To ask you to help me work this out?

[Lulu2021]

My head is a mess as I'm going through some relationship difficulties with a young baby and I'm trying to make sense of my entitlement to financial help.

I've done a UC calculation a few times but it comes out with an amount that i think is an overestimate.

My details are;

• FT salary of £47,126, net monthly income £2,516 after deductions.
• 2 DC (ages 15 years and 6 months) - no childcare costs for eldest, costs of £700 pm for youngest when I go back to work from mat leave.
• child maintenance of £120 pm for the eldest child only.
• private rented property
• no other benefits claimed
• no significant savings

It's telling me I'd be entitled to in the region of £650 pm as a single parent. Does this sound right? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[quote drpaddington]@FWBNC her outgoings (aside from things like rent and childcare) make no difference! If she's entitled to UC, she's entitled to it. I can see some people don't like that, but they need to blame the system, not the OP! She didn't make the rules. [/quote]
This with bells on!

@Reallyimeanreally2022

I'll be honest at this point it's just entertainment. Baby is sleeping and I'm bored 😂

[quote PicturesOfLily]@FWBNC I can’t believe you are criticising op paying into a pension scheme! It is completely different to having savings. She rents so no housing security (& very little chance of saving a deposit in the next few years). If she were to opt out now, she’d not only miss out on employer contributions but also really struggle to make up her own contributions before retirement when it’s massively more expensive. Paying into her pension now is safeguarding against future poverty and/or needing to claim a damn sight more in the future. How many posts do we see on here about making sure you have adequate pension provision?!

Best of luck op. I certainly don’t begrudge you a little help for a couple of years so you can keep working and look after your girls. I’m disappointed that so many do.[/quote]

Yes being criticised for having a pension is a new one! 😂

Thank you - shame there aren't more like you

If you call your local citizens advice they have benefit advisors who will calculate exactly what you are entitled to and help you submit your claim.

I don't begrudge a single Penny to those that need it, but I'm flabbergasted that people get UC when they are on £47000
& might struggle to pay childcare because they have a lease car, £2000 beds on finance and pay into savings as priorities

Any debts the OP has appear to have been accumulated within her relationship - that includes the £2000 bed. What are her options now single? If she sells the bed, it’s not going to recoup anywhere near the cost and she would still need to buy a cheaper bed. Having a lease car if you are miles from work and need a reliable car not only to get to/from work but to also be able to reliably manage childcare is way better than taking a chance on a £1k older vehicle that will likely need constant maintenance.

Paying into savings/pension is also another life essential, particularly as a single parent because you have no one else to rely on. Periods of ill health hit very, very hard. Not having a partner into retirement makes long term savings even more important. Homeowners need to budget for new boilers, new windows, emergency repairs and general upkeep like decorating - this requires savings. Or would you prefer the OP sells up and then becomes entitled to maybe hundreds a month in universal credit?

You really need to see the bigger picture. The OP isn’t doing anything wrong. Her relationship has broken down and she is intending to work full time to support her children. What else do you think could be expected of her? Should she struggle and get further into debt rather than claim the benefits she is entitled to?

@ivykaty44

www.taxinnovations.com/specialist-tax-planning/

anybody want to get annoyed at these types of companies that specialise in making sure tax can be avoided by companies?

From what I can read on that link they are offering tax planning services - the corporate equivalent of paying into an ISA or a pension. Nothing wrong with that - tax planning is by definition aligned to the intentions of Parliament. I have much more of an issue with tax evaders which cost the U.K. £35bn per year (mainly re income tax, NICs and CGT).

@Babyroobs, I will encourage my daughter and son in law to start looking into benefits asap.
Their litttle daughter turned 2 yesterday and baby expected tomorrow ! Thank you.

Ajl46 And there is nothing wrong with what the OP is doing either - it’s perfectly legal just the same

@uggmum

If you call your local citizens advice they have benefit advisors who will calculate exactly what you are entitled to and help you submit your claim.

Will be doing this tomorrow- thank you

[quote Lulu2021]@FWBNC

It's the childcare costs of £700 per month without a second income that will financially** cripple me. Not the bed, ffs. Stop deliberately missing the point and just leave the thread unless you have anything remotely constructive to add. [/quote]
You don't get to tell people to leave a thread on a public forum.

You & your partner have earned good money. It's not just A bed, it's a £2000 bed & other furniture on finance & a car. You can buy a reliable car for far less than leasing one and it doesn't need to be a 20yo heap!

You (both) chose to get into debt. Now because of that debt & because you choose to put 9.3% of your income into your pension you need state help.

You think you're better than those on a low income... it's your attitude I dislike, you feel entitled to be bailed out because you 'got degrees/worked hard' but others did not (in your opinion).

Others have said you'd be entitled to UC, but you're only entitled to it because you're paying 9.3% into your pension before your entitlement is calculated. You're choosing to do this. While having a pension is sensible, you could choose to lower it until the free childcare cuts in & up it when you're earning £53,000 (or whatever it was you said you'll be on soon)

But as I said earlier. If you're entitled to claim it, then claim it. But it would be nice if you appreciated others get by on much less than you with 2 kids etc.and work hard!

FWIW if you're now unhappy in your relationship I'm glad you're leaving & I genuinely wish you & your girls well. I hope he pays a decent amount to you towards the care of his daughter. & that you look into making him pay his share of the finance on the stuff you bought jointly, unless you want to keep it all yourself & pay the balance.

Best wishes

(Bashes head off wall...)

Again. I don't need state help because of our joint purchases. I could manage those just fine on my salary if it wasn't for extortionate childcare fees, which I was never supposed to be paying with only my income alone. That was never the plan when we planned a child. It was always supposed to be a joint expense. There is no way in hell I would have committed to a child and £700 pm childcare if I had been single with no other income. That is why I'm up shit creek. Absolutely nothing to do with the bed or other purchases. I outlined those to simply help pps understand why the rest of my outgoings amounted to what they considered to be "very high" and queried why I couldn't cut back on them.

I do not remotely think I am better than anyone else. I made the comment about working hard to be where I am in response to a poster who "hoped" I wouldn't be entitled to anything early on in the thread. It's been repeatedly taken out of that original context on this thread.

I equally dislike your attitude tbh.

@FWBNC she works in the NHS. The pension rate is 9.3% for her wage (although the threshold for the next bracket is at £47,846 so it will go up to 12.5%). She doesn't have an option to decrease it. Either pay in, or stop. She'd be crazy not to pay in to it.

@ThisMustBeMyDream

I think that poster is trying to tell me I should opt out entirely. I'm assuming that's the gist. 🙄

Definitely don't opt out! As a single person, you will need that pension more than anything.

Bloody hell op you'd think you'd asked for benefits for wine and fags rather than help with childcare the way some on here are carrying on.

For those complaining - the op will contribute more to society long term by remaining in work and seeking help with childcare for a small amount of time, if "helping those in need" is what you care about!

There seems to be a lot of jealousy on this thread.

As well as going after the financially delinquent dads that we discussed upthread, I'd also add my constant wonder that people's vitriol is never aimed at the actual people ripping the taxpayer off; namely the government back- hander paying corporations who are under-taxed by at least the equivalent of the UK's total benefits bill.

If you want to blame someone for why perfectly well paid mothers cannot afford childcare, blame these errant fathers and a government taxing people like the OP nearly £1000 a month (inc nat insurance), whilst letting big business off the tax hook. Why shouldn't she get a tax break for the couple of years necessary to pay for childcare?! And why isn't the father responsible for at least half?!

Others have said you'd be entitled to UC, but you're only entitled to it because you're paying 9.3% into your pension before your entitlement is calculated. You're choosing to do this. While having a pension is sensible, you could choose to lower it until the free childcare cuts in & up it when you're earning £53,000 (or whatever it was you said you'll be on soon)

@FWBNC

Ignore this OP.

Single female. Ramp up that pension pot.
How old are you?

And the OP has stated several times that she can't pay less into her pension without opting out altogether. How dare anyone suggest she does this!

And the OP has stated several times that she can't pay less into her pension without opting out altogether. How dare anyone suggest she does this!

Sorry, no idea why that posted twice .

Bloody hell op you'd think you'd asked for benefits for wine and fags

This made me laugh 😂

@emptyempire

Sorry, no idea why that posted twice .

It was a point worth making twice

Haha...true!

How old are you?

I'm 36.

If you have relationship difficulties but still have access to paperwork id photocopy evidence of his recent income statements.