To think I should work less and claim Universal Credit?

[Tiredandgrumpymum]

After a difficult divorce I find myself supporting my 2 children on my own. Ex-husband pays the bare minimum.

I work full time on about minimum wage, all my shopping is done at Asda usually yellow-stickered where ever possible. This year managed to take my 2 kids away for a weeks break by the seaside in a caravan. We had a lovely time but did it as cheaply as possible. Bought ice cream and put in the freezer in the caravan so when kids asked for an ice cream out I said wait till we get home.

No eating out except for takeaway chips etc. No expensive days out.

Just bought all the school uniforms as cheaply as possible from the supermarket and the school shoes which I've had to put on my credit card.

My SIL popped round for a coffee earlier on her way back from the hairdressers having treated herself to a new cut and colour at a posh salon and she was just on the way to get her nails done. She's just returned from a 2 week all inclusive in Turkey with her 4 kids. Her kids get the best school uniforms and school shoes and she pays for them to do various activities I can only dream about. All this and she works 3 mornings a week and gets topped up on UC. She goes to the gym everyday as she can afford it and has the time to so looks fabulous.
I'm sorry I sound so bitter but I really am.

UC doesn’t really care what you think here. If SIL can argue that her ADHD impacts her sufficiently in certain ways then she absolutely could be getting extra as a result.

ADHD is a disability. So is dyslexia and ASD. No automatic entitlement to benefits for it or any disability, depends on extra needs.

Sure, if you want. You won't get the same as sil though as you don't have disabled dc. And yes adhd can be a disability.

It absolutely can be very disabling.

If her child’s ADHD is so severe and stressful in the first place, then how on earth would a holiday be relaxing?

How is that a break? (At the tax payers expense)

Anyone who gets DLA or PIP avoids the benefits cap ATM. If you don't get DLA for your DC or PIP for yourself you'd be hit by benefit cap. That's just how it is ATM.

Exactly. Depends on additional needs caused by the diagnosis. Which we don't know that Sil and/or her child has. Equally, there is no basis for histeric posts that "she is burnt out dealing with a disabled child".

Many of my friends' children have ASD or ADHD. Every single one works full time.

depending on the child there could be lots of reasons , perhaps a friend or family member /dh went too so they could
share the work? Going AI means no cooking cleaning etc. if there is a water park for example this can be great for burning off extra energy and better sleep for the child = better sleep for the parents. Sun and warm and sea can all be restorative.

Are you not claiming because you have savings over £16k?

On what basis do you think ADHD isn’t a disability? Do you know anything about it at all?

The OPs earnings would exempt her from the cap also.

Regardless, the benefits for it should not be in the mount that fund a luxury lifestyle - when working people with children cannot afford the same through their earned wages.

Yup. At least one a week, I sometimes wonder if they're planted by the government to garner support for benefit cuts. But I would assume if that were the case, the op would have had the sense to come up with a scenario where the responses wouldn't all be that she too should be claiming!

I do, as a matter of fact. That's my job

YABU because this is a benefits bashing post. With your income you're actually entitled to UC and should probably do a check from the .gov website and then come back to update us all that you do qualify, and how silly you sound!

Disability benefits are not funding luxury lifestyles.

The fact that OP is repeatedly ignoring anyone who asks why they haven't looked into claiming universal credit themselves, when they are probably entitled to it, just makes this post look fishy.

Impossible, is a lie.

Unfortunately I know two Police officers who live separately for this reason. She only works 4 shifts a month and claims to be a single parent.

You won't get it, OP, even if you did drop hours.

I have similar to her. I earn the same amount as you, but with all benefits added together also get about another £2000 (in PIP, TC and CB). We get this because my partner has multiple seizures every couple of weeks and can't function without my help. I choose to work full time (in term time) or I'd lose my mind and he's mostly asleep while I work and the kids are in school, anyway.

It means we do ok financially, but I'd much rather not have him not seizing on the floor for hours every fortnight. High amounts of benefits don't tend to come for good reasons...

Separately, I earn same as you p/m but work 37 hours a week for 39 weeks a year rather than 52 as a TA. I have qualifications, but they're not used in my role nor necessary. Look into term time only, if you want to take the pressure off a bit. The break from caring via work, combined with the sense of relaxation when term then finishes is what keeps me going and sane. Maybe you'd feel happier with more time, even if it was the same cash.

It absolutely can be very disabling

So can stupidity, poor judgement and lack of common sense but you don't get extra for those.

What’s the salary for a disability verifier these days ?

Wow - another poor Joe-taxpayer thread disguised as knowing someone personally with a luxury lifestyle because…. Dripfeed… the child and person have a condition that probably entitled them to disability benefits.

The OP could at least pretend to be curious as to how they themselves could claim UC but that’s not the point of the thread, is it?

I’d be shocked to the core if someone ever posted a thread about how they respected the parent of a child with disabilities and how they coped with minimal work and a low income - but this.. It’s just here we go again.

How many flatscreen tvs has SUL got?
How many free taxis?
How many Motability cars that she doesn’t need? Etc etc.

People always say things like this on threads bashing benefits but I can’t help wonder how stupid they are to think the cost of running 2 homes is less than the extra benefits they would get.

Yeah why not! Let us all know how it goes. Especially when the children have left home, and have no pension. At least you’ll have your nails though!!