Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

233 replies

Aphrael · 17/04/2022 14:07

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.

OP posts:
Mickarooni · 17/04/2022 19:15

Assume this is a reverse.

howtomoveforwards · 17/04/2022 19:17

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

What on earth has the OP's work status got to do with you and your friends? Do you want her to explain her condition in detail so you can decide whether or not she is deserving of benefits?

It is a very sad state of affairs when the terminally ill are working rather than making the most of the lives they have left. Does it occur to you that might be as a result of how the current government treats people with serious illness and disability? That they might not have any choice but to work till they die?

drpet49 · 17/04/2022 19:19

* It is a very sad state of affairs when the terminally ill are working rather than making the most of the lives they have left.*

^Not when their beneficiary will receive their death in service payment. I would do the same too.

Sushi7 · 17/04/2022 19:24

@Hospedia

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.

Yes I agree that we need to keep hybrid/remote working! If this option is available now then it shows that it should always be an option.
Sushi7 · 17/04/2022 19:28

@howtomoveforwards It is a very sad state of affairs when the terminally ill are working rather than making the most of the lives they have left.

They work part time and they’re in their dream careers. It gives them a “distraction” and something to break up their day. I’m happy for them even though I’m distraught about their illnesses x

Butfirstcoffees · 17/04/2022 19:31

Don't know how anyone can say op is orbisnt unreasonable since they haven't given hardly any info or come back.

The dbro said the ops attitude was bad. The opening posts seems to suggest their attitude towards their family is poor. It drips in enough info to get people seething. Fails to mention their living situation, despite it appearing they live with someone else so has, probably, got more income than stated above.

Then fucks off and doesn't come back. I can't see how anyone has made their mind up.

Organictangerine · 17/04/2022 19:44

@Bagelsandbrie

Why do you have some expectation that your family need to support you? All seems very odd.
This. You sounds like you think everyone owes you everything. 1750 is naff all for a couple paying rent or mortgage, food, bills, car. Why do you feel they should be handing money over to you on a regular basis?
Belledan1 · 17/04/2022 20:48

Thought the OP might have posted answers by now.

Hercisback · 17/04/2022 20:53

Nowhere near enough information to properly comment.

To an outsider your disposable income could be considered high. However you have a lot of outgoings. It's unreasonable to expect your family to support you.

bg21 · 17/04/2022 21:00

@Gingerkittykat

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.

that's incorrect actually , I know a few people that qualify for mobility cars and they still work aswell
Bagelsandbrie · 17/04/2022 21:04

Well yes to qualify for motability you need to have the enhanced mobility component of PIP, nothing to do with whether someone works or not - PIP is not means tested and you can still work full time (as long as whatever you’re doing doesn’t contradict whatever you’ve written about on your form) and claim Pip. Not sure what that’s got to do with anything however….

Thoosa · 17/04/2022 21:08

bg21

Gingerkittykat
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.

that's incorrect actually , I know a few people that qualify for mobility cars and they still work aswell

So what did @Gingerkittykat say there that is “incorrect”? Confused

She didn’t mention work status.

She just said that your mobility has to be severely impaired to qualify for the Motability scheme (which is just a very large car leasing scheme with a small discount negotiated due to the size of the lease fleet, and with RAC cover thrown in).

Some people use their Motability cars for healthcare & leisure. Some also use them for work.

Thoosa · 17/04/2022 21:11

Anyway, the point is she can’t just hand back a car on a motability lease mid-contract. So that’s not an option.

I can’t quite make out what she’s saying about her UC level but if she isn’t coming back nobody will be able to advise.

caringcarer · 17/04/2022 21:44

I think OP has not come back because she wanted to hear her brother should give her more cash.

Branleuse · 17/04/2022 22:54

I dont think you can realistically expect your brother to give you money, he clearly is getting annoyed by it.
How long are you tied to the car for? I didnt realise they deducted so much for it.
Are you sure youre getting everything youre entitled to? Hopefully if youre getting an assessment rate of UC it might go up and you get a backpayment. When do u think youre likely to hear by?

anotheronenow · 18/04/2022 00:38

OP post and run... Disappointing!

KalvinPhillipsManBun · 18/04/2022 00:47

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Boredoutmymind · 18/04/2022 02:16

you should be able to get a 25% discount on council tax if living alone and if you are on low income you can get council tax relief which might mean you don't have to pay it. They should be able to back date it too.

have a look at the olio app people give away free food.
Supermarket reductions normally between 6-7pm at silly prices.

People asking if you can return the car. - its very unlikely you can return without a penalty.
Also they may need the car as other modes of transport are not reliable.

Boredoutmymind · 18/04/2022 02:18

@KalvinPhillipsManBun

You are a scrounger OP, what a sense of entitlement you have
That is a very horrible thing to say. The OP is disabled and can't work because of disability.
isee20 · 18/04/2022 02:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Butfirstcoffees · 18/04/2022 05:55

That is a very horrible thing to say. The OP is disabled and can't work because of disability.

We have no clue if that's why the op isnt working. She has been claiming pip for years.

I think the poster was talking about the clear entitlement has around her family having to give her money. Op other posts also read like she doesn't live alone. So either there's more income or she is supporting someone else....thay someone else should be at least claiming benefits. Rather than her family, giving them money.

luandacool · 18/04/2022 07:16

Supermarket reductions normally between 6-7pm at silly prices.

Sorry but that's bollocks.

I've got about 3 large supermarkets near me. None of them sell reduced food at 6-7pm, or anytime, for 'silly prices'

HulaTallulah · 18/04/2022 07:17

You sound very entitled, why not take responsibility and improve your life instead of expecting others to pay for you?

Allergictoironing · 18/04/2022 07:54

Entitled to zero, not a great surprise. If I had kids or high rent then I'm sure it would be different.

Same with me. You get zero benefits if you are single, have any income at all, and don't have kids.
If you have a mortgage rather than rent your home, you get no help at all even with the interest payments - even if the interest only is significantly lower than renting would be.
If you have income over about £350 a month (e.g. pension) you can't get a penny if you are unemployed.
You CAN get a council tax reduction, but you still need to pay some towards it.

I did the benefits calculator thing when I literally had £500 a month to live on including mortgage (interest only obvs), bills, council tax, food, transport, phone etc - obviously I was eating away at rather paltry savings & getting in to debt just to survive. It came up as not entitled to a single penny.

Allergictoironing · 18/04/2022 08:02

Oh meant to add - I had to run my car off that (mobility issues, but just not QUITE bad enough to get any help). Meanwhile job hunting, which means more transport costs. With a mortgage you are responsible for the house insurance, which you don't have when renting.

OP is an awful lot better off than I was then, though my DSis did occasionally pick me up a "care package" of necessities without being asked like cupboard food, shampoo, cleaning products.