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.

@boxonthehill

Only 150k? You'd never afford the nanny

I would love without a nanny of it meant I didn't have to go to the library on winter time just to stay warm tbh.

My life is awful when I actually think about it 🤣🤣

Can I just add also that using a food bank is supposed to be a temporary measure - like if you are between paydays or there is a delay with your benefits coming through - it's not intended to be a long term solution. From memory, the food bank here only gives away a couple of days' food at a time.

When we're talking about people who shouldnt be having benefits or shouldnt be paying for Netflix or whatever, I like to remind myself we are talking about kids here. These are the ones effected.

I've been that child at school who didnt have decent clothes, didnt have the fashionable bags/shoes, didnt have a TV or a stereo etc which to adults may seem inconsequential but to kids those things are important.

Now i'm not saying benefits are there to kit todays kids out with Xboxs and designer clothes, but just stop for one moment and think that whilst you're all arguing over what fruit someone buys, or whatever to kids they just want to be like their friends.

Living in poverty is hard on kids, really hard.

@vivainsomnia

Yeah, right on! Fuck all those entitled fuckers expecting luxuries like food and heating. What did they do before Covid? All freeze and starve? We are getting back to normality, there is no reasoning for continuing funding something that was specific to coping with Covid.

Put the money is supporting social care, schools, healthcare.

Yes, they froze & starved

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/tragedy-mum-four-found-dead-20604721

Just dropping in the point that legacy benefit recipients were excluded from the uplift on the grounds that the DWP IT systems couldn't cope with administrating it
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/disability-benefit-uplift-universal-credit-dwp-it-system-b1724260.html

@Dazedandconfused28 heartbreaking. And more so that some on this thread will read that article and still believe the uplift should be scraped.

[quote SpittinKitten]Just dropping in the point that legacy benefit recipients were excluded from the uplift on the grounds that the DWP IT systems couldn't cope with administrating it
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/disability-benefit-uplift-universal-credit-dwp-it-system-b1724260.html[/quote]
Just says it all really doesn't it. Fucking depressing.

www.gingerbread.org.uk/policy-campaigns/childcare/briefing-on-investment-in-childcare-and-single-parents-in-work/ this is quite telling of one of the major issues faced, this focuses on single parents but it is a major issue for low income families generally. Many people genuinely can't afford the upfront childcare payment and then to wait Two months for it back.

Living in poverty is hard on kids, really hard

It is as been there done that. I would do everything possible inc two jobs etc to ensure mine are never in that situation.

@SpnBaby1967

When we're talking about people who shouldnt be having benefits or shouldnt be paying for Netflix or whatever, I like to remind myself we are talking about kids here. These are the ones effected.

I've been that child at school who didnt have decent clothes, didnt have the fashionable bags/shoes, didnt have a TV or a stereo etc which to adults may seem inconsequential but to kids those things are important.

Now i'm not saying benefits are there to kit todays kids out with Xboxs and designer clothes, but just stop for one moment and think that whilst you're all arguing over what fruit someone buys, or whatever to kids they just want to be like their friends.

Living in poverty is hard on kids, really hard.

Yes but not having the latest stuff isn’t living in poverty. I’ve been there as a child and I didn’t dream of the latest shit. I just wanted clothes that fit and a pair of shoes that the sole wasn’t falling off. Oh and something more than a beetroot sandwich for dinner if I was lucky. Couldn’t have given a fuck about thr latest gadgets.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

Living in poverty is hard on kids, really hard

It is as been there done that. I would do everything possible inc two jobs etc to ensure mine are never in that situation.

Your kids are so lucky. I just sit on my fat disabled arse letting them starve.

It's so much easier, isn't it, just to think that poverty is someone's fault? Then it doesn't mean that it's everyone's problem.

Yes but not having the latest stuff isn’t living in poverty. I’ve been there as a child and I didn’t dream of the latest shit. I just wanted clothes that fit and a pair of shoes that the sole wasn’t falling off. Oh and something more than a beetroot sandwich for dinner if I was lucky. Couldn’t have given a fuck about thr latest gadgets.
I wanted those things. I also wanted a television (1960s) so that I could feel included on the playground.

Icecream Try thinking about different lives rather than what a saint you are. Two jobs may involve unaffordable childcare, difficult transport arrangements ( last buses etc.) And as the previous poster said, people with disabilities.

@Gilead

Yes but not having the latest stuff isn’t living in poverty. I’ve been there as a child and I didn’t dream of the latest shit. I just wanted clothes that fit and a pair of shoes that the sole wasn’t falling off. Oh and something more than a beetroot sandwich for dinner if I was lucky. Couldn’t have given a fuck about thr latest gadgets. I wanted those things. I also wanted a television (1960s) so that I could feel included on the playground.

For me it was a Video player and cd player in the late 80s and 90s Everyone else had them, I didn't. They were like magic to me and going to blockbuster was an incredibly rare treat that only happened if I stayed at a friend's. At home we had black and white portable, with a dial on it that you had to twist to get a picture... My dad would watch snooker, I didn't realise until I was 12 or so that snooker balls were different colours.

That £20 a week made a massive difference.
People who got it actually needed to visit foodbanks far less than those who didn't.

Now it's ending, more people are going to have to go back to hoping the community will feed them.

That £20 a week actually made it possible to survive on UC rather than to sink.

Charities are expecting massive rises in homelessness & food bank use once it is removed.

So am I.

Mostly from WORKING FAMILIES.

Children born as part of a two parent family. One parent fucks off. Remaining parent claims UC and struggles with childcare because other parent vanishes into the ether. How many people plan for that?

Few seem to plan for it but maybe we don’t hear about those who do? Splitting up sadly happens often. I think there’s something to be said for marriage before kids (which gives you financial protection if spouse leaves).

Also at least one of you earning enough to comfortably raise a child on, and taking out insurance in case the higher earner dies or becomes unable to work through illness.

I don’t understand why people have whirlwind romances, move in, have a few kids then get left struggling when he moves out.

Don’t people usually live with their partners for a few years first, progress their careers so they’re earning enough to save (or re-train or whatever to increase earning potential) then marry, THEN decide to plan a family.

Planning a family involves a plan to meet the financial needs of the child if one or both parents lose their jobs, if they separate, if one of them gets ill etc. Building up a financial cushion or getting a deposit together is the sensible step before conceiving a child?

Marriage doesn't really give you financial security if you break up. If there's a house involved then I'd always always recommend getting married before having children so you're not out on your ear. But if your renting or if there's no equity in the house then marriage won't give you anything more than having a baby with someone will. I.e. nothing if the non resident parent doesn't pay.

Also some people will never have high paying jobs or financial security to be in that perfect position to have kids knowing that they'll be able to support them should worst come to worst. Then we're back to the argument that poor people shouldnt have children which I'd like to think isn't a common belief.

Aside from all of that, even if the person made a colossal error of judgement having children they can't afford to support, those children already exist and don't deserve to suffer for their parents mistakes.

@StrangeToSee how's the view from that high horse? Have you read any of the previous posts?

Having "tech" isn't just about the latest gadgets. For example, DS1 needs some memory cards and external hard drive for college. The cheapest we can get it all is about £70. It's not masses of money. But it's £70 I don't have. Baring in mind education is still compulsory for his age. The college do have a bursary fund, but you have to buy the equipment first and there's no guarantee they'll refund it. And no I didn't have to buy uniform for him this year, but he's grown another 2 inches and gone up another shoe size over the summer. So needed a whole new wardrobe. Luckily he's happy with primark clothes!

Oh and being married would have made fuck all difference. If anything I'd have have worse off because the savings we lived on when I was a newly single parent would have gone on a divorce instead.
Ex would still have gone on to have 3 more dc and avoided paying cms.

@linelgreen - to answer for myself - why did I need the extra £20? Because I was not getting enough to cover my basic outgoings. This £80 odd quid helped. Over this time my utilities have gone up £40 per month and groceries have become more expensive so I need it now more than ever.

I'm going to miss the extra £20. And this is because I work in the community in support services. So I put the extra £20 in my petrol tank as we're busier than ever. Problem is, were still as busy as ever and now I don't have the extra £20 fuel needed to do my job. And even though I get fuel expenses back the following month it's less than the cost of the petrol I actually use. So I'm always at a loss petrol wise and my wage hasn't gone up.

Ah well, it is what it is. Good job I now have to pay more NI to pay for myself to do my job that is costing more and more in petrol and my UC has gone down.

The irony isn't lost on me 😂 I'm robbing Peter to pay Paul. Problem is I'm Peter and Paul and still not breaking even. 🤦🏻‍♀️

@Gothichouse40

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.

The trouble is I already use a food bank and the only thing I can cut down on is food and try to use less gas/electricity. I have no unused subscriptions (well, I have no subscriptions atall), no phone or TV packages (£10 per month bundle PAYG phone) and no hobbies. I'm unable to work, unfortunately and already cook from scratch. I will be losing the £80 per month and my utilities has also gone up by £40 so I will need to cut £30 per week and try to use less gas/electric so the utility company agree to put my payment down. Obviously we're not using central heating right now so not sure how we can cut back really. But will just have to try and cope without much heating this winter. But for the mean time I'll need to cut £30 off my grocery money. This will bring me down to £30 per week for me, my teen and 9 yo. It's going to be tough.

@cadburyegg

Can I just add also that using a food bank is supposed to be a temporary measure - like if you are between paydays or there is a delay with your benefits coming through - it's not intended to be a long term solution. From memory, the food bank here only gives away a couple of days' food at a time.

Some food banks are the 'emergency' kind that you are meant to only access 3x per year (but in reality you can be referred more often) - they give you 3 days worth of food. There are also 'regular' food banks where you get a smaller amount of food but can go weekly.