To find this universal credit situation unfair

[happypickle]

Myself and DH have 1 child and pay the equivalent of a 2nd mortgage on nursery. We are talking about having a 2nd child but we have to wait to be at a point where our first would be on their way into school as we could not afford to pay for 2 nursery places.

In laws who are in universal credit, have no such constraints and are in a position to try and conceive before us as SIL does not work and is a SAHM to 6 month old. They get a fortune in UC and have their rent paid and actually have more disposable income than us in professional jobs.

Don't know what I want from this post but just feel it's so unfair that we are constrained by finances but those on benefits are free to plan their family exactly as they want and they will have the ideal 2 years age gap which we would have loved to have done.

What are there incomings vs your incomings?

Surely if they’re better off with 1 person not working and you’re struggling to pay nursery fees, then the obvious solution would be for you or DH to become a SAHP (or potentially both go PT), then you’ll be in the same situation as them.

It sounds like they’ve chosen to have 1 stay as a SAHP to avoid paying the nursery fees.

If it makes such a big difference then why don’t you just do the same as them?

Just sell your house and go on the dole. I'm sure you'll find your life will improve immediately and forever.

Those who have never claimed any kind of benefit (UC, PIP, unemployment, whatever) have paid through various taxes, for those who do

FFS. As always, people 'on benefits' can also be in work. And plenty of people 'on benefits' today were in work yesterday. We have also paid our taxes, and continue paying our taxes, and receive whatever it is we're entitled to as well.

HTH. It won't. But it should.

If you genuinely think your in-laws are in an enviable position, there is absolutely nothing to stop you selling your house, quitting your job and having another baby. So go and do that, then come back in a year and let us know how it's going.

If you earn enough to pay the equivalent of two mortgages and will come out in possession of assets worth in excess of half a million pounds (probably, far, far more by the time your mortgage is paid off), whereas she's never earned enough to buy one flat and won't pass credit checks for one when she does go back to work for years, I'm failing to see exactly how she gets the better deal out of the two of you.

about how much are we talking?
if they are so disabled that they’re getting LCWRA then she can’t really meet the needs of a child by herself, does she have much support, does her partner work?
I suppose your situation is different because they will be renting whereas you are paying off a mortgage and will eventually own your property.

Quit your job, sell your house, rent and deplete your savings so you can get more UC then 🤷‍♀️ Let me guess, you don't want to...

This is absolute bullshit I'm afraid. Mad in this day and age, when so many working people rely on UC to get by, that perceptions like this still exist.

@happypickle unless either of them have disability or their child does- they really won't be 'raking it in' - it probably seems like that because of getting money towards the rent - but that has to be paid out if they want to keep a home. They possibly do have more disposable, if you are paying nursery and a big mortgage- but that doesn't go on forever- I know it feels like it though - at some point she is going to have to look for work and be hassled if she doesn't.

Not sure if they have private renting or HA/council- but if it's private- it's very insecure (I know as we have it) and the more rents go up the less likely their allowable rent will cover off a large part of the rent.

I remember having a woman work for me who was obsessed about doing enough hours to get 'top ups' but not so many that god forbid she did more than 22 hours as she was 'no better off' - that's what's wrong with the system- she felt it was right to be able to work part time with a 12 year old and do no more and let everyone else fund her set up- no illnesses, perfectly healthy, really nice and cheap HA flat in a good area.

I'm social minded but yes there are plenty of people more than happy to take the piss whilst they can - and yet people who really are in difficulty with chronic illness and insecure housing have to jump through hoops it seems

Sorry but people don't get a "fortune" on universal credit. The only way you get a fortune is if there are multiple disabilities going on.
I'm on UC at the minute..
I get £70 a week for me and £130 a week for two children
The rent I got was £125 a week
That's £325 a week or 1300ish a month So jobs wise about 25 hours a week worth of money not a fortune. It's helpful of course but it isn't making us millions.

Especially as that's two children, you only get about £70 a week for one child.

So that means one adult and child is actually on about £140 a week. And whatever rent they are entitled to which by the way doesn't often pay the full rent unless your in social housing.

OP you started a thread about the "unfairness" of UC less than two weeks ago. Why another thread?

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5067241-families-on-uc

Yes and so predictable.

@Crikeyalmighty ·

@happypickle unless either of them have disability or their child does- they really won't be 'raking it in'

I have 2 disabled children. I can assure you we are not well off and certainly not taking it in. what an awful thing to say about those on disability benefits!

No it's not!

You can't just say fuck it and stop work for no reason and expect UC to pay your mortgage and bills. They won't.

I agree OP, it's not fair. No one on MN will ever concede that a lot of people have very cushy lives on benefits and it's a lifestyle choice for many.

I don’t care either way but it might help the OP unburden themselves of the resentment.

OP’ll be on a ‘wages by thread’ basis. The more frothers they get, the more pay.

Those who have never claimed any kind of benefit (UC, PIP, unemployment, whatever) have paid through various taxes, for those who do.

Many of those not on benefits still won’t be net contributors.

Ignore those saying quit your job and be a SAHM and claim. If everyone did that we'd be in even more of a mess as a country, and morally that's not right.

This completely misses the point of those who are posting if OP thinks it is so unfair why doesn’t she give up her job and claim UC. OP isn’t going to give up her job because SIL isn’t actually raking it in.

If their life seems so much better just quit your jobs and live off benefits... or does that not seem like a life you'd be happy with?

Round and round we go on the MN Tory Scapegoat Roundabout. Muslims. Disabled people. Benefit recipients. I'm getting dizzy.

Instead of getting angry at those on benefits surely the thing you should really be angry about is the crazy high costs of childcare, low wages, and shitty interest rates meaning high mortgages. Our society is geared towards making rich people richer and poor people poorer. That's what you should be calling out not that those on benefits can afford the basics of life. From what I understand life on benefits is hardly luxurious.

As a childfree person, I think it is really unfair that you get tax breaks on your lifestyle choices and I don't.

It might be worth double checking this. Recently a few of my friends that were only eligible for tax free childcare when they first went back to work realised they actually qualify for the 80% childcare costs via UC.

They get no other award. Just the childcare element.

This isn’t how UC works. Someone can’t just receive the childcare element. All elements (for someone receiving the childcare element that would be at least standard allowance, child element(s) and childcare element) are added up and then, following the work allowance, earnings are deducted 55p in every pound.

You have to be entitled to some UC to get it. If you would otherwise get a zero award you aren't entitled to the childcare help.