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.

@drpaddington

I wonder if I have higher pension contributions or tax rate than your partner? Plus the student loan ...

@Funnylittlefloozie

Holy fuck - I've been a single parent for 6 years, earn just over half what the OP earns, and always assumed i wouldn't get any help because my income was too high! I am amazed at this.

I get just over 30k and my housing allowance was £1 a fortnight, it's the only benefit bar child benefit I was entitled to (in a London borough too so housing was high) The online calculators aren't always correct.

"Most families" might not have studied and worked their arse off for over a decade to be professionally where they are, making multiple sacrifices along the way. Sorry but your comment has infuriated me.

Right, but that’s not a factor in whether someone is entitled to benefits, is it?

I’m surprised that someone on such a high salary would be entitled to so much support from the government, but if they have deemed it necessary, I guess that’s that.

@littlenickyy61 that is incorrect. They deduct £293 if you rent and have children/a disability/another qualifying factor or £515 if you have a mortgage because you don’t get the housing element then.

It’s not a one size fits all model, everyone’s entitlement is based on their individual circumstance

Ah thanks hadn't seen the screenshot. Just going by his latest payslip- tax and NI are very similar amounts to yours, pension he pays around £100 less than you. No student loan. So that's around £300 difference explained. Take home was £2500 ish.

This might be helpful OP.
It’s really confusing. I think sadly £500 per month is unlikely but you will get child benefit of around £140. Wishing you the best

Apologies - the link might have helped

www.which.co.uk/money/tax/tax-credits-and-benefits/universal-credit/how-universal-credit-is-calculated-acrr84l2ckrv

@drpaddington

Ah thanks hadn't seen the screenshot. Just going by his latest payslip- tax and NI are very similar amounts to yours, pension he pays around £100 less than you. No student loan. So that's around £300 difference explained. Take home was £2500 ish.

Ah that explains it. Pension is a fixed amount of 9.3%, I have no choice about the amount I pay.

@GinUnicorn thank you

@Autumndays123 you can think whatever you like about what I knew and didn't know. I have been able to explain in detail about the loophole because I have become aware of it myself recently. In any case, it's utterly irrelevant to my question and original post.

If you google Uceplus that website it accurate for Uc calculations.

But I don’t think you’d be entitled to a lot
You get about 300 single persons element, around 250 for each child (all approx) and then whatever your LHA is (so if they say you’re entitled to a 2 bed. Google your councils LHA rate and it should tell you the right amount)

BUT they then take 63p per pound of what you earn off of the UC total, they disregard the first £293 in your case but with your wage that’s about 1400 they would take off.
I can help if you PM me

UC case manager here

Assuming you will get the full 800 rent then my calculations say that you will be entitled to £115.41 plus up to £646.35 in childcare. So a maximum of £764.28

However that relies on your LHA rate coving all of your rent, which if you are not I the south east it probably won't and I will have calculated too much

The rates are here www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-local-housing-allowance-rates-2021-to-2022

If you let me know which area you are in I can do a more accurate calculation

You qualify for category C, 2 beds as you have 2 children of the same gender, however when the oldest turn 16 you will be entitled to 3 which can't be that far away so may be worth hanging on to the place you are in until the UC increases when that happens

£935 seems very high for your outgoings which don't include child care, rent, student loan etc.

I think you could probably cut down on them but you haven't had to budget before [not being rude, just guessing by some things you've said] so you don't know how to start.

Have a look on Martin Lewis Money Savings Expert website. Plenty of advice on there .

[quote Lulu2021]@Autumndays123 you can think whatever you like about what I knew and didn't know. I have been able to explain in detail about the loophole because I have become aware of it myself recently. In any case, it's utterly irrelevant to my question and original post. [/quote]
Irrelevant perhaps but I think you should take the time to reflect on the situation you find yourself in. Many life lessons to be learned I think.

@Musereader

UC case manager here

Assuming you will get the full 800 rent then my calculations say that you will be entitled to £115.41 plus up to £646.35 in childcare. So a maximum of £764.28

However that relies on your LHA rate coving all of your rent, which if you are not I the south east it probably won't and I will have calculated too much

The rates are here www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-local-housing-allowance-rates-2021-to-2022

If you let me know which area you are in I can do a more accurate calculation

You qualify for category C, 2 beds as you have 2 children of the same gender, however when the oldest turn 16 you will be entitled to 3 which can't be that far away so may be worth hanging on to the place you are in until the UC increases when that happens

Read this OP PM with your area And then hide this thread

@Autumndays123

Well I'm pleased you've always made perfect life decisions and never fucked up. Well done you.

Now back to the helpful posters please ...

if your earning £47k a year then net monthly is £2968

subtract £700 for childcare and £800 for rent, you're left with £1468

subtract the £935 leave £533

Single adult: 324.84
2 children: 519.58
85% of childcare: 595
2 bedroom lha rate: 378,95

Total entitlement: £1818.37

Less deductions, take home pay (not including student loan) £2719 - 293 work allowance= 2426 x 0.63 = 1528.63

1818.37-1528.63= £289.99 UC payment

This is assuming take home pay and childcare are the same every month. You have to pay for childcare upfront and then claim it back- only the dates of childcare used in your assessment period will be paid in the following months payment

@Autumndays123

You know what. It fucking enrages me too, when Internet strangers judge others who they know precisely fuck all about.

I will say this one last time.

I did not know the amount he was paying for his other child. I have never been privy to this information. I found this out recently. I have no clue what goes in and out of his account each month. He transfers a set amount to me for bills etc and that's that. I wouldn't have a clue what else he spends his money on (until recently).

What other clues did I have that he was a "deadbeat" dad? He sees his other child, he's good to them etc. I had NO idea.

So take your sneery "karma is a bitch" comments and shove them.

@ivykaty44

if your earning £47k a year then net monthly is £2968

subtract £700 for childcare and £800 for rent, you're left with £1468

subtract the £935 leave £533

Minus the student loan of £204

Lowest 2 bed rate is Durham at 379.99 and highest is inner North London at £1,589.99, it does vary massively which is why we cannot give an accurate calculation until we know the area or the rate