Maintenance payments from exes don't count towards UC?

[riverofgods]

A family member has a very wealthy ex-DH who through an informal arrangement pays a few thousand a month and gave her a property in their split. She has deliberately made sure that she has no cash assets and spends what he gives her each month so she can then also qualify for UC which she receives in full due to not working. Apparently this is completely above board but i think its awful that it is.

no it suggests to me that she is playing the system. but i guess we all have a different definition of financial need

She is just doing what everyone does though? Looking at her own circumstances and what she's entitled to and doing the best for her kids.

Oh okay you’ve ruined it now and tripped yourself up unfortunately they don’t pay universal credit to people who have a property that they don’t live in never mind 10 out of10 for effort though

YANBU. In a way. Not necessarily to be mad at her, but at the system absolutely. My partner has children with his ex. Their relationship ended when SHE was violent towards him and cheated on him. He pays almost half his monthly salary in maintenance to ensure they have what they need. The flip side is, I am now on the pitiful maternity pay, with half his salary gone and a tripling of bills etc, but as CM payments aren't considered as either income for her or loss of earnings for him, it's irrelevant. So we get poorer and she gets richer. Makes perfect sense.

Good for her.
I like hearing about normal people winning life.

So you’ve made this whole thing up then?

Could have at least done a bit of research before posting a situation pulled out your ass 😅

yes this! this is why it seems unfair

Yes its nice isn't it.

umm no? only going by what shes told me and dont see why shed be lying about being given one of the properties. guessing she hasnt declared it then

What did you say when she was telling you all this?

The point is if she has no income she needs to get that from somewhere. And if she can work she can't just 'choose not to' without sanctions put in place.

Oooooh so shes hone from a piss taker to a fraudster.
Are you going to snitch in her then ?
The plot thickens

i didnt actually know that was fraud until reading it on here but no i wont dob her in despite finding it very morally wrong

just frustrating on an individual level when you know someone like this and you cant help but compare lives when me and DP both work FT and dont have nearly as much

Do you get so judgemental at everyone who has more money than you? Lots of people have less than me, even more people have more than me. Some of.them work, some don't. Who knows where their money comes.from but more importantly, who the fuck cares? Life is way too.ahort to.be stressing about how unfair it is others have more.

I particularly don't understand why people with two incomes presume they should absolutely live a better life than someone with one income. Why is that? Where in our society is their a cap on earnings, or anything else that limits the money we are permitted to have incoming?

Nobody pays 50% unless they have very significant arrears. Even then it’s highly unusual to pay that much, especially after the reduction for your child/ren.

She will.be facing pressure to get a job though, if she's claiming UC.

Yes all true- saved my life. I needed maintenance and UC to just survive.

I always find it amazing that so many people are so keen to nlab their intimate financial details to random family members. I'm even more amazed that they always manage to choose that one random family member who will be morally outraged by those finances.

Well that's wrong, she'd get more UC for working.

What second property? I imagine she’s winding you up @riverofgods, it seems pretty easy

This is correct. Only child maintenance isn't factored in, spousal is.

And maintenance isn’t ‘ just for the kids’ it’s towards living expenses. That might mean it goes towards a mother’s good as she looks after her kids, her travel expenses to get the kids etc etc Such a load of baloney that people spout.

It's not earned income so its not counted.

Just like an ex husband can be a property millionaire or inherit the same but have to pay nothing for his children if he doesn't work

A 2nd property can be disregarded for a certain amount of time if steps are being taken to sell it.