Benefits reduction

[Bonsaitreepic]

I got my UC payment today. Just checked and it’s almost £300 less than usual. This is because my oldest is now classed as an adult as he’s left ft education. He’s not currently in work.
I have 3 other children but now I seemingly only get support for 2 of them due to the child cap.
Im freaking out. I only get maintenance for one of the children as I have the other 2 50/50 with their dad. I cannot afford to lose this much money every month. I was already struggling as it was. I’m unable to work just yet as one of the children has complex needs. I already get some DLA for them.
im quite sure there’s nothing I can do about this but I’m so worried

So you’re only down £50 then as the money you were receiving before was also to cover his living costs.

So you're down £300 because he's now an adult, but he's up £250 because he's now an adult.

He has to hand it over to you.

How was he paying for special foods and what not when he was in education?

Your son needs to give you £200 and keep the £50 to use to go to job interviews, etc.
he needs to apply for any job he sees, most supermarkets, restaurants, etc are starting to take on Christmas staff - although temporary for a few months at least he’ll be getting paid whilst he decides what he wants to do, most fast food places are looking for staff most of the time, anything is better than nothing, he doesn’t have the luxury to get to sit around doing nothing whilst he decides what he wants to do with his life. He’s likely had since finishing school/college in June/july to decide what he wants to do with his life, if he hasn’t worked it out in 2/3 months then he’s not going to work it out anytime soon, he needs to get ANY job in the meantime.

This is such a ridiculous position. We need to be discouraging people from adding more people to the planet, the last thing we need is more dependents, more pressure on food, water, heating etc and massively adding to climate change and each child adds an extra carbon footprint.

We are also importing millions of people every year who pay taxes, so no need to pay people to have more children that they already can't afford without taxpayer help. No guarantee that any child will become a net taxpayer, quite likely the opposite in fact considering there are already more people taking from the system than adding to it!

40 hours per week on the minimum wage for his age is £300 per week, over £1200 per month. Why is he working so few hours?

This. I can’t actually believe that your son is eligible for UC himself. He’s 18, he needs to get a job like everyone else.

Frankly if he has £200 a month in his pocket for doing sod all then there isn’t much incentive to find a job is there? Not many young working adults end up with that clear at the end of the month after paying for rent, phones, utilities ,clothes,going out etc (as he will discover once reality sinks in.)

Tell him you get the £200 and he has £50 pocket money. I think “looking for a job” will then have much more urgency. If you were feeling kind you could continue to pay for his phone until he gets a job.

I assume your youngest was born after 2017 so you were never going to get UC for them. This can't have come as a surprise and has nothing to do with the benefit cap.
The eldest needs to take any job and contribute as an adult. He doesn't get the luxury of having all his needs met for £12.50 a week and £50 spending money on top. Can't you see how ludicrous that is when you can't pay your bills?

Agreed.

You can't afford for him to not contribute properly.

Your son needs to pay you £300 a month.

It really is that simple.

That would only be ten hours work a week, so he could get a weekend job and still work out what he wants to do with his life for the entire working week.

The minimum he needs to do is pay his full UC for board and lodging.

He needs to understand that if he doesn't work then he doesn't get discretionary spend.

He is an adult and needs to get a job

I'm sure his UC work coach will be hassling him to find work for his £250. he will likely be attending weekly appointments and being asked to apply for anything and everything. He will be sanctioned if he doesn't attend or do 35 hours job searching a week showing proof on his journal that he is applying for jobs. they don't pay UC for nothing, there are a lot of conditions attached.

Can you not work at all while children are at school? Even the most severely disabled children with very complex needs are at school 9-3 each day term time.

I feel for you OP, it must be very stressful.

But your son doesn't have time to 'panic about what he wants to do'. He needs to get a job, any job, to cover his costs (including paying rent to help with the place that keeps a roof over his head) and he can use his free time to 'panic about what he wants to do.'

There aren't many people who are privileged enough to be about to sit around whilst deciding on a career path unfortunately.

Do you, or can you get a job yourself?

He can’t and you can’t afford for him to be a fussy eater. I like steak, I can’t afford to eat it often and I have a job! He needs to get a job , and you do too, you can’t moan about benefits and do nothing to help yourself ffs!

if your down 200£ then take that from your son if he get's 50£ otherwise cut the internet and his phone and food and tell him to sort his own with his money! either way it works out the same pretty much for him.

Might make him realise he needs a job if he wants money

@Bonsaitreepic my son is 16 . And he's not at school/college. When i got a letter saying I needed to let then know if DS Is in education so I can still claim for him. I informed then that he's home educated. So continued. To get benefits for him.

My other son left school after A levels he very briefly claimed uc. (I'm on old system income support etc) because he was on UC I lost the child tax and child benefit. But I was still getting the rent paid in almost full. I think we had to top up a very small amount. Although I did have to do updates proof of his UC etc.

Yiu should not be effected by benefit cap as you have a child with special needs who you get DLA for.

Also I ( think) your children were born before 2017 so your not effected by the 2 child rate either.

What is your sons plans regarding education or working?

I think you need to be talking to your eldest about money matters. He needs to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, but he also needs to be aware of the facts.

It’s a good idea to talk openly about money and budgets around dc generally. You don’t have to share your worries, but you can be realistic about what money is available and what things cost, and the choices that have to be made.

If he's not got a job could he maybe watch the younger ones while you work full time?

I made my son aware that my money would stop as soon as he left education and i didnt have the means to support him fully without that money as a single income household, so he would have to contribute to the household atleast that which i was loosing. He got a job asap after leaving college and transfers me the £300 i lost, and then contributes a further £100 which he decided upon himself to add towards electric, food, etc. He still has £800+left in his pocket each month and doesnt begrudge a penny he contributes towards living expenses.

Your son neds to understand that your household cannot function without him contributing towards it. He needs to get a job, and in the meantime, his whole benefits award needs to go towards the household. He cant have £200 to do what he chooses with each month if his household cant afford to live.

So you expected him to get £250 and you still to get £300 for him?

That's not how this works... the difference is £50 loss not £300, you are CHOOSING not to charge him that many. You need to charge him the full amount as rent/bills or he moves out.

Its not UC fault.

You don’t have a child with complex disabilities, do you?

No, not all DC attend school full time, or even at all. Some have multiple appointments a week. Some don’t sleep at night and require their parent to be awake, therefore their parent using the time they are at school to sleep. I could go on. There are many parents unable to work because of their disabled DC’s needs.

You knew this was coming. You knew he was leaving education. The time to think and plan was months and months ago.
You also knew about the benefit cap when you had a fourth child whilst not working, so you can’t really complain about not receiving benefits for that kid.

You have to get a job, as does your son. Even if you can find a call centre or customer service role which is work from home? It isn’t easy but you’re going to have to support yourself.

Even though you haven’t been working, have you been discussing work and how necessary it is with your oldest son? Has he understood and been prepared for the fact that he will have to work? Because he hasn’t seen you going out to work everyday and that can impact a child, so you need to
actively teach him and talk about working for a living since he doesn’t see it happening in the home.

I can't believe you think that your son should get an extra £250 and you should continue to get £300 for him so in effect you are gaining £250 for him turning 18.

Have you got a plan to improve your situation? You say you have a child with additional needs, but also that you have 50:50 custody for most children. There are flexible jobs available. Living off benefits indefinitely is not sustainable.

Your eldest also needs to give you the universal credit he gets, and work in getting a job or apprenticeship pronto. He can get a job while searching for what he wants to do long term.

I think it’d be unreasonable for you to be able to claim for him as a child whilst at the same time he claims as an adult. He needs to pay you more and find a job/ apprenticeship. At least the cost of living payment is made in October so that might balance the books for a month.