Benefit cap? Benefit fraud?

[coco99]

Have I unknowingly been committing some sort of benefit fraud? 😭

I’m currently in receipt of
£1778 universal credit per month
£748 DLA for my son every 4 weeks
£83 carer’s allowance weekly
£26 child benefit weekly

I was discussing finances with a close family member today and they’ve told me that I’m getting too much and there’s a benefit cap? (There was no judgments, she’s just worried I’m being going to get accused of committing benefit fraud). She said that my total benefits are way over the cap, but I never knew there was a cut off point? Universal credit know about the DLA/carers that I claim because I informed them? I’m panicking a little bit now that I might have been overpaid and will have to pay some back!

AIBU? Have I been claiming too much that goes past the cap?

“I don’t begrudge anyone…but…

Theres always a “but” isn’t there. Because you absolutely do begrudge it.
Try imagining how difficult, and costly it is being in the position of caring for a disabled child it’s not cheap!

It is confusing. Half the time posters are on here saying they aren’t against the benefits system but it should be for those that genuinely need it. And yet they object to a child who is severely disabled getting benefits. You have to wonder who they think is worthy of needing support.

Are you hard of understanding? I said to you that your last sentence has no relevance to anything I said. That sentence was "Regardless though, I don't think any of my colleagues would think the OP has an easier life and want to swap!" Nothing to do with wages, you were talking about swapping staying at home with working.

I also didn't "bring up" wages, I replied to a person who did bring up salary.

I’m not suggesting that the OP ‘receives too much’, I stated it must be incredibly hard work looking after a disabled child, but for a two person household it’s a decent amount of financial support. My criticism is towards those who say that benefits are a pittance and parents with disabled children don’t receive enough money. If this is an
example for a single parent with a disabled child it’s clear that the financial support is there.

If they have the costs associated with caring for a severely disabled child, they need to be helped with those.

I think they are in favour of it as long as people don't get more than them so they would be happy if people just had nenough so they have a roof over their heads and are not starving .

I think that's spot on. It's depressing.

Benefits are a pittance. Once rent is removed they really are not enough to live on anymore. Especially if you are privately renting and have a massive shortfall or are disabled so have massively higher outgoings than an able person.

You realise this is unlikely to cover the actual living costs associated with having a child with a disability and while it looks like a lot it almost certainly doesn’t cover the actual costs.

So if the costs associated with raising a disabled child safely are more than NMW (which they absolutely will be in the case of OP’s child), that’s just tough shit for the child and parents in question? They shouldn’t get “any more than NMW”? No issues for you there morally when it comes to the welfare of the children?

What happens if that means parents simply cannot cope and the children need to go into care? Do you know how much that would cost taxpayers, if the money is your major concern?

Don’t worry op. DLA doesn’t ‘count’ in these circs.

These threads never go well.
Op you've gotten your answer and hopefully gives you peace of mind.

@OldMcDonaldHadABigMac struggling to understand the relevance of your posts about wages. Everyone else's seem straightforward enough, make of that what you will.

Back to the thread, an aspect that seems to be being forgotten also is that a large part of the OPs UC will be the housing element. That money isn't going in her pocket, it'll be going on rent, for a landlord to profit from. UC rates look high due to inflated housing costs, however it's not the benefit claimants who are profiting from that.

General question. Not having a go.
So OPs child isn’t yet school age what is the DLA for? How is it any different to parents caring for pre school children without disabilities? I understand of child needs special equipment, hoists maybe etc but surely that is all provided and the DLA is on top……

My friend had £800 DLA for both her children when they were pre-schoolers (now 18 & 19) because they were hard of hearing. Family were offered sign language lessons for parents and children aswell as DLA. Friend didn’t take them. Also got a computer at home for DC which was given (she didn’t have to pay for it with DLA). DC were preschoolers so don’t know why they needed a computer? The DLA was, as she described it, free cash. Now I would never want my DC to have hearing problems in exchange for money or things but friend didn’t need it. She used to buy expensive clothes, had a new car and went on holidays. I’d have put money like that in the bank for my DC.

Both her DC went to mainstream school and then eldest went to a private school for the deaf, all paid for. She has implants so can hear and the 18yr old has hearing aids and can also hear.

It does, to have a take home pay of £3,000 a month you would need to be on a gross annual salary of around £45/46,000. But you miss my point, im just commenting that you cannot say that benefits are a pittance and that disabled children are not financially supported, they clearly are. The OP deserves every penny if her child is that disabled, but you can’t deny the benefit system is relatively generous and proper support is available.

Thanks for posting about housing costs,I couldn't be bothered as I've done it before on these types of threads.

Yes because of having additional costs associated with disability

" I understand of child needs special equipment, hoists maybe etc but surely that is all provided and the DLA is on top……"

It isn't all provided.

If only those things were always all provided. And if her children are 18 & 19 then they were probably preschoolers before 14 years of austerity meant that less and less stuff was provided.

I’m not saying there aren’t costs associated, I know full well there are, but I’m doubtful they’re to the tune of £3k per month. I have lived disabled and with amputated limbs for 37 years, have you?

How would this other person know what you should or shouldn't have?

Maybe don't discuss your finances with people. I don't think many would talk about their wages in detail so why do so about benefits?

If you want to you can contact the DWP and say you want to check you're not on the wrong money? But I don't see why you should need to.
Other than to avoid someone saying something judgemental.

I can. Benefits are a pittance and disabled children are not adequately financially supported, they clearly are not. OP deserves every penny but should be getting more as the system is in no way generous and is not proper support.

The highest rates of DLA amount to about £800 / month now ,so your friend wssent getting £800 16 years ago
DLA is non means tested and is supposed to be used to benefit the child, but it's up to parents whst to spend the money on.

No. You’re not subject to the cap as you care for a child in receipt of DLA