Family member shocked I get universal credit

[JungleJungle]

Had a long conversation with a family member today. I've just started a new job so not sure how much UC I will get this month, but previously was earning about 1800 a month, £950 childcare costs and £950 rent and would get, around £800 in universal credit. They seemed to think that I earn enough money to pay for myself and said nobody on 30k a year should be getting universal credit. They were quite shocked that I was getting anything. Childcare costs and rent come to more than my wage (£1900). I would likely have to give up work if I didn't get universal credit. My outgoings would be more than my incoming. I still struggle even with the £700 I have left after rent and childcare costs. Bills are so high, fuel, food, clothes, emergencies etc. Not sure what I'm looking for from this thread. I work so hard, full time, and never considered that I shouldn't be entitled to universal credit. I'm not being unreasonable am I in thinking that this is what UC is for, am I? Apologies for the slightly waffly post, just feeling a bit shit.

A state pension is entirely different. You’ve paid into that all your working life through NICs.and are more than entitled to it. It’s not a benefit.

OP, claim what you need to claim to help you get by. If I can offer you a single bit of advice though - don’t tell people your financial circumstances. It’s no one’s business but your own especially if they’re going to make you feel
shit.

Yes it's for childcare and rent. Once my son goes to school I will get significantly less, but will still be better off. I can't wait. I would be screwed without it.

I know. I never usually discuss finances. I just did it stupidly in annoyance.

Lesson learned then but don’t feel shit about working hard and still needing a hand. Childcare costs are criminal in this country and rental costs are daylight robbery too in most areas.

hope this thread has made you feel a bit better. You’re doing your best for your child and that’s the main thing 😊

You know what op I’m shocked and appalled you’re on uc. But only because you earn around the average salary and it’s shocking and appalling that people can’t cover their basic bills on that.

I don’t grudge you a penny and good luck with the career you are 100 percent doing the right thing.

Sites like mumsnet have been very helpful improving my understanding of the wide variety of people who use assistance programs. We aren’t always privy to the financial details of all but the closest people in our lives. For some of us, no one In that inner circle has ever claimed uc so we simply lack real world experience.

your family member learned a lesson today about life for one working parent. You, op, have nothing to be embarrassed about.

well generally no, in an ideal world able people of working age should be able to provide for themselves and any dependents without government assistance. Apart from anything else the average wage is £27k, so if more than half the working population, let alone the non working, are receiving a very high amount of UC, that's clearly not sustainable as there would be far more people getting assistance than contributing. I can also see how it doesn't feel fair to those who are earning similar or less but don't get anything for whatever reason, and, worse, feel their taxes are paid out to others who then appear better off than them.

BUT that's on the assumption of usually 2 working parents (even if not together), and fair wages that have kept place with inflation. Obviously in your particular case it's not your fault that your child's dad is a freeloading twat or that the government have been actively pursuing a low-wage economy, and even if it was your child shouldn't be penalised.

What would your family want, for you and your child to starve? Ask them how they would magically feed, clothe and house you both with the income/outgoings you have!

If you were a single person on £30k year with rent of £950 you would not be getting UC I’m sure. It’s because you have a child and it’s covering the cost of childcare to enable you to work.

personally I think you are right in working. You are building up a career and more importantly a pension.

I think the argument should be for generally subsidised childcare and social housing. It makes no sense to pay £950 a month rent for many years rather than invest in social housing. I get UC and I work 42 hours a week currently. I don’t think people consider people who work full time need benefits but I don’t think I could survive without UC possibly for a bit being cold and eating cheap food but I couldn’t afford to mot/ fix the car and then I wouldn’t be able to get to work and end up claiming more than I do now as I wouldn’t have an income.

Ah yes that makes sense regarding different areas and rents. Its shit people who on paper earn well still can't manage due to excessive bills that are essential. It not for luxurious living it's most of the time just to keep heads above water.

I don’t understand why anyone would be shocked that you get some UC. You are supporting 2 people on it. Children are expensive and not able to contribute anything financially. There’s been various support for parents for years because of the additional cost. If you weren’t a parent I doubt you’d get anything. I don’t understand why you get anything towards rent though, if you had a mortgage you’d get nothing for housing costs and with one young child you don’t really need a bigger house than a single person.

The mortgage argument doesn't really make sense though because nobody with a mortgage gets universal credit? And I'd argue that with a 4yo you need a two bed, not a one bed. If you want to ever consider having a relationship that is!

Hi @JungleJungle . I earn £30k a year too and get UC. I live in a north London so get additional housing benefit, so get about £1400 UC a month.

I also get no support from my exDH, so am raising a 12 year old and a 16 year old (who is also autistic) on my own. Not complaining though - life is much better than when we were together!

For their mortgage I mean!

That family member isn't currently claiming a state pension are they? 🤔

Nice bit of an ageist assumption there @crackofdoom . Pity it turns it that the relative is 30, eh?

Ignorance.

This is the whole point of benefits. It’s the support you need to carry on working while your child is small, so you don’t have to give up on your career. You’re the parent who stayed, who is supporting your child- the whole point of the system is to enable that.

Some people seem to think that people who qualify for benefits should be bedraggled street urchins . Your relative sounds a bit clueless.

I've found the older people in my family are the ones who are happy when me and my son are happy, want to help, worry about what has been a very stressful time for me and my son etc. Can't speak for all people but I haven't ever found this stereotype to be true amongst my own family members.

Well they would be even more shocked to find that me and my DP are entitled to UC with combined earnings 56k as a teacher and as a qualified health care professional in the NHS.

Shocking isn't it? That two "middle class" professionals don't earn enough to survive in this country. It makes me angry every day. But that extra £350 a month is the difference between eating or heating. So 🤷‍♀️.

Don't feel bad OP you are absolutely doing the right thing. You earn a reasonable salary it's not your fault that rents and childcare are extortionate, and also that your ex is a dick. Really the government should have not allowed council housing to be sold off for years, and there should also be a cap on rents.

What does your relative think you should do then? Stay at home on benefits, put your child up for adoption? You are a productive member of society, who is working and bringing up a child, when your child is older you will be in a better position because of that. Your relative is pretty stupid about this, as well as lacking empathy. Don't give it another thought.

There's two things that people should be getting angry or shocked about. The first is that huge amounts of tax payers money is being paid out to pay off private landlords mortgages. The second is that so many men get away with paying zero towards their kids and the state has to pick up the bill for that. Deduct it from their wages and make them pay. Why should everyone else pay for feckless men who don't want to pay for their kids and then go off and start another family elsewhere ?

But the childcare enabling her to work is £950 pcm, so she's not sitting pretty is she? Rent and childcare £1900.
Take home pay circa £2010. You think that she could pay all other bills from £210 per month??

I do think it is shocking that someone on 30k needs benefits just to live! And that is my shock at the state of our country and economy, not shock that you are claiming. It's awful that a well paid job isn't even a livable wage. I earn much less than that and work bloody hard but I am in a two income household so we do ok ☺️ but it is honestly so demoralising that people can work so hard for what should be a decent wage, and still need benefits to survive.

Our country is fucked

@LittleRebelGirl

do you have children or high rent?

It is shocking and I think fewer people will go into those professions in the future as a consequence.

I got £334 UC per month. It doesn't even cover my bills. Consider yourself lucky. Well, wealthy.