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.

If you get UC, then you are entitled to it. End of.

It's not fair on childless people that pay taxes but get nothing. It's not right that someone with children could work in the same job as someone without children, and afford to live in a property that the childless person could not come close to affording. It incentivises people to have children to be able to have a nicer house, and that is completely and utterly wrong.

This is the long standing government policy of negative taxation. Chid Tax Credit and Family Tax Credit was introduced by Thatcher sometime in the early 90s, for anyone who worked 16 hours or more. It brought the unemployment figures down, encouraged low wages and allowed nurseries to spring up everywhere and charge what they wanted, all safe in the knowledge it would be funded by government. A false economy.

The answer of course is higher wages and reasonable/subsidised childcare.

Here: www.gov.uk/universal-credit/how-to-claim

I hope your claim gets sorted quickly 😊.

Benefits should be there to stop anyone falling into poverty. But they seem to be a general expectation now.
It breeds resentment when people make decisions about limiting family size, saving etc and are worse off than those who don't.
The problem is that although some posters are saying women should make a better choice of partner and plan better, if they don't or can't then ultimately it is the child who suffers if no benefits are available. And the child had no say or choice in any of it.

For every single mum on MN working FT and claiming UC to pay the essential bills , there is another woman on MN who is a “good landlord” and “charges too little” 🤔 - and for every one of them, there is a woman denouncing scroungers safe in the knowledge she’s in a 2-income household.

Seems reasonably balanced to me.

Tax Credit was introduced by Thatcher sometime in the early 90s, for anyone who worked 16 hours or more. It brought the unemployment figures down, encouraged low wages and allowed nurseries to spring up everywhere and charge what they wanted, all safe in the knowledge it would be funded by government. A false economy.

Thatcher resigned in 1990 -

It was the labour government that started giving out the free cash to children close to 2000.

Working families were given a huge chunk - it seemed wrong to claim.

At that time they started to encourage woman back to work and offered up to 80% childcare - this is what led the childcare providers to charge loads more money. We were paying about £20 a day. None working woman especially were offered free courses and free childcare to better themselves in the workplace. They even had reps out at play centers and libraries.

Child minders out there costs up (this was along with child minder needing to be register and complete the early years paperwork and become qualified.

They wanted woman to work.

Now families need two parents to work to afford to live or buy property. Housing costs escalated.

It was labour throwing money at people. Not Thatcher - she would’ve taken your last penny.

Just ignore them as they have two wages coming in and they should be praising you and saying well done for working and bringing your child up by yourself without the support of others. Some people act as if you are taking the money out of their pocket, you work and pay your taxes an the cost of living, rent food and bills has gone crazy so even with the universal credit things are stretched to the limit. If they mention it again tell them you have double the wages and take it up with the government as I am getting what I am entitled to and if they say anymore tell them stop being so begrudging. Very mean spirited of them and they have shown their true colours. Be kind to yourself as you are doing great and as you said you will have your career.

Am absolutely shocked at some of the horrible unkind and appalling replies on here, talk about women bashing other women. No one knows anyone's personal history or relationship and what happened, as for one person who said a man does not just change after a baby, well that is the most dangerous time and the time a man does change when a woman is pregnant and after she has the baby. A bit of compassion goes a long way and some women so mean and sound very unhappy and bitter, maybe they should look at their own lives to make themselves happier instead of spouting pure hatred towards women and children.

They are clearly not thinking about the huge childcare cost. How can they look at your figures and think you can manage? I mean when you’re paying zero childcare maybe you won’t get anything, but I was getting it on a similar amount and so is my colleague who is on more than you, as she has childcare costs. Ignore them, they have no clue. Why should it be working people don’t get help?

My advice to women & men during these hard times with cost of living etc: stop having children that you can't afford! Or at the very least figure out your budget first. How many times have I read on here pregnant with no. 3, can't afford childcare, parents won't help etc. Noone needs 3-4 kids! Just stop having so many kids.

Ok, not sure how that is relevant to the OP, or how that helps when circumstances change and the kids are already here...but thanks for the wisdom nonetheless.

I have one child (don't want any more) and work full time and still get Universal Credit to top up my income. He's nearly 15, sorry that I didn't predict the current cost of living crisis 15 years ago, and sorry that I didn't predict my ex being useless.

The money is for the CHILDREN, you do know that? It's not about being "fair" to childless people, it's about keeping children from starving.

@Beezknees There are a lot of women however that do have a useless partner, and they are pregnant again, posting on here about their useless partner still being useless. You can't deny that this happens, just read a few of the posts in Pregnancy or Relationships on MN! Yet they continue to have children with these idiots.

It's nothing to do with predicting the COL crisis, I am talking about people that are choosing NOW to have several kids when they know that they can't afford it. 15 years ago was a different story. Also nowhere in my post was I judging anyone for receiving UC.

Low wages Vs cost of living. Mismanaged economy for years

We are all much poorer than we think

Credit to the OP, she’s using UC to hopefully be self sufficient eventually. I’d much rather someone who is making the effort to be a good example to her child is supported than parents who make no real attempt to get off working age benefits, but see nothing wrong in producing more children for the taxpayers to support.

Hopefully as well as the cost of childcare reducing, her earnings will go up to cover all outgoings. Its a long time in the future, but as a single person, with no dependents, there would be no state help on that level of income.

There is so much generalising about types of people on this thread!

Single mothers all chose feckless men to parent their child(ren). Well guess what? Many men DO change once a woman gets pregnant, it's a well recognised trait discussed often on MN. And men get mid-life crises and run of with an OW. And men even die. Some women are victims of rape or coercive control.

It's all the fault of the Boomers. Who are all loaded, voted Tory, all have massive paid off houses and good pensions or high paid jobs. I'm a Boomer (61). Struggling to pay the interest on my mortgage, can't afford to pay off the capital at present. Earn around £20k, mental health reasons mean I really can't cope with a higher paid job - mental health issues to to being ND which wasn't recognised until very recently as in the 20th century it just wasn't a "thing". I don't vote Tory. I have a tiny pension that kicked in at 60, will only have an even tinier one from current job & state pension at 67. I'm not the only one my age in this situation that I know.

Just move somewhere with cheaper rent/childcare costs. Ah, so give up the job you have, move to an area where there aren't any jobs in your field & massive unemployment. Rents and childcare are higher in some areas for good reason - because that's where the jobs are!

Childcare costs are too high & a rip off. Ever done the full maths of running a childcare business? Employing staff costs over double the wages you pay them. Premises rental. Insurance. Premises running costs. Legally required documentation. Legally required staffing levels, and having to have either "spare" staff or pay for agency staff when there's sickness. Consumables. I know of at least 3 childcare places that have gone under in the last year due to losing money.

I'm single with no dependents, have a mortgage and a very small pension income. Due to this I can't claim a single benefit. I have an ND disability which has restricted my ability to get & keep jobs, but doesn't fit the criteria for any kind of allowance. In spite of this, I am totally supportive of the OP and single mothers in a similar situation being able to claim UC.

I think the big takeaway for me from this thread is that not only is everybody different, but there seems to be a total lack of understanding by many people that this is the case and what works/worked for them won't work for others

@Allergictoironing you can apply for PIP for being ND. I receive it myself.

@DogBowlsAreMyWeapon I looked at the criteria they go by, and none seemed to fit my ADHD symptoms (attention, impulsive talking etc)

Funny seeing people on £40k or similar claiming they’re working hard to “prop up” people like OP.

On that sort of salary you’re much more likely a net taker than net giver to government finances, aka they cost more than they pay in tax and NI

@JungleJungle sorry if you’ve been asked this before but are you getting everything in terms of benefits you’re entitled to? Can you put your name down for a council house? You should get cheaper child care from 2y olds at nursery I think and also free school meals until your child is 18 once they start school. Also healthy start food vouchers, support for medical care and energy costs. www.gov.uk/universal-credit/other-financial-support

Hi I don’t understand what you mean by this, if you’re paying taxes and not getting benefits how do you cost more?

Well the government pay for a lot of things the majority of the UK either use or benefit from. Your taxes and NI contributions don’t necessarily cover that.

If you use more services than your taxes pay for then you're a net taker. Benefits are only one thing the state pot has to pay for.