AIBU to claim UC with a 'high' income

[Loriclimbs]

I am very conflicted about lifting the two-child cap. I know many would benefit from it but it would lead us back to more abuse of the system. I, however, have three children myself. I have gratefully received UC in the past but as my income has grown I am currently no longer eligible.

With the addition of my youngest child, I will now be eligible for approximately £200 per month. I an a higher rate tax payer abd Icurrently pay over £1200 in income tax alone per month. I have to repay the majority of the child benefit I receive.

AIBU to claim what I am entitled to?

Ha ha ha.
You can't actually do that.
If you are on a low income you might be entitled to help already (ie the housing element) but if you just quit your jobs you would be expected to get another or spend hours everyday job hunting or attending groups that help getting work.

What about people who don't decide to have children?! 🤔 are we entitled to bleed the state dry too? Or just work all our lives to pay for everyone's life choices? Really grips my shit.

Claim them but don't use them, it allows the school to get more funds to support children who are struggling.

@SoloMumJustMuddlingThrough have you checked if you are entitled to anything.
You don't have to work under UC rules until your daughter is 3.
You are a single parent.
You more than likely would get help.
(although maybe it's because of your savings that you don't)

Can people please read @Katemax82 's follow up posts.
She explains why her family gets help despite her husband's high wage.

Yeah, it's the savings.

No one will get UC with savings over 16k.

Yes I thought that I was typing.
@SoloMumJustMuddlingThrough as soon as your savings are down to under the £16k you WILL be entitled to help.

Sucks though really that she has saved a deposit for a house and now it's going to disappear.

Having a disabled child is hugely expensive. My friend gets DLA for her autistic child and what she is having to go through to try and get him into a SEN school is unbelievable. Solicitor costs, private assessments that the LA won’t cover. In the meantime her income is affected because she can’t work for more than a few hours a day. Even after he gets a place in a SEN school she’ll never be able to work full time and he’ll likely need caring for as an adult.

But at the same time, you'll have people screaming that you shouldn't be able to save for a house deposit if you get benefits.

You can have savings up to 6k I think it is before UC make deductions from what they pay you. Some people won't even agree with that.

Well run down your savings and then you would be entitled. You would be better off working as you would get 30 hours then.

Good luck with the sanction then. Enjoy the stress of wondering how you will pay your bills.

It's true, but in the meantime I'm unable to rent privately and cannot get mortgage even with savings. I could stop budgeting and blow my savings and then claim but it seems so wrong. I was legally homeless and about to move into a DV shelter but then a family member offered toet me rent a room. I am very fortunate, it was a complete lifeline. There must be a lot of people forgotten on the system, not paying in, not receiving anything, not able to secure housing. It's tough. Because 16k sounds a lot but it doesn't give you freedom of you don't already have housing.

I don't want to derail the thread... In answer to OP. Claim anything and everything you are entitled to.

Exactly.
That's why families with disabled children get help - regardless of the household income.

We are a low income family and don't get a great deal of UC top up.

I say if you're entitled to it, claim it.
Unless you feel it's immorraly wrong to do so, why not?

Would you consider resigning now? (Sorry if already been asked)

That is pretty disgusting. Severe anxiety is very debilitating. It is not something you think you could just fake for money. I have seen the effect it has on people, and you are treating it like a joke. Would you pretend to have something like cancer? Parkinson's?
You would need evidence from more than just your GP to get anywhere. Waiting lists for genuine sufferers of mental health issues is huge, and you would be wasting the time of the professionals, taking them away from people who actually need them.
Also, once you have anxiety in your medical notes, it gets blamed for everything. So be prepared to not have anything else taken seriously anymore.

She chose to have children. What's being in a two person household got to do with anything? She has a husband on a 70 grand salary, I share a house with a pensioner. Hardly the same.

She has a husband on a high salary I live with a pensioner. No financial comparison. She chose to have children.

You'll need to be buying mumsnet chickens, the £600 per month UC you'll receive as a couple won't go too far.

She has two disabled children.

That's why.

If the law says you are entitled then you are. If you like you can take it and donate part to the local food bank or something to benefit other kids. It is like pensions - some people really don't need them but they are entitled to them and many donate the money. It can do more good in your community than sitting in the governmet accounts.

Just to say not all SEN children who needed formal specified SEN education don't work. Many are able to take vocational courses, perhaps with support through college, and move on into the workplace. Slower than their peers but they are doing fine. I will say after many years in the SEN world the parents who state their children will never be independent are the families who receive PIP. I do wonder how that inability to be independent at all, in any shape or form, would look if PIP or equivalent funding was not available. I am no longer a believer in families being given large sums of untaxed money indefinitely. I think it encourages dependency.

I have two disabled children, one of them we get DLA for and he’s in a special school. DH and I both work full time, DH on £62k and I’m on £42k (both before tax and deductions) and we’re entitled to nothing according to this calculator. Little savings and we rent. Never expected we would be entitled to anything but reading all the comments from people adamant that if you rent and have a disabled child you would be entitled to help I thought I’d check…nope.

Having a disabled or very ill child basically makes working full time imposdible. The amount of work that has to be put into.just keeping them at school - the demands you collect them at a moments notice and the endless meetings - make it hard to kerp a job unless you have an amazing employer who for some reason has no financial stress. Then there are the constant appointments and just the sheer exhaustion caused by worrying all the time. And the financial stress of not being able to work and paying for unfunded treatment and supports. That is why so many of us end up homeschooling - and the fact that our kids are being damaged by the school. And you have to basically start again every year because the schools don't pass on information and want the child to show they still need help by failing before help is given. So they consistently lose at least a term of learning every year plus a term to recover somewhat.