To feel bad that I’m getting £650?

[MozFan]

We are on universal credit, my DP works, his salary is £17,200 per annum before deductions.
I’m currently unable to work due to several mental and physical health issues. I’m having my capability for work assessment next week, but I’m not very hopeful from what I’ve heard.
We have a 3 year old also, he won’t be starting school until September 2023.

Anyway, when we found out that UC claimants are getting £650 as well as the £400 to help with energy costs, it did take some of the panic away I’ve been feeling lately.

A family member spoke to me on the phone and was really angry about it, saying that working people always get overlooked and that people on benefits always reap the rewards.
I was too upset to come back with anything, except for saying that we are a working household, just the wages aren’t enough to live on.

Another family member later on spoke to me and said I should be ‘grateful’ to the government … this is a person who votes Tory and says they’ll continue to do so.

They pay anything you are entitled to automatically apparently in instalments. I'll look for the link

Sunak will be getting £400 quid for each of his 12 houses.

I can promise you that he won't suffer any sleepless nights.

www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-most-vulnerable-households-will-receive-1200-of-help-with-cost-of-living

A household with an income of 35k a year that rents at 750 and has 1 child would be able to claim £143

ANYONE THAT BELIEVES THEY CANT CLAIM ANYTHING FOR WHATEVER REASON.

GO TO
WWW.ENTITLEDTO.CO.UK
FILL IT IN AND SEE FOR YOURSELVES.

Lots of things impact UC. If you have kids, if you pay childcare etc.
Don't just dismiss it and believe you can't claim because you earn over a set amount. It tapers off the more you earn. Someone earning 17k will get.more than someone earning 25k
It is always worth checking and takes less than 5 minutes.

Please don't feel bad OP. You are in just the circumstances that payments like this are made for. When you get the money please enjoy feeling a little less pressured. Your family members don't sound very kind or supportive, particularly the first one. I am a Tory (puts on tin hat and waits for incoming rocks) on a lowish income and with a DH on PIP. The extra money will come as a relief to us too. I don't think gratitude is at all necessary but I, and all the others who need it can be glad to get some help.

The cost of living crisis is real, the welfare system is there to help people who struggle to help themselves. It sounds like you could really do with the money, I really don't envy your position especially with a little one.
Ignore people who have said it's not fair, life isn't fair. I'm sure you would say it's unfair that your mental and physical health impair your ability to work.

I think a lot of working people claim universal credit so you won't be the only ones. You shouldn't feel guilty, you're allowed it and hopefully it'll be a big help. We will only get the 400 and money is always tight but I know many are worse off than us also getting the same so it is what it is! It would be less tight if I worked full time and didn't have nursery fees to pay to be fair so if things are that bad we could look into cheaper childcare... the people who get the bigger payouts will probably have less options for cutting costs so its more needed

Don’t feel bad it’s targeted to lowest incomes for a reason

They need the help most

As others have said, no need to feel guilty, many working families need

Don’t feel bad in the least! You’ve got a DC to look after, and are too ill to work. Your husband is low waged, and you need more support. Well done to your husband for being in work. Please don’t feel guilty, you need the money!

I also live in expensive area... the southwest.... 35k still goes alot further than UC. I know because I've been in both situations.

Could somebody tell me how the £400 for heating works please? I think I fall into the category of people who will get it, but I can't find anything that explains how it will be applied.

I'm on a pre payment meter with a key. Don't have gas. Everything is electric.

I believe they'll apply it directly to your prepayment meter. You'll check your credit one day in autumn and it'll be £200 higher.. then in spring another £200 higher.
That's what's been reported as far as I know.

Is the £650 for anyone who claims UC regardless of their yearly income?

I'd suggest they could swap with you if they liked? Ya know - you take their job and life and they take yours?

Don't feel guilty. Everyone is getting £400 and I guarantee there will be a lot more people about that don't need that than people on universal credit that don't need the whole £1,050. We won't even have a price increase for utilities till next April as we fixed a while back but we are still getting the £400. I don't feel guilty about it at all and I certainly don't resent someone else getting more.

Don't feel guilty - or grateful - for it.

The Fixed Term Parliament Act has recently been repealed, which means that it will be possible for there to be a General Election called at any point again - this means that it would be possible for an election just when potential voters are aware they've just received a few payments/had bills reduced. Or, as somebody more cynical might say, just after there have been significant bribes paid to the electorate.

It's not about being helpful, it's about making sure that not just the elderly vote Tory, it gets the middle earners who are likely to change their voting preferences voting for them (as 'at last we've actually received something') and it keeps the lower income groups who voted for them last time doing so, rather than returning to more traditional patterns of voting.

After all, a government's number one priority is staying in government. Self preservation - not 'helping'. Without that extra money (which will be totally swallowed up with day to day stuff - only those who already have sufficient and can afford bills will have a little lump sum/spending money), they'd lose far, far more votes.

Don't feel guilty. If anyone feels that they are living comfortably as a consequence of this extra income (not the OP given her circumstances), then donate some of it to charity.

Your husband works, you have a small child. It's bloody hard to live on £17,200. Me and family were living on about £18,000 till 3 years ago and that was hard enough, these days it would be an absolute grind. Your family member can sod off.

If we was in the north maybe it would be better for us, but we don’t live there so not much good

You do know there are often fewer work opportunities in the North, don't you? And lower salaries to boot. It's not some mecca of low cost living.

I came on here to ask the same - OP you are opening yourself up to having rocks thrown at you if you discuss the payments with others.

aren't you able to keep it to yourself? You'd find that people don't judge if they don't have the facts, and you won't be made to feel guilty. It's bad enough having to be on benefits without the added stress of other people prodding and poking at you.

It’s not always possible to keep your finances to yourself. My sister works in a shop that pays NMW and has a council house that means her rent is well known. Sure I don’t know to the penny what her mobile plan costs etc - but I know the things. On the other hand, my job title is “Compliance Manager” (a look on Indeed will give you a huge range of salaries) and for all she knows my mortgage could be anywhere from paid off to £1500 a month.

People get funny about money, I've seen it turn reasonable people (well they seemed reasonable) turn into monsters. Often happens after a death when "getting your share" seems more important that the death.

Try to ignore it as it isn't worth getting upset about. I do feel a bit awkward myself as I think we will get the £400 plus £300 as pensioners and £150 for husband's disability and we are OK financially but I will give some to the foodbank as I know lots of families are struggling.

I think the lesson here is not to share your financial situation with anyone outside your immediate household. There’s another thread on MN discussing the chancellor’s announcement and there are some shocking and inaccurate opinions of benefit claimants which show just how out of touch people are as to how the benefits system works. Where does your family member get the idea that working people are being overlooked ? Every household in the country is getting £400 regardless of their means, it’s just that extra help is being targeted at the people who need it. You don’t need to feel guilty and you don’t need to take that kind of abuse from anyone, let alone family. And I don’t think anyone is ungrateful. I am in receipt of non means tested disability benefits which, in the past, enabled me to work for as long as I could, and I consider myself to be very lucky to live in a country where these benefits are available to those who need them. But I don’t need to be reminded to be grateful by people who have little or no understanding of what it means to live with a severe and mobility limiting disability, and who envy the income but wouldn’t want the disability that goes with it. Tell your family that unless they can be bothered to at least try to understand your circumstances and not subscribe to populist and mindless bias towards those on benefits, they should mind their own bloody business.

This. All day long. I would also add that I don’t think it’s a U turn on what was announced earlier. I think it was always going to happen - but not until the findings of the Gray report were published.

Yep. And if they have something to say about the OP claiming sickness or disability benefits, perhaps they would like those as well. But here’s the kicker - you have to take the health condition that goes with them.