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.

We are not getting any benefits, but FFS, read the room! The most tone-deaf post in recent days.

The issue is that £90K doesn't go far in the SE when you're spending almost £2K on a mortgage, AND when your partner is also supporting another family.

I don't know your earnings split but if it's 50-50 then an income of £45K each isn't that great spread across 2 families. It's (for example) 2 teachers on just above the main pay scale. Or 2 snr nurses, etc.

I'm not trying to be critical but putting your income into perspective.

But a bit of paint doesn't cost much so maybe think about how you can freshen up your home on a budget?

But you know the reasons for not having a better life.
You know your outgoings are high because your DH has children from a previous relationship.
You can’t do anything about that. You just need to carry on.

Sorry MN but my income is MY business

OP I think you might need some lessons on budgeting etc if you can't even buy new clothes!

If you're mortgage and bills are totalling 3k, then I can see your issue straight away. Would you move to another area?

None of your business but a hell of lot less than you.

How old are his other children?

If they are teens, the payments will stop at 18 won't they?

You must have a desirable house for that amount of mortgage.
Move if there's an issue.

Why are you asking what other benefit claimants receive?

Hmmm

Well as a single parent on 80k I don’t get any child benefit so a bit lacking in sympathy that you, as two working parents, do get this as well as double tax free allowance etc., double the amount at a lower tax rate etc

Yes you’re right. Not expecting to live like billionaires!

I was naive, I suppose, when I met DH. Didn’t think about the costs we have when they’re not around of bigger house, bigger car and so on.

To be fair, we don't know where they live and people who don't live in the SE are often very unaware of the cost of even a modest 3-bed semi.

£500K isn't unusual and in fact the low end.

You are paying for your choices. You choose to have a home with a large mortgage. You chose to have children when your husband already had commitments to his other children.

Coming on here to claim you're struggling on £90k when you are fully aware there are lots of disabled people scared stiff that they won't be able to afford food now is distasteful at best.

Read the bloody room.

I think the op’s getting a very hard time. She’s not complaining just stating facts.
The poster above is getting an equivalent of £57,500 salary of which approx 50% is benefits and nobody’s commenting on that, she also obviously only works part time as salary under NMW for full time. ( And I’m not having a go at the poster either just making a point)

and taking money from the state.

child benefit used to be universal. the majority take something from the state

Why is the OP not allowed to say she thought her spending power would be higher on her salary?
Whats the maximum income someone needs to have before they stop being allowed to discuss finances?

Simple question- what can either of you do to earn more?

Promotion? Change your type of work?

How is your income split- equally or one a higher earner?

I'm not here to knock anything OP. I am a single mum who coparents 50/50, I work part time as I am also trying to complete my degree in Biology through OU. I earn £1015 roughly a month from my job, and this is topped up by universal credit to about £2085. My outgoings are as follows:
Rent: £725
Bills: £597 (£150 to my grandma to pay her back for my car)
Food: £200
Credit Card: £100
Fuel: £120
Savings: £100
Leaves me with about £243 for clothes, school trips, days out etc. It's a little tight but I make it work and honestly since leaving my partner and the financial security that came with him, 1000x happier with my life now!

It’s on the list but this month we had our MOT which cost over £500 so all of the spare income. DH needed new glasses and SC needed new trainers last month plus we bought a stair gate and a bigger car seat for the baby. It seems every month there’s some new cost which wipes us out.

I think you are doing pretty well, even if you can’t afford the luxuries. If my child (like one of your husband’s) only cost me £500 a month I would be significantly richer!!!

I earn 27k p/a, DH is on about 33k.

No benefits.

Mortgage is very low - about 300 quid a month for the time being. One very old clapped out car that we're considering getting rid of.

I do feel like we have enough left over for fun things and holidays. Not hugely extravagant ones, but enough.

Not really, do you know anything about the cost of housing or interest rates these days?

I pay almost what OP does but for a 2 bedroom flat with a 60% LTV.
I can’t just choose to pay less like people are suggesting. If I rented it would be more.

why does their father not contribute?

22k. That's my work pension plus about 4k of a pension inherited from my husband.

The house is paid for, but I have a large repair bill coming up so I'm worried about that.

Would have been a bit better off, but it became impossible for me to work full time (DH was disabled latterly) and my then boss wasn't prepared to agree a 3 day week for me. Ergo, I took my work pension two years early.

Have done a bit of supply teaching, but it's cheaper for schools in Scotland to employ a younger person - and, to be honest, the classroom is a bit robust these days. It was never good for supply staff, but it's downright dangerous these days.

I'm better off than many.