to be scared when kids leave full-time education

[spanieleyes22]

So I'm currently eligible for Universal Credit with 2 children over 16 but in full-time education. But when the youngest turns 20 I believe I won't be eligible for it any more. I don't know how I'm going to pay my rent or survive without it. They will still be living with me and will be in university (hopefully). What do people do when this happens.

I can’t believe that you get universal credit for kids whilst they’re at university! My DD is 15 and I’ve just taken on more hours when offered as I didn’t want to be panicking once she turns 18.

You don't

There's more to being of use than handing over money. You can still provide childcare if you have to downside. A lot of areas are really investing in over 55 housing and you can occasionally have overnight guests. Where I live there's three different organisations providing free food and community activities. Then there's different exercise/craft groups for £2/3. It might not be the life you envisioned, but it isn't bleak. As gor now, you'll have to go through your finances with them and be honest about needing a contribution.

I don't know why you feel you can complain because the benefits you received for your children will be taken away once they become adults. Also that you do not think they should contribute. You say 'I did everything right' - you haven't because you won't plan(still time) won't downsize, won't try to earn more. I am 64 and still work so I'm not suggesting things I wouldn't do myself.

We don't know how much her rent is? If she's in the south east it could be upwards of £2k a month. You can be earning over £50k as a single parent and still get UC if your rent is massive.

child element of UC goes once they leave school if they're going to university. it only continues to 20 if they're doing things like BTECs. If you've claimed you have to pay it back.

A loving parent/grandparent who lives in a studio flat is still a wonderful thing to have.

Your value as a parent or one day perhaps as a grandparent is not connected to the size of the property you live in. If you are interested, supportive, engaged and caring towards your children that is the important thing.

Yes, it would be nice to have lots of bedrooms - but it isn't a necessary thing to be a good parent to grown up children.

You've done a good job raising them and they are off to uni.

There are accomodation options for them that are year round, more so after the first year when they may be in halls.
They could also look to work somewhere with accomodation over the summer in hotels/hospitality - 20 years ago now, but some friends of mine spent each uni summer working in a hotel in Cornwall with staff accomodation provided.
Your eldest seems likely to have graduated before the youngest is 20 so should be off starting her career anyway?
I think single parents do a really hard job - but it's hard to argue that you should be supported by benefits in maintaining a three bedroom property for the times that your adult children want to visit.

OP - Is this just the child element? Have you taken into consideration that you'll have less housing entitlement and your work allowance will end?

Again the OP asked what you do when Ur kids leave FT education and I gave her the answer.

Didn't add any snide remarks at all or criticise OP

Tbh I think we need to have a long, hard think as a country when someone working full time can not afford to rent a home, let alone buy one. Those of us unable to do this thinking will have it done for them after the GE when landlords start getting taxed out of their backsides.

Wow

Are you living near a uni at all? Could you take in a student during term time as a lodger?

Oh please. Plenty of people experience the loss of family/friends and plenty of people don't receive an inheritance. Let's not skirt over the fact that inheriting a house is an extremely useful step up and not treat other people who didn't, as if it was anything other than good fortune.

We will all lose somebody close to us at some point, it's the great leveller.

Either up the hours, move to a cheaper area and everyone commutes or down size. There isn't many ither options really.

Answering one of the questions further up, no you can't claim Housing benefit as a standalone benefit, it's income based and part of UC

You can receive UC Housing for a uni student only if they are in Halls of Residence, this is because the contract isn't for 52 weeks, so they need to have a home to live in. They can't be part of your housing allowance when they aren't in Halls and have their own tenancy.

UC will only pay for children whilst they are in full-time, non advanced education, so not Uni. They can pay until the end of August following the child's 19th birthday. UC don't pay until the child is 20, those are Tax Credits rules.

Whenever someone on a low income asks for advice re making ends meet the advice is generally get a better paid job. This ignores the fact that society needs people to do the poorly paid jobs. Full time work should pay enough to live on.

Same here I will lose about 50% of my income ds is disabled and on dla he might not get pip easily he will unfortunately be unlikely to ever be independent in fact I'm currently not working to stay home with him im at a massive disadvantage ds1 also has disabilities but he isnt on dla or anything so I won't lose so much with him but again I cannot ever see him working outside the home without massive support im a single parent and im fucked

although the OP has a degree and said she has an average income, not a low income.

Look the OP and many women like her can get empathy and solid advice at the same time. The women reading this thread who are looking at being in the same position 10/20 years from now can also benefit from other’s experiences to start planning now.

For what the OP can do now about her situation? She can either yell at the wind about how unfair it is or do something with the next 10 years until she retires.

Telling her to get past the unfairness that she won’t be able to offer her kids their old rooms left is not being unkind. It’s realistic.

@spanieleyes22

What have you done or plan to do to increase your earning potential?

• You have a degree but lack management experience. Where can you get that? Volunteering, leading projects in your current role, etc.
• Looked for new jobs with increased responsibility and/or salary
• taken a part time/side gig job

What have you done to decrease your expenses?

• Downsize house
• cut back in obligations
• etc.

How do you know they don’t understand real poverty.There seems to have been this long held idea going back years that if your parents owned a home they were rich when in fact if you compared home owner to renter back then the income was similar.

its only UC for 18 over isn’t it if they are doing a college course, not degree. So they’d be at Uni then anyway and will have to work to support themselves though they should get a full loan as your income is low

Sounds difficult. Depending on where you live would it be possible to rent a room to a student during term time? I think international ones may sometimes be particularly keen to live in a family home. During the summer holidays I think your children will be able to contribute to household costs.

@IsEveryUserNameBloodyTaken Nearly everyone who could afford to back then bought their own home. Those that did not tended to have either low earnings or insecure income.

You can't claim any child related benefits for children in higher education. For most, that means the claim stops at 18 unless they take longer to complete 16-18 studies (mine was 19).
I am in the same boat, I won't be entitled to anything when my youngest finishes 6th form. Thankfully he hasn't started yet, because it is quite a stressful time. I work pretty much full time but in a school (I'm not a teacher) so it isn't enough without help. I plan to expand my skills and apply for different jobs, totally different ones actually.

Also my son earned 5k in the summer holidays of year 1 at Uni. The holidays are so long so they shouldn’t be relying on you to pay for everything when they are capable of working. They should be doing it anyway as employers want to see some work experience as well as education