What is your household income, how much is benefits, and how are you coping?

[Gabrilla]

Genuinely curious after so many threads on here about benefit changes. Please feel free to name change!

I’ll start:

Salaries for both of us total 90k. Only benefits are £102 month child benefit, though we also get tax-free childcare and 15hrs free at nursery.

Total income is about 6k a month, mortgage and bills 3k, nursery 1k, commuting costs £500, groceries cost £500, husband pays CMS and other bits to his children totalling about £500 leaving us about £500 for everything else.

Feels like we’re constantly penny-pinching.

Well it is when the Scottish child payment is supposed to be for children growing up in poverty. Post tax income of £4.700 is not poverty, other we can all agree. Is that what my 67% marginal tax band in Scotland is for?

No it is still crazy that one minimum wage income and one disabled adult who doesn’t work take home 80% of a £90k salary.

We qualify for it. There's nothing wrong with claiming it.

Yes I agree
I was wondering how this poster got the Scottish child payment too ?
as even the £2200 salary is above minimum wage Monthly salary even without the 1700 top up ?

I have to say I’m finding that quite upsetting.
So here is a family on £90k a year that receives a really big chunk on money each month through tax free childcare and free nursery.

But disabled people who are housebound are been told they should just go back to work, Theyre just scroungers and let’s cut disability benefits by £5billions.

What about taking into account the FAMILY income for child benefit and free childcare? Just like you do for UC.
Because I’m sure that would save money we dint have. And at £90k, why should people be offered free by when the poorest don’t??

And all of that with a ‘we don’t get benefits’ talk when actually they do.

Yes, I know, outrageous, why don't I work more etc, with my autistic son in tow and working around when his Dad's shifts are so that we can have 50/50 custoday, how dare a mother only work part time and study 25+ hours a week.

It does pay to work though. For me, UC is a top up of low wages, not a replacement for them. If you are able to work and choose not to, your benefits are heavily capped (rightly).

If I worked full time, I would still be entitled to UC, along with needing to claim for extra help with childcare.

Because we have 50/50 custody, he pays for the child when he has him

You’re not doing anything wrong in claiming it.

It think people are questioning the fact that it’s available to be claimed in these circumstances and whether that should be changed.

@DaffodilsGalore What about taking into account the FAMILY income for child benefit and free childcare? Just like you do for UC.
Because I’m sure that would save money we dint have. And at £90k, why should people be offered free by when the poorest don’t??

The poorest have always received more childcare funding. In fact for a long time those not working received more free childcare than those in work.

I’m not really sure of the point of this thread but OK. Household income £230k, outgoings approx £2,700 per month. Lucky enough to be able to save the equivalent of my take-home salary.

One DD, just started school, no child benefit but I guess it’s a benefit in kind that’s she’s being educated by the state. I did receive £700 a month for the 10 months I was on maternity leave so there is that, plus the 15 hours funded hours at nursery for a year, which meant we only paid about £67k for 3 and a bit years she was there.

Because it's not means tested. There's no salary threshold for claiming it.

Also, I don't believe for a second anyone who claims they wouldn't apply for it if they were eligible.

I really don’t see how benefits topping up a one minimum wage income family to 80% of a 90k salary makes it feel like “it pays to work”.

Our household is on a slightly lower income approx 80k but I understand your post completely. 1 DC and living in the SE unfortunately just eats the cash as houses here are mental price! We have considered moving to a cheaper area but can’t afford the moving fees etc currently! Have approx £500 to play with after bills and mortgage and seem to penny pinch by the last week of the month. Cost of food going up doesn’t help either when already shopping in Lidl/aldi. It seems silly to moan when on that high of a household income compared to other people but like you I just assumed it would be going further than it is. Just remember to tell myself it’s only hard right now with nursery etc and hopefully in a few years we won’t be scrimping so much!

That’s not the issue.

It’s the fact that at £90k from ine wage, people wouldn’t get chikd benefit.
But two people at £45k, yep no problem.
And yet this is not a family struggling…..

Were under 90k

Income £5600
No benefits
Bills and mortgage £2500 (low mortgage but have some a loan each and a car)
Food/Petrol/pets £1000

Left over each month for luxury’s - £2000

We’ve always been terrible with money but our wages have grown quickly in the past two years as we’ve both progressed, been using the spare cash on holidays and enjoying life but we’re going to TTC soon so all of that disposable income will likely be a distant memory next year

I feel like some people very much believe that I shouldn't be claiming it. They probably also believe I'm frittering it away on alcohol and cigarettes or something 😂

To be fair @LilacPeer its not really a “ top up “ when it’s more than your actual wage .
A top up would be working a Sunday shift and getting a 10% premium on my shift for working the Sunday .
These universal credits “ top ups “ are nuts .
It’s like working a shift , your wage is £90 then your work pays you an additional £110 on top …

£2100 a month. But fortunately I don’t have a mortgage on my small flat due to an inheritance a few years back and my modest car valued at about 4k is paid off.

I don’t receive any benefits as I’m single with no children.

Indeed! My goodness our household pays £800 more income tax every month that we would if we lived in England, for the Scottish government to ‘top up’ your household income to the equivalent of about £80k????

Same. We’re not even in London and it’s the same! Lolsb

I’d quality for PIP and disability if I chased it. I don’t though because we manage fine without and it wouldn’t feel right.

Household income £160k, just us and 1x cat. We are planning to have children soon but currently…

Take home around 9k a month, mortgage £1800 (on a flat because London), bills £600 (we pay a service charge as well as the usual Internet, water, energy, council tax), food £400 on groceries and we get a takeaway approx once a week. Car insurance £400 a year, car tax the same. Currently paying for our wedding this summer then will try for baby.

Absolutely this!! I now work less and tip money into pension, of which I plan to take 25 % tax free (if that has not been removed) when I get to 57.

I appreciate though that I am in a minority as DH has a private income as well as a civil service final salary pension that increases with inflation. While we have a mortgage it could be paid off if we wanted to.

Very privileged to live in one of the most expensive areas of the country - I am essentially working class though (by background) and can totally see that the distinction between rich and poor in this country is growing bigger year on year. There is no way unless there was serious family wealth or a lottery win that even a high earner (am talking law firm/ accountancy firm partner) can afford to live where I live and send kids to fee paying school. Which seems almost unreal to me.

Household income is about 80k with 1 child and I feel comfortable but when I look at this or compare with others I realise we are frugal/ lucky in some ways.

So we have 1 car we saved for so no finance deal. We don't have expensive gym membership or phone contracts. No children from previous relationships to support. Reasonable mortgage. No debt.

We don't spend a lot day to day but plenty of holidays. Not luxury but nice family ones. We can save and don't worry about bills.