Claiming Universal Credit, DB says I'm well off.

[Aphrael]

I've been claiming Universal Credit since September, it's currently at the "Assessment Rate" of £270 per month while I'm waiting for a Work Capability Assessment to determine I'm unfit to work. I've been cleaning PIP for a few years now and I have a Motability car. My payment after this deduction is £240 per month.

So overall I receive £510 and have to pay everything like electric, gas, phone/broadband, Council Taxx2, fuel for the car before I even consider shopping and I am struggling and having to rely on the local Food Bank, although I dislike some of the items they provide.

I sometimes have asked my parents/brother for money - for context my parents receive £2,200 per month and my brother & wife receive £1,750 per month.

While my brother has been willing to provide money and/or food last night he castigated me for being greedy, selfish and behaving in an unacceptable manner. Any advice also would be great.

AIBU - They don't have to support me and don't have to supply anything.
AINBI - Supporting me is a great thing to do as I am really struggling at the moment on the assessment rate.

Perhaps he is tired of you expecting money off him?

It's not an assessment rate of Uc you are getting, it is the standard element that everyone gets. If after being assessed for work capability you are awarded Limited capability for work and work related activity ( LCWRA ) you will get an extra £354 per month on your UC and this will be paid from the fourth month after you started handing in sick notes. How much do you use the car ? You can always revert to getting the mobility payments instead which would be an extra £240 + pounds a month.

@Nothappyatwork You literally only get council tax benefit if you have zero income by that they mean literally on unemployment benefit it depends on your applicable amount, you can earn 30k and get ctc if you you have several disabled children for example.

*CTS

Have you made a claim for council tax support as you would have little to pay with being disabled and having no income.

I suspect that the use of the term 'receive' for OP's relatives, indicates that they are too are in receipt of benefits too? OP sounds as if they're hacked off that their relatives receive more than them, and expect regular top ups?

That's not always true. My sister in law receives benefits and a private pension of over £300 per month and she gets full council tax benefit. She is eligible for the full amount because she is disabled and receives a component in her Universal Credit that means she is allowed extra income. The would also apply to the OP is she receives certain "gateway" disability benefits. The rent on her flat is fully covered too because of the disability component.

I can't see what's wrong with not really liking some of the food from the foodbank. Living on basics is just another depressing thing to add to everything else.

I'll reserve judgment on the rest of it for the time being.

Your not tied into a mobility car it can go back anytime just simply say it does meet your needs anymore. Pretty simple.

If your struggling to put food on the table, yet paying out for a car they would be more than happy to take the car back.

Fucking hell. The OP is disabled. Enough to be receiving PIp and a motability car - which means her mobility is seriously limited. And people are questioning if she really needs the car? What you’re really saying is people with disabilities shouldn’t have any quality of life whatsoever and should be grateful to sit at home and live off food she dislikes from food banks.

Some people really need to check their privilege.

You are not well off at the moment as PIP is meant to be money to pay for the extra costs of a disability, so taking that out of the equation you have £270 a month to live off. However if/ when you are awarded LCWRA you will be significantly better off.

I think some of your language is confused. There is no assessment rate of UC

@howtomoveforwards

Fucking hell. The OP is disabled. Enough to be receiving PIp and a motability car - which means her mobility is seriously limited. And people are questioning if she really needs the car? What you’re really saying is people with disabilities shouldn’t have any quality of life whatsoever and should be grateful to sit at home and live off food she dislikes from food banks.

Some people really need to check their privilege.

People are just suggesting that the money may be more useful when things are so tight. Once op gets the LCWRA element of Uc added ( assuming she does) then she will be significantly better off and hopefully be able to have enough money to enjoy the car and to live off.

£500 after rent is about average for most households. So you are not well off but you aren’t skint either.

I don’t see anything wrong with asking to borrow money but you can’t expect it and it definitely shouldn’t be a regular thing.

If you don’t work is there a reason you need a car?
That would be one expense I’d be getting rid of ASAP.

Do you have DCs?

@WonderfulYou

£500 after rent is about average for most households. So you are not well off but you aren’t skint either.

I don’t see anything wrong with asking to borrow money but you can’t expect it and it definitely shouldn’t be a regular thing.

If you don’t work is there a reason you need a car?
That would be one expense I’d be getting rid of ASAP.

Do you have DCs?

PIP should not be counted as money to live off. It is not an income replacement benefit, it is extra money to pay for the extra costs that disabled people face like extra heating, therapies, equipment, even electric wheelchairs which people have to buy themselves.

Does anyone work?

YABU. They don’t have to give you anything and it’s not their responsibility. I get things are hard but your family sound like pretty low earners too tbh. I’d look into other means of getting support and get job hunting ASAP.

It looks like no one is really 'comfortable' on those salaries. If he's frequently giving you money out of what he 'receives', then he's not going to be that much better off. He shouldn't be rude about it though.

Do you mean that's their salaries or are you all on UC/other benefits?

@ExplodingElephants

YABU. They don’t have to give you anything and it’s not their responsibility. I get things are hard but your family sound like pretty low earners too tbh. I’d look into other means of getting support and get job hunting ASAP.

Op is being assessed for fitness to work and is presumably signed off as she is severely disabled ? Presumably she is therefore not going to be job hunting asap !

Such an obvious reverse

Are all of your family claiming benefits? I sounds that way.

An occasional request during a particularly difficult month, fair enough. However, it sounds like you expect regular help.

You don’t mention children. Do you only have yourself to support?

They receive money?

Yabu. No one HAS to support you. It’s sad that you are struggling but it’s not on anyone else to bail you out.

Btw you are really rubbish at writing reverses.

Are they also on benefits?

@Aphrael are you coming back?