To feel annoyed that those on UC have more disposable income

[nappyvalley2024]

Myself and DH both work full time and have one child in nursery that we are paying for. We have a household income of just under £100k. After taxes, mortgage, student loan, NI, pension deductions and bills we are not actually left with a huge amount of disposable income. We are in the south east.

Brother in law and his partner have just had their first baby and announced that SIL will not be returning to work for at least 3 years. BIL earns roughly £30k and they live in social housing (lucky them). They will get around £900 a month in UC + no childcare bill.

So whilst we are running around like headless chickens trying to keep on top of things and juggle professional jobs, house renovations and parenting. My SIL will have the pleasure of sitting at home with no stress enjoying her baby. (SIL is known to be very lazy and also took the whole of her pregnancy off sick due to anxiety.)

At this point I just feel so deflated, and am wondering what the point is of working hard and being self sufficient. Funny thing is in laws think we are the lucky ones, when I don't actually think we are here. The system needs to change as there is no incentive to work.

Many people on MN are educationally and economically challenged. They don’t understand quite how much tax you will be paying. By the way - don’t go over 100k. In your situation your marginal tax rate would be over 100%.

The problem is - many people, do feel like you. Is it worth it? Which is why net contributors are now decreasing and net takers are the majority. The problem is - what you feel is what many are feeling. The people who are paying for it all are changing economic behaviour and working less. They need to start looking at other ways of tax as opposed to the same small group of people actually working.

You seem to be getting hung up on how much they are getting on benefits without looking at how much better off you really are. Your child is in nursery now, but that is a short, if eye-wateringly expensive, time. You will have the asset of a house once the mortgage is paid off, career progression and a private pension. Look forward to when you retire comfortably and they have to live in insecure accommodation on the state pension. They will never be able to have savings, when you will be able to redirect some of the nursery money when your child starts school.

Thing is their option is open to you. If you want to go on benefits instead, quit your job, go bankrupt and start claiming. It's certainly not a prospect that appeals to me!

This.

Plus you presumably took a years maternity leave? So you’re only looking at potentially a 2 year difference in that case.

Quit your job and stay home then, or drop your hours, or failing that be grateful for what you’ve got. Perhaps if the basics in life - secure housing being one - were genuinely affordable they wouldn’t need to claim UC. Hate the game not the player. That said, if you’ve got no disposable income on 100k you need to look at your spending.

My thoughts exactly - renovations (unless water is pouring in through the roof etc) are a luxury many of us manage without. The OP has a good pension, assets, the satisfaction of providing for her family. Stop whinging OP

You can sell, stuff the money into your pension (backdate it for a few years), rent, resign from your jobs, go to the Council and ask to be housed. They will house you as above is all perfectly legal. So you do have choices. My family had to crawl our way back after a doomed business venture. I know where I would rather be

@Mambo19866 I am on full benefits and do not work and I can confidently say that I do not get all that you have listed.

• I still have to pay council tax, albeit a reduced amount.
• There are no NHS dentists so I have to pay private fees.
• I do not get any discount on gas and electric and pay the same price as everyone else.
• There is no half price broadband, I pay full price for my package.
• Housing benefit will not pay towards a mortgage.
• Anyone who 'resents' me for how I live my life will simply be removed from my life. I wouldn't surround myself with such judgmental and arrogant people.

In reply to the OP, having anxiety is extremely stressful and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I would have absolutely LOVED to have what you have but it's not possible. Think yourself lucky and fortunate to be where you are.

What a patronising attitude to have.

You’ve either failed to read the post properly, or you’ve read it but failed to understand it. Quite funny really.

Op the grass is NOT always greener on the other side. Your sil may be claiming UC but they will have to pay housing costs from that. Which can be very expensive. Its not easy being on UC....so please don't assume it is

Do this OP, you're seriously clueless if you think she'll just be sitting at home doing nothing for 3 years. Also you don't sound like you're barely making ends meet if you don't have a huge mortgage and are doing renovations. I initially thought YANBU, but you just sound bitter

How do you know OP is a net contributor?

Plus we’d be pretty screwed if everyone in low paid jobs and not net contributors just sacked it all in for better paid jobs or something. Carers, shop and factory workers, many NHS staff, etc. Where would we be without them?

No idea what you mean by the tax comment, I can only assume you don’t know much about tax

Also there’s no way they’re getting £900 a month with no childcare bill. It will likely be around £400 depending on their LHA rate.

Your BIL does work though doesn't he so why say there should be more incentive to work

I would normally agree with you, if say your combined income was low because your and your husband both worked full time in low paid jobs. Thats when it’s tough to see others doing nothing and receiving similar, if not more, money.

But you have a combined income of £100k. I can’t understand why you have little disposable income. If your rent/mortgage is ridiculously high, then downsize or move.

I beg you to try working 6 days full time and earning 18k. I am self employed. I can only just cover my bills.

Until you have to use it all to pay for your care in old age...
If you have a council house, you have it for life, so no less secure.

I agree it isn't fair and that there isn't enough of an incentive to work hard and save currently. I think the solution lies around making the decision to work and save pay more, rather than running down benefits further, however. In our street, you can broadly tell which house is which as (and I hate to revert to stereotypes, but it's definitely true in our street) the 100k households mostly have older mid-range cars and the council residents mostly have new high-end ones. It does make you wonder 'what's the point?' as ultimately we both live in the same house, and whilst our house may well need to be sold to pay for care home fees, theirs will be passed on to their DC(s) automatically if they've continued to live there, as many do.

Yes, you’re being unreasonable. I also think you’re possibly not managing your money well? £100K is a lot more than many. You’ve chosen to buy a house that needed renovations and you’re choosing to spend money on that. You had control over where to live and which house to pick and can move if your neighbours are crap. They can’t. We chose not to live in an expensive area of the country, that came with negatives and positives like every decision.

Technically, you could sell the house, squander the money and be given UC and social housing, but you haven’t - so there’s some incentive to work. You could choose to be a SAHM, but you’d have to make different decisions like potentially downsizing and not renovating.

Clearly there are some issues between you and your SIL. If she genuinely had anxiety in pregnancy, then I’m sorry for her and hope this doesn’t get worse after her baby is born.

Yes, it’s ridiculous that the cost of living is so high generally, but that’s a very different conversation. I don’t know anyone of UC who’s genuinely happy and comfortable and has heaps of disposable income. I do know plenty of people on large salaries who could manage their money a bit differently, but through the choices they’ve made are under pressure.

Another disgusting thread criticising a benefits system that's already driving more into poverty and some posters here appear to want to reduce benefits even further. I think it's sickening

Actually your wrong you do get full council tax subsidation at least I did, yes there are nhs dentists where I am, ask ovo for their “social tariff” I can link it. Yes there is half price broadband speak to BT and ask for it it’s 20 a month for 72mb. Housing benefit does pay towards a mortgage check the website ffs and finally yes people will resent you if anyone thinks your getting something for free they are not they will resent you it’s peoples nature.

The funny thing is they live in a very expensive area that we could not afford to buy in.

Do it then.

I find your post judgey. Anxiety can be serious enough to stop someone working. I'd hate to be in that position, wouldn't you?

If she parents well she won't be sitting on her backside at home all day either.

"Tarquin, one of the peasants appears to have more carrots than we. Get the secretary to write to our MP, the DM and the Telegraph. How dare an uneducated, low-waged person have more than us?"

'Anxiety can be serious enough to stop someone working. I'd hate to be in that position, wouldn't you? '

It's convenient that it meant taking her entire pregnancy off.

Man this information is even just on googles front page lol google “can I claim mortgage on universal credit” google “is there social electricity tariff for benefits” and finally “is there cheaper broadband for those on benefits” like do you even check what you say or just pull it out to ur arse.