Friend earns as much as me on benefits

[NattyFinch]

I felt really shocked and conflicted after a discussion with a friend recently that revealed that she receives over £2000 a month on benefits for 2 children while I work full time as a single parent with one child for a similar amount (once I’ve paid all my taxes, ni etc). It stemmed from her saying she was going for ivf treatment at 48 at a total cost of £8000. I’m supportive as a friend and try not to be a judgmental person but this just seems unjust when I’ve worked so hard to stay in employment and raise my son single-handedly for 12 years. She doesn’t want to move to England because if the ivf is successful she will get more money to stay in Scotland. AIBU to think this is all bonkers ?!

Um I'm not saying I personally think she's having a third child just for money. I'm just pointing out she won't get universal credit or child tax credit for a third child seeing as that's what this thread is about and what the op is hinting at.
Not spiteful at all just pointing out something that a lot of people here don't seem to be aware of.

Don't think it will be possible for her to have a child at 48 anyway.

Oh dear 😬. I'm sorry you're in that position. Must be a worrying prospect, having to take such a huge step 'backwards'.
Won't you have to burn through any equity as well before being entitled?
I know an old colleague who managed to sell hers to a housing association, so didn't need to move. I don't know if that's an option for you, but it helped to ease the blow.

How do you know any of this?? Nasty comment

Who fought and died to build the UK and is still alive and needing state support?!

That’s before we get on to the fact that historically those that fought to build wealth for the UK were usually plundering from and killing people in countries that those migrants you speak ill of come from.

I never really know what to believe on these threads as the numbers seem so high.

It rather explains why the health / disability benefit bill is increasing so much every year though.

Being able to claim enough to take home more than minimum wage seems fairly absurd, let alone being able to take home even more than that.

It could be around £2000. I get around £600 ish (I can't remember the exact figure offhand) for myself and 1 child. Plus £450 rent. Plus £800 ish for childcare (variable each month). That's with 1 child. The friend has 2. Go on entitled to. Put in rent plus childcare costs plus how many children you have (2 in this case). You'll see for yourself.

So don't work and be on benefits then if you don't like that she gets the same not working.....

But there’s many who are the opposite to you. Who prefer to not work, as long as they get enough money to survive on. Some have social anxiety, some will be anxious about child care, and others will just be lazy.

Can we claim like this after quitting our jobs? Genuine question.
I didn’t know they got 100% of rent paid for ????? WTAF

This

This

Ridiculous going for ivf at 48.

It's not fair, life's not fair and I feel for those genuinely in need but there are alot of people playing the system and if it carries on there won't be the help left for anyone, let's all try to leave the support for those that genuinely need it no questions asked, cause we are nice people and things can happen to anyone that change the course of life dramatically.

Well clearly the facts are she is planning another baby, and presumably unless she suddenly has an epiphany, she intends to continue to not work. So the poster making that comment is factually correct. It really is shameful for someone to be so lacking in self awareness that they make a decision to have another baby when they don’t intend to support it.

Who is ‘they’? Use entitled to if you want to work out your eligibility as it depends on your circumstances

The thing is isn’t that counted as deprivation of assets

She will be on pension credit, receive all the benefits associated with that and be better off than a lot who worked.

The thing people should be getting angry about is that most of this benefit money is going straight to rich landlords through the UC rent element.

Well if everyone stopped working low paid jobs and claimed benefits instead where would we be? Who would look after the elderly, sick, children? Or work in retail? It’s all very well saying well stop working then but seriously what state would we be in?
Absolutely nobody should be better off on benefits than working, nobody.

Pathetic post! Your not a friend at all. What exactly is your problem?
What are you jealous about? What all do you know about her life, her situation& all her actually incoming & outgoings?
You want her and her kids to be worse off? Struggling to eat?
Do you know for fact they aren't? Because no one tells the truth& actually discusses everything about their private lives.
You chose your life no one made you, people work or don't for lots of reasons & it's not all for £.
I'm sure a select few choose benefits as life choice. The rest because they have no choice and they do not want to be this way you say your not judgemental but you clearly are!
You are no better than her just because you work. Get another better paid job then!
As others have said you to most likely entitled look into it, and then let others look down complain, bitch abour you. Like you and others are doing about her(no one here knows the full story)

Surely people are just paying the going rent in their area, not landlords fault it's high

They will also have bought at inflated rate

Well said

Also all this talk about not building up a pension is irrelevant.
Those who do not work are not cast onto the streets at 67 are they? They are not thrown out of their ( paid for) homes and told to live on the streets until they drop dead. They receive just as much (if not more) than the person who has paid NI for their entire working life. They can go into any A&E and receive the same treatment as those who have gone out to work and paid NI. They can go into a nursing home and get the same treatment as those who have paid into the system.
They often get more than those who have worked. They can continue to tap into benefits which those who have paid into a private pension are excluded from. This does not mean that those who receive a private pension are better off, just that they have made sacrifices throughout their life so as to put money aside for their pension,