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?

Something has gone wrong with your online calculator calculations. They aren’t always reliable. If comparing like for like circumstances, because of the work allowance and earnings taper, a claimant would not receive more UC when not working than they would in UC and earnings if they were working.

If you want to give more information, I will do a manual calculation. To do that, I would need to know:
Monthly income after tax, NI and pension contributions.
Whether your adult child is still a qualifying young person or not.
What rate DLA and PIP DC get.
If you rent. And if so, if it is council/housing association (and if so, what your rent is and if you have any spare bedrooms) or private rental (if so, what is your LHA 3 bed rate).
If you have any childcare costs.
If either of you receive carer’s allowance.

I appreciate you might not want to divulge that information, though.

Whats crazy is the stagnation of wages that has led to UC topups that are necessary.

If you're entitled to it claim it.

Nope. I could claim a certain benefit but I don't.

Boohoo

It's because wages are too low.
Unfortunately 🙁

I’ve just been playing around on the link. It’s farcical. I have a job where I can work as many hours or little hours as I like as I’m in demand. I have settled on 20 hours and £30k as it suits me. It has never occurred to me to even look in to benefits.
on the calculator if I work less hours, I’ll just get basically exactly the same amount in UC!! It’s bat shit!

I just don’t understand this tbh, if you are entitled to it then claim it and do something with it. Save for your dc or give to charity. I’m in Ireland and our child benefit is not means tested. We bring in over 120k. I save the child benefit for university costs. Why not?!

Claim it, you might as well get something back.

Do you rent? Are your children NT?

It’s not a one size fits all - depends on many factors .
When son was under 18 I received UC on my earnings until I reached 30k then it stopped !
No rent as have a mortgage
No carer / disabilities etc

This is my mum's opinion. See it as a bit of my own tax being returned.

I couldn`t care about it if i tried.
I have said on many threads have more kids get more money who cares.
I dont have to look after them when they are born, yes i may suffer via paying more taxs to pay for their kids.
But given the choice to have kids or pay more taxs i choose tax.

This is the situation I am in. Last dc came off my claim in September. I now have 2 adult DC’s at home, both with disabilities, one who needs 24 hour care. My UC has been cut by £800 a month, my payment now leaves me with £300 a month after my rent being paid. It takes a while to to put in a claim for UC, one of my DC’s had been waiting for a work assessment since June to claim limited work capacity. It’s taken 3 months to sort my youngest DC’s claim. If I go back to work I can not care for dd2 unless she goes to day service (when she finished education in September), they will take all her UC to pay for day service…..if we can even get her a place.

Now with the talk of halving limited work capacity payments from April disabled people who can’t work will have even less money…..less money to pay for social care of the need it.

I wouldn’t claim if I didn’t need too, I wish I could survive without UC because dealing with them are a nightmare. They can call you up to look at your bank statements at any time.

I find it hard to believe that someone earning 75k can claim. It would mean them having under 16k in savings.I am guessing they live in an area where rent is really high? UC will only pay a certain amount for the size of property needed, but I guess if you need a 5 bed house (have 4+ dc over a certain age) and live in London where rent prices are high then you might be entitled to UC.

They're isn't necessarily a 'once those children are in school' though, that's why we're in the tricky financial situation we're in.

DS didn't go to school for about a year due to EBSA and, at that point undiagnosed but highly suspected, autism. He was moved to a small unit in a different school, technically the LA would have provided a taxi, but realistically, with his problems with transitions, irregular hours, and often distressed state on leaving school, DH would have to take him and pick him up. We managed to get him to 70% attendance.

He went to secondary school, again transitions were still an issue, as was increasing anxiety, so DH needed to be free to take him. Then the anxiety kicked in again (just when we'd got the LA to pay travel costs), months not in school followed, now we're back to an hour at the end of the day. How can DH work any normal kind of job around that? So he's monetised his hobby which ultimately means long hours and a shitty hourly rate, but he can work as and when he can, and still take DS to school and then sit and wait for him for an hour (school is 20mins drive away so no point coming home).

Im a single parent of 3 kids, work 60 hours a week, currently not entitled to UC, but once the cap is lifted I will be entitled due to the 3rd child element and contributions to their childcare pushing above the amount my earning reduces it by. Although when I look at it, the amount of UC id receive is the same as what I'm already saving with tax free childcare, which I cant use at the same time so i'll actually financially be the same

@BarkItOff that dont sound right , with 2 children on high rate that premium alone should be nearly £900, do you rent ?if so add that on ,if you don’t , your work allowance is over £ 600 before they take off the 55 p in every pound .Plus x2 children, plus couples allowance, I’d put your details through the UC calculator again

Do high mortgage payments count? So we could move to a house we can’t afford and then just claim UC?

No children. I earn 24k a year working self employed 5 days a week with no time off all year. Have to live with family due to a medical condition that means I can’t live alone. Obviously I pay rent and towards bills but as a result of being with family, I’m not entitled to anything. Don’t think I can claim PIP because I can dress and wash myself/do my own personal care.

I haven’t had a holiday for 23 years.

How can a household earning over 70k a year be entitled to anything??

I’ll just keep plodding on until I die..!

What about once those children are in school?

Some parents of disabled DC sleep when their DC is in school because their DC doesn’t sleep much at night. Some disabled DC have lots of appointments &/or hospital admissions &/or meetings. Some parents need to do things they are unable to do when their disabled DC are at home such as paperwork, phone calls, laundry, etc. Some disabled DC aren’t in school/aren’t in school full-time. There are numerous other reasons why some carers cannot work even in school time.

UC does not pay for mortgages. Only interest for a time and it is a loan

Not everyone wants to claim means tested benefits. It brings you under scrutiny, they can check oyrur bank accounts. I do benefit checks for older people and many won't claim for things like pension credit unless they are desperate as it's too invasive, you've got to constantly update them if savings change etc.

So everyone who is encouraging the OP to claim is happy for wealthy pensioners to accept the winter fuel allowance?

It’s disgusting that a family earning over 70k can claim UC. Imagine the damage labour will cause in the next 5 years

They won’t pay for a mortgage.

Won't you be able to help your daughter claim universal credit in her own name and then if you need to you can charge her some rent?