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.

I think there's a lot of miss placed anger on this thread. Feckless fathers, huge corporations paying below a living wage, politicians giving their mates expensive contracts, wealthy business owners using tax havens. That's where your anger should be going. And if you're genuinely in a position where you know beyond doubt that you'll never have to claim benefits then I'm surprised you have any anger inside you at all. What an incredibly privileged life you lead.

There are little pockets of people who can say they saved their £20 a week up and went on holiday with it and it is galling but there wasn't time to deep dive in to everyone's income and expenses to find the odd person who didn't really need it.

I think there's a lot of miss placed anger on this thread. Feckless fathers, huge corporations paying below a living wage, politicians giving their mates expensive contracts, wealthy business owners using tax havens. That's where your anger should be going.

Yes, I agree. But some people like to direct their innate prejudices against immigrants, homeless people, or even just those unlucky enough for their relationship not to have worked out.

@Heliachi - 'pumping' DC out? What an unpleasant turn of phrase

So many on here seem to think people are sat on benefits constantly having child after child.

The reality is most of us weren't in our current situation when we had our DC. Most of us had saved what we could. Most of us budgeted and planned for our DC's future. And then disaster struck...maybe more than one disaster. And the savings didn't last long...

What level of savings are you advocating? Because if it's enough to stop you ever needing benefits then the vast majority of people wouldn't be able to have DC atall!

It was always temporary and to be brutally honest I cannot understand why claimants needed it. If they were unemployed then how did there lives change to need more money during lockdown? If they were working claimants then they were still carrying on their lives as before the pandemic. Those of us who actually earn enough to support our families by virtue of our salaries did not get any extra and in effect we are now going to have to pay extra NI to foot the bill whilst they will still get the benefits they had pre pandemic which are paid free of tax and NI.

I know hardly anyone will agree with this but I am entitled to my opinion.

This thread is a psychopathic cesspit.

You are very much entitled to your opinion. What I think you're missing though is that benefits were never enough in the first place and the extra money has further highlighted this.

A lot of paid work isn't enough either and I agree many working people could have done with the extra money too. This is why I think that the anger towards benefit claimants getting the uplift could be better directed at why so many people don't have enough money to get by whether working or not.

I'm not working and have children at home and my costs did go up a bit during lockdown. Gas and electric being one huge one. Another being that I had to order food in as my usual lift to lidl/Aldi wasn't possible.

@linelgreen you're correct, you are very much entitled.

@EmmaOvary

This thread is a psychopathic cesspit.

Very true.

Hello everyone. The situation many families will find themselves in will be awful. The only thing I can advise is, if you need help or a foodbank, there is absolutely no shame in being hard up. Id begin by looking at my expenditure and see what I could cut down on, unused subscriptions, expensive phone or TV packages, or expensive hobbies.You can get a Food Bank referral from your GP or Social Work department. There are also some schemes run like community shop type things, where you can buy a bag of food for say £3. If you are able a 2nd or evening/weekend job might be an idea, though I know childcare is an issue for many. Citizens Advice Bureau can help advise you. If you sign up for the Martin Lewis newsletter, he often has great advice on cheaper fuel deals and good advice for people on low budgets. Cooking from scratch can save you money. Cheap and filling soups and stews needn't be expensive. If you are working perhaps invest in a slow cooker and your meal will be ready for you coming home. I wish everyone on the Mumsnet Boards well and hope we can all get through these difficult times. If you are comfortably off, please consider donating to your local Food Bank.

@Gothichouse40 have you ever used a foodbank? Slimy tinned carrots and mushrooms and soup in flavours you didn't choose yourself, cans of sardines. And yes, I've been grateful for all of this at times. It is a way of life for many but it shouldn't be and it will be hard to tell kids who've enjoyed fresh fruit and veg whilst the uplift was available that those days are back.

Fuel deals are all well and good but there's nothing left to cut back on. People living on benefits are unlikely to have lapsed subscriptions that they've "forgotten" about.

A lot of people have cut back and back and back and there's nothing left to cut.

Id begin by looking at my expenditure and see what I could cut down on, unused subscriptions, expensive phone or TV packages, or expensive hobbies.

The absolute naivety or plain stupidity as to what people on the bones of their arses are paying for and could potentially cut down.

People on here live in a dream world 😂

Thanks daily mail et al.

Box- no, I have not been in the unfortunate position to use a Food Bank, but support my local one. I was only trying to offer advice to people who may not know about them. The things I suggested were all things I have done myself. I came from a poor family, so, know a little about what it's like. However, Im not here to bother about myself. It was just some advice I thought may be helpful, but people are free to take it or leave it. I honestly did not think people would take offence, however, it's ok. My advice kindly offered is obviously not needed, so will just leave the thread for others to contribute.

Big thumb, I have not or ever have been stupid. As I explained, these were all things I did myself. I have also used facilities like Citizens Advice etc. Ive had to go and get work to help us get through tough times. I do understand why many people can't do this. What I didn't expect is the sheer uncalled for nastiness by people on here, that I have never experienced before, by people who know nothing about me, my background or my own circumstances. If you can offer anything useful to other people, rather than catty comments, I suggest you do that. It might actually help someone. I'm now leaving this thread.

The fact is, is that humans cannot exist on fresh air despite what the daily mail would have you believe.

There is a minimum level of money people need and cutting the £20 (I’d rather say £84 a month as the use of £20 doesn’t sound like much) takes people below that.

If people are telling you that, you would do well to listen.

@Gothichouse40

Big thumb, I have not or ever have been stupid. As I explained, these were all things I did myself. I have also used facilities like Citizens Advice etc. Ive had to go and get work to help us get through tough times. I do understand why many people can't do this. What I didn't expect is the sheer uncalled for nastiness by people on here, that I have never experienced before, by people who know nothing about me, my background or my own circumstances. If you can offer anything useful to other people, rather than catty comments, I suggest you do that. It might actually help someone. I'm now leaving this thread.

I’ve offered plenty of useful comments on this thread. Feel free to read them. You’ll probably struggle with the comprehension though given that you ignored the “absolute naivety” part of my comment and instead decided yourself that you fell under the “stupidity” category and reacted accordingly.

It is absolute naivety or stupidity to assume someone receiving barely above £1000 has “expensive hobbies” that they can cut down to cover losing this £80 a month. Perhaps you should consider yourself how useful YOUR comments are.

Meanwhile... www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/boris-johnson-worried-money-a4551306.html

@Gothichouse40

I detailed.what I get somewhere in this thread. It is around £941

From that I would ask you take away;
£550 rent
£40 council tax
£50 electric
£20 internet (must have for managing UC claim and doing 35 hours job hunting a week)
£5.99 Disney + (instead of £12.99 TV license)
No Netflix or Amazon etc
£8 for my phone (cheapest I could find)
£10 insurance for contents.

How much does that leave a month for food? Bus? Expensive hobbies? Treats?

I have attached a screen shot should you doubt my truthfulness.
Luckily I do get CB as well, that goes someway to daughters uniforms and clothes but I will not use that for things for me.

@EmmaOvary

Meanwhile... www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/boris-johnson-worried-money-a4551306.html

Beggars belief. I wonder if he has any expensive hobbies he could cut down on. The first one to go could be getting women pregnant.

Yes but @PalmarisLongus at least you don't have the distressing walk through your office to access the rose garden.

@boxonthehill

Yes but *@PalmarisLongus* at least you don't have the distressing walk through your office to access the rose garden.

This is very true. I don't know how I would cope tbh.

What I would like to try is living in an ivory tower... maybe with a rose garden too.. and 150k a year.. That would be so nice.

Only 150k? You'd never afford the nanny

@boxonthehill
"Beggars belief. I wonder if he has any expensive hobbies he could cut down on. The first one to go could be getting women pregnant."
🤣

Boris really should have thought about contingencies when he decided to - what was it a PP called it? - breed willy-nilly.