Families on UC

[happypickle]

Off the back off another thread and doing a few searches of the benefits calculator, it seems the sweet spot for a lot of families will be to be renting, have a low/medium earning (typically) husband and an unemployed mother who stays at home. This seems to yield the highest return for UC, no childcare expenses and a happy mum who gets to stay at home and be there for her children.

It doesn't seem to be fair that UC system supports this whilst middle earners will be expected to both work full time in order to pay their mortgage and pay extortionate child care fees to probably be in a worse financial position than those on UC.

I know the theory is that long term, the working couple will be better off as they will have better pensions and career progression. But is that really the case?

This is my SIL when she’s pleading poverty.

God knows what she wants anyone to say.

Not this again 🙄

DH works full time, I am an OU student part time and we are in receipt of UC. We have four DC ranging from 17 to 6. Youngest is in receipt of CDP and I receive Carer's Allowance. I am his main carer when I am on not studying and he isn't in school.

I have been a SAHM for 17 years now.

What is unfair to me is that if you rent then UC pays it for you. If you have a mortgage it doesn't.

So it's fine to pay a greedy landlord's mortgage but not a homeowner's.

I don't think the state should be paying anyone's mortgage but it's unfair that if you fall on hard times your rent is paid but you're shafted for the mortgage!

Obviously I don't think state should be subsidising mortgages of people who choose to not work but where's the safety net for those who need the housing support for a while.

Do all you benefit bashers work for the daily wail? Or is this purely your own prejudice which you have nurtured all by yourselves?

I do not need to work as I am classed as being in training and education. Coming to the end of my first of six years studying part time for my degree. I might end up doing a Masters afterwards. I will see how it goes closer to the time.

The issue with relying on benefits is that you're at the mercy of landlords/HAs , you're at the mercy of the government and their policies etc., and more often than not they're not enough to live on.

If you think it's that great, give it a go.

Sorry don't know much about it

Evidently.

What these threads often come down to is “working class people shouldn’t breed”, which really isn’t the flex you think it is.

The people literally keeping the lights on in this country aren’t earning enough to have children without their salary being topped up by in work benefits. Isn’t that a disgrace?

I already work full time. I wouldn't work overtime unless I was desperate as I'd keep about 30p in the pound. So £4 something an hour on overtime rates.

How about workers being paid enough to live on?

No, the point of benefits is to subsidise employers.

I do think that UC should take mortgages into account in the same way they do for rent, it feels like the government is saying you can’t own your house is you’re poor”

I think the government is saying the tax payer won’t buy your house for you, which is ironic given they’ll pay private landlords for rent on a mortgaged property. There is support for mortgages in UC, if you have a mortgage you get a slightly higher allowance instead of rent payment and they will pay interest on your mortgage after a period of time, I think it’s fair enough not covering the capital.

Benefits were intended to be a safety net, for people who lost their job to tide them over til they found something else or for people with disabilities. To have people working out how little they can work, or how they can game the system to get as much as possible for as long as possible is distasteful. I was on benefits (while working) after my marriage broke down, as soon as I could I found another job and stopped claiming - they’re intended as a safety net not a long term financial strategy.

My DH works hard as a school site manager, taking responsibility of running a school for 600 primary children, managing 2 caretakers and several cleaning staff. He walks at least 18000 steps per day in his job.

We have 3 children with SEN. The most severely disabled child wasn't diagnosed until I had already given birth to DD3. DH works, I stay at home to care for the DDs. I get carer's allowance and it is deducted in full from our UC, but it gives me National Insurance credits.

We live in council housing under a secure tenancy, for which I'm grateful. We get a significant amount of support from UC.

I provide care well in excess of the norm for 3 children for £81.90 per week. When DD3 turns 19 in 4 years time, our work allowance will go. I will still be caring for DD1 full time. I will not be able to work (she can't be left at home unattended). I lost my career and my nursing registration because my children have SEN.

Do I feel guilty that we receive UC? Not one bit.

I thought you had to look for work once your youngest child was three? And obviously they'll bring that age down once the free childcare age comes down - anyone who didn't see that coming isn't thinking it through.

There probably are some people getting some benefits who don't need/ deserve them but a system that was strict enough to stop that would probably automatically stop some people who do need them getting them. That's the root problem.

I don’t understand this thought process at all. It’s the sexist happy mum who stays home. It’s like something out the 1950s. Fuck me.

Why start a TAAT instead of replying to the original thread? You don't even have anything new to say.

We get universal credit. My husband works, I don't. We have 3 disabled children, 1 who is severely disabled. We rent. Our landlord hasn't been paying the mortgage so we're being evicted, to a homeless shelter. Yeah real sweet spot.

UC will loan you money to pay the interest on your mortgage.

But the choice of mortgage and job or no job and renting I'd pick the mortgage 100 percent cent. Most people private rent, have no security, often landlords that don't do repairs/maintenance - it's not a nice way to live.

If you think someone is better off than you renting and not working then feel free to give your house away and quit your job. If that doesn't feel like it will be a better life then stop complaining.

Are there people who happily live on the system? Yes.
Would it make you happy? No.

Should they not be allowed to be happy because they're happy with a "lesser" life that you wouldn't settle for? No.

I'd rather stay home than work. Not because I'm sexist but because my job's boring and my children aren't! DH would probably say the same (that's why I don't stay home full time, because it wouldn't be fair on him.)

Working families are on UC so that the big employers are able to continue with the low wages and pulling in huge profits, lining their pockets in the process.

The mortgaged, struggling middle are there to fund this system. If they complain, they are told its the lazy bustards on UC are at fault.

Are there UC BOTS going overtime atm?

My youngest is 6 and I haven't been asked to find work. But I do study part time whilst they are all in school.

As I see it the issue is low wages people cant
live on and lack of social housing so the state ends up paying massive rents. Total mismanagement over the years. Lack of foresight by various governments

You need to provide evidence of what course you are studying to UC, they need to see the funding details etc. It's not like they just take your word for it.