AIBU to be fucked off with this

[Bintymcbintface]

I am a single parent to 1 and work part time whilst trying to increase my contracted hours to earn more and not be struggling. I do receive tax credits and housing benefit but not the max amounts, part of trying to move to more FT hours is so I don't have to claim anything. Coming up to Christmas I did some overtime and my housing benefit got cut drastically working out I'm about £170 a month down, this is being rectified as I was able to show the increased earnings over December were a one off and not a reflection of my usual take home pay.

Anyways, my dsis works part time, lives with full time working boyfriend and in all their combined earnings are perhaps 4 times mine. She casually mentioned that they'd applied for UC "just to see and boost their money". The application was accepted and now they're getting 80% of their rent paid and more money on top.

I know it isn't their fault they were awarded it but I can't help but feel really fucking annoyed by this. I did a tiny bit of OT and ended up properly screwed, they earn way more than I do, applied for a benefit they didn't need to boost savings and are pretty much getting everything handed to them and have bought a new car and are booking holidays... How is this right or fair?

I can't apply for UC as the legacy payments would stop and I can't afford to be down for 5 weeks, besides I don't want to, I want to honestly earn my way and want to get off benefits.

YABU - fair play to them
YANBU - It isn't fair

@HailAdrian

It is a weird system, my friend works less than 30hrs a week, often doesn't at all due to childcare issues but gets pretty much everything paid for with money left over. Yes it does feel unfair and yes, I do like my friend.

If she doesn’t submit invoices from an ofsted registered provider She will get squat all back

@Skiornottoski. You sound so jealous and bitter. Get over it 🥰

About what?

Your friend will simply not be receiving all the benefits you listed on £38k a year. Fact.

And no one can get reimbursed for childcare without submitting paid invoices from an ofsted childcare provider. Fact.

The stories re…. My friend lives in a mansion and claims benefits are laughable

I volunteer for Citizens advice
And it’s so frustrating the urban legends that circulate on such threads

@Skiornottoski. Calm down dear and don’t be so dismissive. Is it because you and your husband work your backsides off and get nothing?

@Skiornottoski

I volunteer for Citizens advice And it’s so frustrating the urban legends that circulate on such threads

Of course you do 😆

I haven't made anything up, I have no need to. I am not begrudging anyone claiming. I am going by what I was told, which she volunteered off her own bat I didn't ask. She told me what she was getting and then she got a new car and has been visiting travel agents etc

Anyone coming on here

1. Childcare cannot be reimbursed under UC unless paid for invoices are submitted from an ofsted registered providers. So anyone who says they claim for their mum / auntie / grandma looking after their children - lying. Unless ofsted registered!

And anyone saying they don’t use pay childcare but still claim and receive is lying unless they are creating false invoices and fraudulently using the ofsted registered number of a provider

@Bintymcbintface

I haven't made anything up, I have no need to. I am not begrudging anyone claiming. I am going by what I was told, which she volunteered off her own bat I didn't ask. She told me what she was getting and then she got a new car and has been visiting travel agents etc

Unfortunately they won’t believe you on here because they’re raging they’re not entitled.

Is lying

I too feel for you. One of my closest friends chose to move from our town to London, hasn't been able to sustain the level of pay her new business was initially making so now gets over £1000 in UC.
She lives in a very expensive borough by choice, pays herself a pittance from her company and works minimal hours a week. Very clever. And very annoying!

I am entitled
And I do receive support as a single parent working part time

I’m honestly just stating the facts

@CheesePlantMurderer

I too feel for you. One of my closest friends chose to move from our town to London, hasn't been able to sustain the level of pay her new business was initially making so now gets over £1000 in UC. She lives in a very expensive borough by choice, pays herself a pittance from her company and works minimal hours a week. Very clever. And very annoying!

These people who did these got a shock during covid. The government paid self employed according to what they’d submitted as paying themselves previously So those who had been paying themselves pittance We’re caught short!!

Rather than lamenting about what someone else is or isn't getting, your best course of action is to get a full time job here. You've said your child is of an age to stay home alone, so you can work full time. I'd concentrate on that. There's plenty out there.

A couple of things you've touched on but haven't highlighted - your ds is actually doing a great thing with the tag team childcare for a younger child, good for them. Their rent is cheaper so presumably their house isn't as nice as yours?

They've only been tag teaming for a while, I was used for childcare before then and it was only when my parents stepped in and said that they were putting on others too much that my sister moved to evening work. I think my house is nicer but theirs is bigger with more outside space not that that makes a difference really. I'm aware I sound mean and bitter but as I said, I tried to earn more and got stung badly, they earn way more than me combined and get all that. As said in my other posts I am trying to move into full time work, looking for other places as well as arranging a meeting with my own manager to try and up my contract as why not start where you already are first and have been for a good while

When you apply for UC you can request a advance payment - I had the same concerns - but received a payment on the same day within 2 hours of application.

@girlmom21

OP who told you how much her boyfriend earns? Have you thought maybe they're exaggerating?

You said he has another child so bear in mind he's paying out child maintenance there too. That will have been included in the calculations.

Child maintenance payments are not included in a Uc calculation at all. either whether you receive them or pay them out for a child not living with you.

Shockingly, I have just done a universal credit calculator. I'm subject to the two child rule and we have a household income of over £80k and could earn significantly more, I just like working part time. We have childcare costs of £1400 pm. We own are own mortgaged home. We are apparently entitled to £50 per week.

I won't be claiming it and am pretty shocked that we qualify at all.

@bracebrace

Shockingly, I have just done a universal credit calculator. I'm subject to the two child rule and we have a household income of over £80k and could earn significantly more, I just like working part time. We have childcare costs of £1400 pm. We own are own mortgaged home. We are apparently entitled to £50 per week.

I won't be claiming it and am pretty shocked that we qualify at all.

Sorry I do not think you have done the calculator correctly. Even with high childcare.

If she doesn’t submit invoices from an ofsted registered provider
She will get squat all back

Sorry, I wasn't clear here, she relies heavily on family for childcare and when they are unavailable, she can't work.

It says our maximum uc is £602 per week. That our post tax weekly income is £1132 which is about right (one c 50k and one c 30k after pension deductions). And we are apparently due £50.73 a week. I actually hope I have done something wrong.

@bracebrace

Shockingly, I have just done a universal credit calculator. I'm subject to the two child rule and we have a household income of over £80k and could earn significantly more, I just like working part time. We have childcare costs of £1400 pm. We own are own mortgaged home. We are apparently entitled to £50 per week.

I won't be claiming it and am pretty shocked that we qualify at all.

So you don’t claim child benefit? Because that figure will include CB

@bracebrace

How many children do you have?

For 2 children - £21.15 a week eldest £14 thereafter
That’s a week

Just randomly came across you @bracebraceon another thread yesterday
You have 5 children!!

@bracebrace

It says our maximum uc is £602 per week. That our post tax weekly income is £1132 which is about right (one c 50k and one c 30k after pension deductions). And we are apparently due £50.73 a week. I actually hope I have done something wrong.

I guess maybe it's correct if you pay a lot of childcare as you can claim for more than 2 kids for childcare.