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.

Do you mean your parents earn £2k a month or do they receive that amount in benefits? That’s an insane amount of money if that’s benefits. Loads of people earn less than £24k a year.

However, you are a grown woman and your parents and brother shouldn’t have to give you money. You sound really entitled especially as you say you don’t like going to the food bank because you don’t like the food they have. Why can’t you work? I only ask because a close family member has a terminal illness (organ failure) and my closest friend also has a terminal illness and they both work.

@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.

Assume you did stave then

As went there as had no food

Then you gave it back Again

What was in the parcel

And of course the thread has gone from advice to ableism in two short pages.

Why can’t you work? I only ask because a close family member has a terminal illness (organ failure) and my closest friend also has a terminal illness and they both work.

Good for them but different disabilities have different needs and different abilities. If OP is being assessment as unfit for work then she obviously is not capable of working right now so it's none of your husiness why she doesn't work.

In addition to this, have you seen the stats on disabled people in work? Discrimination may be illegal now bit there are ways to get around it such as simply not hiring disabled people and stating that "another candidate better fit the job profile".

There are 14.1 million disabled people in the UK, 4.4 million of them work. A disabled person is twice as likely to be longterm unemployed as a non-disabled person and is more likely to live in poverty. When asked in polls, a fair percentage of disabled people still feel that they are you fairly judged due to their disability sbd that there is still a lot of discrimination, both direct and indirect, as well as covert discrimination.

@Hospedia yes unfortunately there is a lot of discrimination. However more job sectors are becoming more inclusive disabilityjob.co.uk/

If your brother and his wife made an application to UC they might be entitled to some financial support themselves. 1700 isn't much. Housing costs alone would most likely put you as having more disposal income then theirs if it was split 50/50.

I think you should go to citizens advice and see if there's anything more you could be entitled to. And give uo your car when you can. You can't afford it.

The suggestion that the OP can work if she can post on here has left me gobsmacked.

I am also wondering if “receive” means that they earn it, or claim benefits. Either way, though, they aren’t exactly rolling in it themselves!

Yabu for expecting them to help you repeatedly. Once or twice when in dire straits, of course most loving parents would want to help. But it sounds like you’ve come to rely on your family bailing you out when they probably haven’t got much spare themselves.

However more job sectors are becoming more inclusive

Always a positive thing! I'm hoping hybrid working and fully working from home stick around long term as they have enabled a lot of disabled people to find work by removing the barrier of being 100% office-based, commuting, etc.

@NewBootsAndRanty

The suggestion that the OP can work if she can post on here has left me gobsmacked.

Me too.

YABVVU you're not a child, why would you expect your parents and brother to support you? Get rid of the car, that'll make things easier

What were you doing before September?

Is there any possibility you can return to this?

Op it does sound like you need a better plan than relying on food banks and your family for money, on top of your benefits.

I don't understand how you know exactly what their both receiving suppose I've missed the point in the thread though

Yabu, 1700 is a very low income to maintain a household on, your brother probably feels under financial strain already without maintaining you as well. (Assuming your brother is working and is responsible for own mortgage/rent, car payments etc).

Yabu. Mil seems to think she is entitled to money from us because our income in higher than hers. It's not how it works. They've no obligation to support you financially and it's totally fair if they choose not too.

YABU

Also agree that if you are not working then running a car might not be the most efficient use of your income

It’s motability, all you pay for is fuel. For us it would work out cheaper than taking our daughter places using taxis, because public transport isn’t accessible enough for us.

I do think YABVU. You are presumably an adult? It's not your brother's job to support you, especially when he and his wife are on such a low wage themselves. Your parents are not that well off either, especially if they have housing costs to pay. They could have less left per person than you after paying their rent or mortgage. This is true whether they earn their money or are receiving it as benefits or pensions.
I know you don't have a lot of money coming in, but it should be manageable with care. It's hard, but there are many people who manage on that amount, some have even less, and some of them have children to support as well as themselves. I know you will have extra costs due to your disability but it should still be do-able, (unless of course you also have more than one child to support as well as yourself? then it is understandable that you are finding it rough)
Maybe you need to seek out some budgeting advice? CAB are good, and there are other charities that can help you to help yourself through the hard times whilst you wait for your assessment.
I am very confused as to why you are paying double council tax (you say council tax x 2) . If you are a single person household, you should only pay 75% of the full amount as single person households receive a discount. If you are living with someone else, then they should be paying half of the joint bill, so you should only pay 50%, less if there's more than two adults in the house. (full time students, people with some disabilities and children don't count for council tax purposes).

@NewBootsAndRanty

The suggestion that the OP can work if she can post on here has left me gobsmacked.

Mumsnet is full of wankers.

@DragonOverTheMoon

If your brother and his wife made an application to UC they might be entitled to some financial support themselves. 1700 isn't much. Housing costs alone would most likely put you as having more disposal income then theirs if it was split 50/50.

I think you should go to citizens advice and see if there's anything more you could be entitled to. And give uo your car when you can. You can't afford it.

My net income is 1700, Single person no kids at home, full housing costs (small mortgage) South East, unlikely I'd get UC I imagine?

@WakeyCakeyHeart I'm not sure. Put it in a UC calendar and see. It's worth a shot.

[quote DragonOverTheMoon]@WakeyCakeyHeart I'm not sure. Put it in a UC calendar and see. It's worth a shot.[/quote]
Entitled to zero, not a great surprise. If I had kids or high rent then I'm sure it would be different.
I consider myself fairly ok financially as I budget Well and live well within my means.

Suspect a reverse too.