UC help

[Carlotta367]

Please could anyone help?
I've just accepted a new job, net salary per month is £1,263. It's 30 hours. I'm 34.
My partner works 40 hours and his net salary per month is £1520. He's 35.
We have 3 children and childcare is £1625 a month.
Our rent is £895 a month, council band B.
Could anyone help with whether we'd be entitled to any UC help please?
Thanks

Was youngest born before or after April 2017?

https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/

@Carlotta367 Put all of the details in here, it will calculate any entitlement for you.

Youngest born 2020 x

Is it pretty accurate? X

Completely. In fact it told me that UC was underpaying me recently, after a bit of a fight they’ve found in my favour and hopefully will get a backpay.

https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/

You'll need to look up your Local Housing Allowance rate, unless you're a council tenant. Also, how many bedrooms? You'd be entitled to the 2 bedroom rate, I think.

No, with three children it should be a 3 bedroom rate. Unless there’s other circumstances, it may be a 4 bed rate.

Here is the link to the gov.uk page that recommends 3 benefits calculators (including the one a PP linked to):

https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

I believe they calculate the LHA rate for you from your postcode so you don't need to look that up.

CAB also have a UC helpline where the adviser can calculate it for you and give you advice , if you aren't confident to do it yourself.

I just did the calculator above and said we'd be entitlted to £1985 a month in UC?!
Surely that's far too much.

Sorry I was going on the LHA rate of my area, they won’t pay more than the actual rent amount. But it will be based on how many rooms are needed vs the maximum rate that can be awarded.

@HarassedByASasquatch their childcare bill is £1600 a month.

If you entered the details correctly and honestly then it should be correct. Did you read the breakdown of what the payment would be and did it add in the deductible income at the end?

Because their childcare is more than either a single income each month before rent is even added? God people moan there are too many people not working then moan when they do and childcare is extortion. Can’t win.

Why would you need benefits with those wages?

Um.. because £1,263 + £1520 income minus £1625 + £895 childcare and rent is £263 a month, @HarassedByASasquatch

How are a family of 5 supposed to pay bills and live on that? Presumably OP is asking to see whether they are worse of with her working than staying at home and looking after the DC.

Sorry the UC amount is £1770, the extra was Child Benefit.
It deducted income.
It just seems high. Most of it was childcare element and housing.

Good for you. You obviously didn't need help.
Always one isn't there. I suppose if I don't work and sit on my arse you'd moan about that too 🙄

Thank you.
That's exactly why x

Inflation vs cost of living has greatly increased. You should be angrier than people are working and raising the next generation without getting a pay that reflects it. Because one day you’ll be actually old, if people stop having children due to not being able to afford it then this country will truly be in ‘dire straits’.

This

The childcare support is to enable both parents to work... once all the kids are in school they lose the support anyhow

Around 40% of people who claim UC have jobs, it's not just a benefit for the unemployed

Eesh!

Thanks for your input 😆

Ignore the ignorant ones. I never tell anyone what I get because they would breakdown from rage, but I’d dare them to live in my situation for more than a day. Some people would happily bring back workhouses and institutions rather than live by a social benefits society.

Apply for the UC. The new system is there to help working families - that’s why being genuinely work shy doesn’t work on UC. The more you work the better off you are on this system. It’s shit that it’s come to having to apply for benefits to actually live adequately but that’s how it is for millions these days.

Thank you so much x