by UC to have 'limited capacity for work' does NOT get any extra payments - those were taken away when UC came in.

I wish people would see what it's actually like - the actual figures and rules.

@liveforsummer

I also find it very odd you actually know the income details of your childcare providers to add to my pp where I found it odd you know their opinions on the uplift subject. Very odd indeed.

You know, people in life are friends, people in life talk and get friendly over the years, she brought it up and was cross about it. I agreed with her.

I will repeat it again, I don’t begrudge people who are not well who will get this money or who work and have a top up, I’m just not happy that people who can work who choose not to are getting the money. But let’s ignore that to suit your argument.

I’m just not happy that people who can work who choose not to are getting the money

People choosing not to work and live in poverty are extremely rare. There are more people unemployed than there are job vacancies.

@Blossomtoes

I’m just not happy that people who can work who choose not to are getting the money

People choosing not to work and live in poverty are extremely rare. There are more people unemployed than there are job vacancies.

Not where I live, which might be why so many people I know are angry about it

@wildmountaintime

£90 left over is tiny, but the UC system encourages claimants to do a minimum of 20(?) hours work per week to provide extra income. If that’s not possible due to any kind of disability, then dla payments top up that amount. Managing on UC money alone isn’t meant to be enough

This is factually incorrect @Paquerette. Claimants have to seek work for up to 35 hours a week (if they have a child depending on age of child) or be sanctioned.

Also, if a claimant is without children or disabilities then any income they earn does NOT 'provide extra income' - any earnings are deducted from UC at 63p in the pound - what is left 'extra' barely even covers travel. So we have the situation of people on zero hours contracts scrambling about trying to get more hours than they would have got pittance on UC. If they don't get enough hours then they attempt to survive on the same pittance as their basic UC would have been even though they are working. It's a disgrace, and like you said yourself - UC is not enough to live on.

If they have children, then they get to keep £290 odd a month as 'extra' - nowhere near 20 hours a week. And take into account council tax goes up, travel costs, and your percentage of childcare to pay.

As for disablities - someone deemed by UC to have 'limited capacity for work' does NOT get any extra payments - those were taken away when UC came in.

I wish people would see what it's actually like - the actual figures and rules.

But people without children who are awarded LCW and perhaps could only work reduced hours will get a work allowance which does make a big difference.

@Iheartbaby most recipients of UC credit do work But let’s ignore that to suit your argument? You seem to be irrationally prejudiced against the poorest in society. Why do you think that is?

Why are you just picking out bits and not reading what I have said to suit your argument, why do you think that is?

@Iheartbaby

Why are you just picking out bits and not reading what I have said to suit your argument, why do you think that is?

But you’ve said people choose unemployment and you refuse to acknowledge working people also get universal credit. What have I missed?

Example

Jill (single, no dc) loses her job. She goes on UC.

Her UC consists of
£317 standard allowance
£400 housing

However the 5 week wait for money applies so she has to take out the 'advance' (loan) from UC to live for the first 5 weeks.

Her standard allowance is now down to £257 a month.

Most private rentals are above the allowance UC will pay for the local area. For example, Jill is in my LA. UC will pay up to £400 pcm rent, but most rentals are at least £500, even in 'bad' areas. Jill's is £500. She has to put 100 a month towards her rent.

So her UC is now £157 a month to live on after rent. A small amount of council tax has to be paid for out of that.

No wonder people need food banks. It's a fucking disgrace that people begrudge people an extra 20 quid a week for life to be barely livable.

Lets say Jill gets a zero hours or part time job. Remember, the government actually sent out info to employers about UC, stating the benefits for business in providing a 'more flexible workforce' .

Remember Jill's UC is £857 a month total. Any income she earns is deducted at the rate of 63p to the pound.

She earns £600 her first month in the zero hours job.
600 x 0.63 = £378 is taken from her UC.

857 - 378 is £379

Her travel to work is £100 a month (easily here)

So she is left with £879 in total after travel to work.
On UC she had £857.

Her rent is still £500.

I know it's a long read but this is how UC is. Great for employers, shit for people.

The uplift was because the new claimants due to the pandemic, wouldn't realise how bad it actually can be to survive on. It had already been frozen for a decade!!