AIBU to be angry about the benefits system

[Daffodilsinfebruary]

I have recently discovered by using a free, independent benefits calculator called entitledto that had I applied for Universal Credit over 2 years ago, me and my family would be over £16,000 better off.

I had assumed that benefits were for either single-parent families or people unable to work due to disability.

The majority of our savings would have been from claiming 85% back in childcare costs. We also would have had a payout of over £200 each month in addition.

For context, we bring in just shy off £4,000 a month. I thought this was a very reasonable income and we would be entitled to nil.

I feel angry that we did not know about this. A friend of mine who I met through our children attending the same nursery told me she claims 85% back in childcare costs during a conversation in which I complained of my childcare going up £150.

I did further research and 19 billion pounds apparently goes unclaimed every year.

I’ve never claimed benefits in all my life and worked hard to get on the property ladder.

should I be angry that we didn’t claim, or take it in my stride.

I wonder how many other families who could have claimed but haven’t.

Maybe she doesn't qualify for a mortgage.

I wonder why this is. I have always wondered why more don't claim DLA who would qualify for it.

I'm more angry that approx. £19 billion goes unclaimed every year. Yet they are persecuting the disabled yet again, when many don't have enough to eat or pay for there care.

I'm struggling to understand a situation where people are both entitled to UC, but also in so little need of it they have plenty of disposable income and would have accrued £16k in excess income had they claimed. In my experience of working with people entitled to benefits those not claiming have without exception been either living more frugally than reasonable, being supported by family or struggling and accruing debt. Are you saying that had you known you could get help with childcare you'd have claimed, but made other childcare arrangements because you didn't? Otherwise your situation is very rare, and I wouldnt say reflective of the benefit system, which, although broken in many ways, communication bring one of them, typically cannot be faulted for its over generosity.

I can quite believe that. DP have both just applied for attendance allowance. Dmum just got awarded highest rate. DDad awaiting the outcome of his. DBro helped them apply as they knew nothing about it.

This just shows what is wrong with the system where people think they should claim because they are ‘entitled to ‘ Benefits should be as the OP says very clearly, only for those in absolute need who cannot work/earn enough for whatever valid reason.

Please link thread 🙏

Successive governments since 1997 have changed that, the reason being, previously it was all or nothing benefits system.

so you either worked and got paid or you were unemployed and got benefits- it didn’t work for some people. Take a single parent, if they worked all there money went on childcare

so U.K. looked at Australian system of tapering benefits when working, so work paid

but now you have over the last 26 years employers who have benefited from this system - as they’ve been able to keep wages lower. The government tops them up with benefits

working benefits would be great and are for keeping people in work and making working worthwhile for many

but no system is perfect and it was brought in with decent intention of helping the working poor

So why is OP claiming then?

Money section.

THIS is the real problem.

The benefits system is a safety net for those who need help. Perhaps if you'd been struggling before you would (like many others) have been scouring all the info out there to see if there was more help available.

Why on earth are you going to claim a benefit that you don't need?

Likely very high rent. If someone is paying eg. 1200 in rent then as long as its within their eligible amount their entitlement will go up by 1200, then 60p will be taken off their payout for each £1 earnt, so when you factor in high childcare costs too then the starting figure can be huge and end up at a few hundred still.

And yet my newly disabled friend without children received less than £400 per month and ultimately lost her home because of it.

It's a broken system when the most vulnerable can't afford food and the wealthier get support.

Surely your figures are wrong? Aside form childcare and child benefit,

It boggles my mind how someone with a household income of £60k+, with no housing costs, would be entitled to some sort of top up.

It is madness when people who are unable to work, are expected to be grateful for the little over £700pm in UC.

Something I am angry at is the work allowance thing. I am on UC (LCWA) and if I tried a little part time job, 55p will be stopped for every £1 I earn (I have no kids). Working for half the minimum wage... no thanks. Yet my friend on ESA (also childless) can work for up to 16 hours a week and get to keep all her money.

@WithACatLikeTread i didn’t think she was claiming. I agree. No need to claim. Don’t claim. I get so hacked off at posters who claim for everything possible then whine that their savings are prohibiting further claims. Their savings are from benefits. Not ok. Benefits should be needed. Every single penny. Where do people think the money comes from? Leave it for those in real need.

You would also receive the work allowance because of your limited capability for work.

I'm really sorry this happened to your friend. I came close to this for a few years when I was in dire straights but not entitled to anything because I was single.

I'm agog at the earning thresholds for families. I don't earn and have never earned anywhere near £4k per month but I'm just expected to get on with it without any support!

You wouldn't be better off not working though surely? You'd be subject to the benefit cap, which is what, £1500/£1600. So after you've paid £1300 rent you've not got a lot left for everything else.

And before anyone says about getting other bills paid if you're unemployed, you really don't. Not where I live anyway. I get £18pcm towards my council tax. I still have to pay over £100 myself.

YABU the Entitled to calculator has been around for YEARS.

It's your responsibility to ensure you get what you're entitled to.

Just because it says you are entitled to it doesn’t actually mean you’ll get the amount it says. It’s automated

Id be shocked if you did get as much as you think bringing in £4000 a month. We bring in £3000 a month and have a disabled child which ups what we are entitled to, we usually get between £100-£200 benefits. Being entitled doesn’t automatically mean you get all your childcare back. If you are entitled to £200 a month this may get deducted from your childcare for example and you still have to pay the majority of it.

In terms of you being angry - everyone should be checking / applying to see if they are eligible for things. My son is autistic with ADHD - I didn’t realise he qualified for DLA until someone mentioned it and we now get £400 DLA a month. The government can’t contact everyone and say you may be eligible for this. It’s up to us to investigate and find out.
if you are angry I think you are probably annoyed at yourself for not checking, which is a valid feeling, but no one else’s fault

we bring in just over 3k a month, and definitely not entitled to any benefits. We earn too much apparently that my child can only get half of a student loan! So I can’t imagine anyone taking home 4k would be entitled to anything at all.

I wouldn't have checked either OP so Id be shocked too. Sometimes benefits seem to be crazy low and other times they seem to be crazy generous. Anyway I hope you get what you are entitled to.

This. 10 years ago we weren't eligible for anything apart from Child Benefit - take home pay combined of about £2,400 a month, mortgage of £300/month no childcare costs, 1 child.

This happens because we are brainwashed into thinking that 'benefits' are for non-working scroungers, a concept our govt and media works very hard to convince us of. The truth is the vast majority of benefits are paid to those in work, because wages are too low and a real 'living wage' is far higher than most people realise.

Yes, @Daffodilsinfebruary, it's intensely frustrating, and considering HMRC etc have access to all our earnings info you'd think some of it at least could be automatic, but in reality we have to apply for every penny, wading through long complex forms that ask awkward and contradictory questions.