Family on 'Saving money at Christmas' nearly 4k a month and UC?

[clockingoffcloud]

Did I mishear? Had it on in the background, both parents working, their current income was not much under 4k a month and they are getting universal credit, and moaning only have £50 left after paying everything.... wtf?!

Yes IABU if I should not be shocked at how much they earn AND claim benefits

They had four children (3 DD and 1 DS) and their income was £3200 including benefits.

They had to leave their home because landlord wanted to sell it and had to move to a smaller home which was considerably more rent.

No comment on whether any of the children had any kind of disabilities or SEN.

A tiny 3 bed semi where I live (SE but over an hour from London) would cost approx £1750 a month to rent, so you can see where the money goes.

[quote Merryoldgoat]@LuneyTunes

2 x full time wages taking home £2k total? That’s £13k a year each which is £7.14 ph for a 35 week.

Minimum wage for 35 hours per week is £15870 and therefore £2400 a month.

It’s low, it’s shit, but it’s not ‘less than half’ that.[/quote]
Thanks for the math, but self-employment

My childcare used to be my entire wage plus some of dh

Were these your children from a previous relationship? If not, how was it your income that was being eaten up by childcare?

3 bedroom rental in the area of SE I am in currently 3 on the market between £1600 a month to £1995

@RussianSpy101

2 full time wages coming to less than 4K isn’t good. If they need the top ups then they need them.

LOL behave.

Our income was less than that when we were young and first had kids. Living in London and the only benefits we received were child benefit.

Median pay in UK is just over £31k

I thought median pay was less than that?

And our income is less than that on two full-time wages, and we are not young.

YABU to start a thread with half-arsed 'facts'

It's really NOT a high income in the south east. I live in a town outside london. Very few people with children have a household income under about 70k, and those who are between 70 & 100k are hard up.

Basically you need 2500-3000 to cover rent and childcare here. At least 4000 if you add basic food, council tax, utilities, a basic internet connection and public transport to work. So 48k a year just to survive, that won't pay for school uniforms, presents, holidays, occasional treats, haircuts, having savings for emergencies, kids or adults hobbies.

And that's after tax, so people need to be earning probably more like 60-70k. To survive.

I was surprised median pay was so high, I thought it was about £29k, I just googled it and it was from ONS

Median pay in the UK is skewed by lower wages & costs in the north and Scotland. It's also impacted by young childfree workers on lower pay. Its not reflective of what families in the south east tend to earn.

@RussianSpy101

2 full time wages coming to less than 4K isn’t good. If they need the top ups then they need them.

Looooool

@DeepaBeesKit that is where some of my family live. They are on a loooott less than you quote.
Most people are in a bubble and mix largely with people earning the same.
Median pay is increased because it is based on people on full-time pay. It cuts out everyone part-time, and all those "self-employed" people who are lower earners.

@Nasturs

My childcare used to be my entire wage plus some of dh

Were these your children from a previous relationship? If not, how was it your income that was being eaten up by childcare?

What that poster means is that the amount THE FAMILY paid for childcare was more than the smallest wage earner took home. The PP isn't suggesting that they paid it out of that. Why don't people on Mumsnet understand that?

Julieca the south east is a big place.

It doesnt change that property is very very expensive in many places, as is childcare.

If the median is £31.7k per ONS, and this couple are on something similar and you are on something markedly lower, I'm sorry to say they are not on a high income, they are on an average income. An income well below the median is a low income.

@DeepaBeesKit so no one in the south east has children and works in a shop, or as a receptionist, or a teacher or does any of the hundreds of jobs that pay under £35k? That's such a ridiculous statement

Also your relatives in the south east may earn less but receive significant amounts of UC, particularly the housing element. Because UC is not taxable it equates to much higher earned income.

Many teachers in the south east with children will be experienced and on upper pay scales. My sibling & their partner are both teachers and both earn over 40k.

Of course many people do these roles. But many have a higher earning partner so their household income is not low, also the south east has long relied on young childfree migrants from the EU in the retail and hospitality sectors where wages are low.

@DeepaBeesKit you are wrong. Median HOUSEHOLd income is much lower at £29,900. So this couple are much better off than average.

The point is while there are pockets of cheaper areas where it's possible to manage on less, there are many, many people in the south east earning far more than this, who would not consider 4k a month a high income post tax, with childcare to pay.

@DeepaBeesKit

Also your relatives in the south east may earn less but receive significant amounts of UC, particularly the housing element. Because UC is not taxable it equates to much higher earned income.

No they have a mortgage, so no UC rent.

www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/annualsurveyofhoursandearnings/2021

Median weekly pay for full time employees is £611. X52 = 31.7k pa. That's not household, that's a single full time employee.

@DeepaBeesKit lots of well off people think they are on a low income. There is a difference between perception and fact though.