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.

I’m left with about the same amount as you after paying rent OP. It’s a struggle (can’t afford a car) but I would never expect, or indeed accept, monetary help from my family. You sound very entitled.

YABU - it's not upto others to subsidize your lifestyle

Have you considered working from home in some kind of admin role? Even part time? Where I work even the entry-level customer service people work from home and the most junior ones just sort through emails and provide template responses thanking people for their email and giving an estimate of when a full reply can be expected. No experience required. It seems you have the skills to be able to do this if you can post here. That would certainly help your financial situation.

Assessment rate? Do you mean assessment period?

You said you get 270 UC and 240 PIP a month, but do you mean 270 UC after you've paid rent? I think you need to see citizens advice in any case.

Obviously you are finding things hard but it must be difficult for your brother and wife (and kids?) to be lending you money.

What is an "Assessment Rate"?

Is your whole family in receipt of benefits? Does anyone work?

What anyone 'receives' is irrelevant without knowing how much rent they also pay, and if they have dc to pay for.

You can’t afford the car. Stop asking your brother and his wife for money, it’s not fair to put them in that position.

I'm.not sure what your aibu though?

@Mellowyellow222

Is your whole family in receipt of benefits? Does anyone work?

That's not fair.

UC is paid to people who are working, but are on low wages. Receiving UC does not mean the claimant is not working.

The OP hasn’t come back so it might be that all the family are on benefits or not. We just don’t know.

They aren't on high incomes themselves!

Certainly not enough to support a second household, sorry.

He shouldn't have snapped at you hut he's probably stressed at the thought of having to say no to you

It's not up to your family to support you as a grown adult. If you can't afford it, drop the car, and try and get some kind of home work if you can go up your income.

YABU. It's not their responsibility to support you.

@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.

YABU.

Your brother and parents do not have to help you with anything. If your brother has castigated you, then it sounds like he has had enough of you expecting money and food of him all the time. It also sounds like there is a lot you are not telling us. There has to be some huge back story to this.

If you get awarded LCWRA, you will get a sum of backdated pay. Would you be offering it to your parents/brother to pay them back?

YABVU.

Even if you need transport would occasional taxis rather than a monthly cost of a car work our cheaper?

I was thinking the same.
My DD uses taxis a lot and it works out far cheaper than running a car.

What foods are you given and what don’t you like

Your family don’t have to help you tho obv if they can it’s nice if they do

But their income whether benefits or salary isn’t that much for 2 people with prob rent bills etx

@Soresoresore

Even if you need transport would occasional taxis rather than a monthly cost of a car work our cheaper?

I was thinking the same.
My DD uses taxis a lot and it works out far cheaper than running a car.

Irrelevant as OP probably has at least 3 years on lease. It's a contract with notability you can't just hand back

All those commenting that people shouldnt be allowed preferences if they have to use the food banks, have you seen some of the shit that’s donated? We had to have a parcel from the council during the first lockdown because we couldn’t go out and quite literally I’d run out of food. I donated it all straight back again because frankly id have rather starved.

+1 for there must be more to this than meets the eye. I never think of myself as "receiving" my salary - I earn it. I don't know why you'd think of them as "receiving" their monthly income.

But now I've said that, I'm not sure there's any difference in whether they get money via jobs or benefits in relation to to your question which is whether you are BU by asking them for money.

To me, it depends. If you aren't able to get a job and you are doing everything you can, then yes your parents would BU not to help you. Your DB is a bit different = it's nice of him to help when/if he can.

Also +1 for wondering where you live (how you pay rent I mean), as well as why you talk about them as receiving money.

Hope the OP does come back. If not, I find this post a bit fishy.

@Mellowyellow222

You know many UC recipients work right?

I do.

UC is a top up which means I can pay rent, council tax, gas, electric, petrol (so I can do my job) etc…you know, the boring stuff we all have to pay.

@Nothappyatwork

All those commenting that people shouldnt be allowed preferences if they have to use the food banks, have you seen some of the shit that’s donated? We had to have a parcel from the council during the first lockdown because we couldn’t go out and quite literally I’d run out of food. I donated it all straight back again because frankly id have rather starved.

What on earth was in there then that you'd rather have starved?

Will people stop telling the OP to give up her motability car.

You need to have very severely impaired mobility to qualify for one and it is literally a lifeline to be able to interact with the world. Disabled people deserve to be able to travel to appointments, meet friends, go shopping, take part in leisure activities.

Taxis are expensive, the last time I had to use one it cost me £17 to travel about 10 miles. Other forms of public transport may be impossible to use, either because they are inaccessible or the fact that you need to be able to walk to the bus stop/ train station and to your destination at the other end.

Not nearly enough information OP.