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.

@Boredoutmymind - how patronising.
Many people with disabilities, some severe, work.

Not willing to type out a long reply until the OP returns. Your brother’s income doesn’t sound very high. Maybe he can’t really afford to support you on an ongoing basis.

Interesting usage of the word ‘receive’ in the OP. Is the entire family on benefits?

@DesidaCrick

Not willing to type out a long reply until the OP returns. Your brother’s income doesn’t sound very high. Maybe he can’t really afford to support you on an ongoing basis.

Same

Waiting for op to return

This thread shows how the government has been able to cut and cut disability and sickness benefits over the last 12 years and leave people to struggle and die in ever higher nos. And get away with it.

Lots of that same attitude towards the sick and disabled on this thread and on mumsnet generally. They obviously agree with the government policy of extremely low benefit amount, no help for most in other ways, just ignore and let them die eventually (as that is what happens in far too many cases.)

YABU. You need to stand on your own two feet.

Where does your parents and brother's income come from?

[quote Sushi7]**@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[/quote]
Well id be distracted by paragliding or wild swimming in my last days if i knew in advance. And as for working for the death in service benefits stuff tgat. My company pays out upon diagnosis, i can’t imagine any wouldnt

@Nothappyatwork they’re not into extreme sports. They’ve probably got years left, but their conditions are incurable and will worsen They like working because it gives them structure to their day and a sense of normality. It helps that they enjoy what they do. It would pain them to just sit in front of the tv all day. I’m happy that they’re happy. I also have a debilitating incurable disease and work.

[quote TightPants]@Boredoutmymind - how patronising.
Many people with disabilities, some severe, work.[/quote]
Care to explain how I am patronising?
maybe you should read the OP post. They are claiming disability benefits because they cant work.
clearly you haven't read it.

Sorry I've not been back sooner, have been rather unwell with a raging infection on on antibiotics.

My parents, receiving £2,200 per month on benefits and rent fully paid.
My DB/SIL, receiving £1,750 per month on benefits, rent fully paid & Motability car.

I have shit mobility, use the car as an essential, I couldn't even go to the GP or chemist without it. Also use a wheelchair.

Receiving the top category of UC would add roughly £300 pm to my income.

Regarding some of food bank food - I have various food intolerances, coeliac disease, problems with my bile duct & digestion. It read poorly, as did most of my OP I was emotional when I wrote it. I didn't intend to diss the FB.

Even with your update they don’t have to support you. I’m guessing they all have reasons for receiving the amount they do but it doesn’t include supporting you.

I do hope that your benefits get sorted quickly and that you are able to support yourself and I’m sorry that you have been unwell.

Why do you know so much about how much your family members claim, and why does it matter? They have been awarded that much based on their circumstances. Supporting you is not one of them.

I dont think you are greedy or selfish. But I don't think your brother and parents should be expected to help you out financially on a regular basis. You need to look at your outgoings and see where cuts can be made.

I'm really sorry for the situation you're in, but it's how life is now and not likely to get better, so looking at other ways to survive really is your best bet.

Charity is never a right, always precarious, and no one is unreasonable to refuse to provide for you regardless of your situation or relationship.
The whole benefits system looks pretty precarious and unreliable too, so your families probably scared to lose any excess income they have.

You mention a second person for CT. I don't want to pry but am guessing at a now adult child with low income who isn't entitled to CT or HB, and you're helping each other, but now forced to choose between the liability for their CT or making them homeless.
If it's or similer is the case, it may well be that your family don't agree with the choices you're both making. Whoever the adult is, are they caring for you? any chance they could get carers allowance and pay their CT that way?

Talk to the GP about medications to help with bile duct/absorption issue, and if you're struggling nutritionally you may be able to get calorie and vitamin supplements on prescription.

I wouldn’t say £2200 per month plus rent paid is a low benefit amount. That’s more than I earn working full time and I have to pay my own rent out of it. Am I being left to struggle and die?

OP, if you have no other income then you shouldn't be paying any council tax yourself at all. I presume you are either living with your parents, or UC covers your rent, because you don't mention the cost of rent.

I think £510/m after housing costs is not actually that bad. It's low but it's livable.

You're under 25 so would it be possible to move in with your parents to save on council tax, electricity, etc?

It is not up to him to support you but as a brother who is better off I do not see anything wrong with him helping with food vouchers once a month or when you are stuck. Family and money do not go well together and I know if I had the means would help family out if needed it but some do not see or understand your disability and think you are loaded up on benefits. People do not understand if never had to live on the bread line. I always think of the line my mum used to say 'There for the grace of god go I'. You do sound entitled and maybe you should be more grateful to your brother and explain a small bag of food shops makes all the difference to your life. For those saying to her get rid of the car, if she is disabled this is her only means of transport and independence.

I’mnit sure why you expect your family to support you out of their income? Obviously a helping hand now and then would be nice but it sounds as if you think they somehow owe it to you. Why is that?

YABU. Your family has no responsibility to help you. They've been generous enough to help you up to now. Be grateful for that.

With council tax, what you get depends on where you live, because each council runs its own scheme. The national scheme is only for those over pension age now. Where I live, OP would have to pay 20% of her council tax as no-one gets 100% support. In the neighbouring authority, someone in the same circumstances would get 100% reduction.

I live alone and I would struggle on £510 a month. My utilities alone come to £300, and that's without insurance, which I pay annually. People with impaired mobility often have higher energy bills, because they can't move around to keep warm and sometimes have impaired circulation into the bargain.

YANBU to be struggling OP, but expecting help from your brother is a bit entitled, tbh.

Hope you get your assessment soon and that you get awarded limited capability for work related activity so your money goes up a bit.

I have £250 a month left after bills to pay for food and fuel. I work full-time and have to work extra on top of that to earn more. I don't think you are that badly off tbh. Your parents and brother are so much better off then me. It gets very annoying listening to those on benefits moan about how little they get when most of the time it is more or the same as those working fulltime and having to pay their own rent/mortgage and council tax.

That must include money towards rent, unless they have younger children living with them, and/or PIP.

The basic UC amount for a couple without children is approx £520 pcm. If they both get the additional element because they are too unwell to be expected to work, that would make it £1,220-ish. Then however much the eligible rent is if they are renting and/or PIP.

I never begrudge anybody PIP. Now I'm old and arthritic I'm realising how much it costs to get help with the things I can't do any more.

But you're not disabled @Mouldyfeet . That both reduces choices and makes life more expensive.

Op still didn’t clarify that she lives with someone. On another thread she referred to ‘we have’ when talking about an item in the house.

It makes sense there’s someone living there, but op refuses to mention that.