to be shocked at universal credit amount?

[oddsocksmatchifsamethickness]

I've just become a single mum of one, husband gone. So obviously I want to bring my earnings up. I'm self-employed and will be doing so. But I put in a calculation for UC to see if I could get help while I sought new contracts. I'm self-employed. I earned 1K this month and did the calculation and it says I will get another 650 a month from UC.

Can that be right? It seems a lot, it would take my income up to a wage of 28K/year, but I only work 20 hours a week.

Is this what people get?

What a pile of steaming bullshit. I'd like to see most people live on £1650 a month. It may sound like a lot but it actually isn't.

I don’t like to talk about it but I’m a single mum with 2 children 1 with special needs on UC. I get £1650 per month £820 of that is rent with £80 deducted from when I had an overpayment of child tax credit years ago, which leaves me with £750 per month for gas, electricity, food and the rest of my bills and travel which is rough believe me, I just about scrape by, no way does it “pay not to work” it’s a miserable existence, I’m only lucky I don’t need food banks tbh but there are ZERO luxuries bar a greggs coffee now and then. I’m in London.

@How288 have you checked your getting absolutely everything your entitled to? Can't you claim PIP? Your not left with much at all.

You need to check your tax is right. DP was taking that on £24,000 - 28 would be about £200+ more than that.

My tax is correct. I've worked there for years. I pay around 200pm towards student loan and pension.

Ah, that makes sense with student loan repayments as an additional factor. DP's takehome was after pension payments, though.

I suppose it just depends on where in the country you live. A woman I work with in the north recently split up with her husband, she’s earns £1900 a month with her earnings and universal credit plus £500 maintenance from her ex. Not bad when your rent is only £500 (housing association) school dinners paid for etc. She’s frequenting fancy wine bars each weekend while I haven’t got the heating on 🤨

All these people saying 1600 a month is hardly anything to live on are clearly on benefits as if you worked a minimum wage job 1600 a month would be a dream

So you think that 750 after housing costs is not enough? How much would you need? Honest question. No bashing.

Wow really? Probably is right as I have a friend who works part time as a single Mum and said she gets topped up by about that amount as a single Mum. While of course being so beneficial, it does seem to be a reason a lot of people don't work full time as they are better off. While kids are young this is great but also know someone whose little one is a at school and doesn't feel any reason to work than 16 hours as she gets paid £700 as tax credits, the system is what it is. X

@taxpayer1 the poster has TWO children as well. £750 divided by 3 people....... 😳

I’m NW …..social housing for A 3 bed is around 400…..about 350 for a 2 bed

Benefits Britain

Erm... I earn £24,880, pay into pension and pay student loan and come out with £1603, and that's what all the ready Reckoners also state so OP is
probs right.

Some of that money might be back pay from the beginning of the financial year. My ex walked out around this time many years ago and I went onto TCs. I got a huge back payment and then quite decent monthly payments - I think in part due to me having been unemployed during the earlier part of the year and only about to start employment. The next year they did go down quite a bit.

I’m a single parent to 2 children, work 1) hours but on a decent rate. I get just over £800 a month in TCs . It used to be less but my DD became eligible for DLA a few years ago so as well as her DLA payment I get an uplift on her child tax credit. My payments are mostly the child element with only about £50
being the working tax element. I worried when he left and I had just taken on a job part time, (around £1k a month for 2 days a week)
and was going to look for more hours but actually I’d not gain that much extra income after tax and student loans, travel and additional childcare for primary aged children in wrap around, so I’ve held off extra hours until they’re in secondary and I can be more flexible. I’ve also done a calculation for UC and it seems I could see a huge drop in my income if I choose to switch so I’m holding out on TCs til I’m moved over.

If I left my husband and moved into my daughter's old flat, a one bed in not a bit salubrious area of town , kids all adults, by the time I have paid the rent and council tax I'd have just over £100 per month left to keep me going . That's before any bills or food.

That should have said 16 hours not 1) hours

If another adult is living in the household & contributing to the bills/has their name on the bills, rental agreement & their own bills coming to that house they are living there.
UC will find out & they will be massively penalised!
If they are genuinely claiming they are separated & they aren’t I’d be reporting them because that is benefit fraud & the exact reason it is so hard for genuine claimants to get help 😡

I dunno I was first just about to just wish you a merry Xmas and say I’m glad it works out for some BUT then we had:

1. £100 to feed 2 people a month
2. I don’t drink or smoke unlike some
3. People don’t need much
4. 2nd hand clothes blah blah blah

A benefit claimant that shits on other benefits claimants? It does happen but I feel like OP is a white man in his 40s or early 50s. It’s giving an I-hate-the-wife-so-I-often-work-late middle management vibe.

Agree @Hagpie

I mentioned the food a couple of times. I don't think that's sustainable.

I've only read the OP and the first few replies so someone else might have said something similar

My friend had just applied for UC, she's single, has a debilitating health condition (recently diagnosed) and works part-time, obviously, as she doesn't have a child she'll get a lower allowance than if she did but she's been told that she'll get funds from UC to top her wages up to £565 per month but if she earns that figure or higher, she'll get nothing from UC.

Therefore, the monthly figure quoted by the OP is in excess of £1,000 more than the figure quoted to my friend, so the DWP are basically saying that a child requires over £1,000 per month to survive, where as an adult only needs half that(?).

This is why iI elieve either the OP's award figure or my friend's figure is wrong. I suspect iit's he OP's award that's iincorrect, lthough I'd like to think it's my friend's because I can't see how anyone is meant to survive on such a ridiculously small anoint of money, especially as her mortgage is more than that!

Apparently the answer is legumes and split peas. It always is.

Remember 'Lee's 30p meals'?

Your figures sound incorrect to me and you seemed misinformed. Firstly OP has a rent element included in her ESTIMATE, child benefit and the child element. OPS wage is higher and is not capped at £565 like you mentioned with your friend.

UC doesn't work on capping wages at £565 nor any amount, your friend has a mortgage and unfortunately it's seen as a luxury on UC and she won't get the rent element. Your friend should CAB for a calculation and advice.

I’m not saying I need more, like I said I just about get by, but, it’s not the luxurious experience loads of people seem to think it is? It’s the very bare minimum, we’ve not been on holiday, not even to a caravan in about 5 years. All birthday presents and Christmas presents I get off Very and pay monthly.

Well it's because you would be in dire straits trying to survive on £1000 a month. Surely once u add council tax, gas/electric and food your money would be pretty much gone and I assume you have other bills too. Tv licence, phone, tv/internet possibly a car so petrol and maintenance etc or travel costs. Then there is obviously clothes, shoes for your child etc.

I'd just be glad that the help you need is there and will not leave you in poverty. There will be other folk with higher rent costs and debts to repay so for them it really won't stretch far at all.