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?

Yes, dont try to stand on your own two feet or have any form of property or savings, you'll be penalised for it.

Are you confusing child benefit with the child element of universal/tax credits? It’s the latter that has been lifted.

There’s no cap on numbers for child benefit - the issue there is whether or not you earn over the threshold to repay.

This, especially if you’re a single parent. My dd doesn’t always sleep. I also spend a lot of time chasing up appointments, emailing placements, fighting LA for Change of placements, chasing up social services and adult social care (now dd is an adult),then there’s the days she’s unwell and at home, days I have to collect her early from her placement or attend meetings to discus her ECHP…..it’s really hard to hold down a job when your child/young adult is severely disabled. Sadly it’s not a case of dropping them off at school and going to work.

If you have a severe disability then you might qualify for the enhanced mobility payment you can use for a new car.

Personally I think most ofvus would prefer not to have the disability.

Pretty much. Then when you need care you can sell your house. If you rent it’s covered. Need house adaptions? You own you pay. You rent grants and such. Life line button you own. You pay. You rent it’s funded.

People are not denied UC and "penalised" for having property and savings.
They don't need UC if they have over £16k.

Claim it if you like. Nearly everyone else is out for themselves to get as much as they can.

My partner who is on state pension and nothing else, I have a mortgage (and still 10 years left to pay on it).

Only if they have the necessary contributions. Also, if their other income is high enough, they probably pay most or all back in income tax.

Claim it OP.
There are generational benefit families who have milked the system for decades and those that have never worked claiming for all they can.
Already now there will be those who have never worked eyeing up the benefits for extra children.
You are working full time, you deserve it.

Take home monthly pay for £68k salary after tax and NI - £4166 (but could be less if there are pension contributions)

Single over 25 Element - £400.14
Child element x 2 - £585.62 (will increase to 3 in April so add another £292.81 at current rates)
Childcare - £1275 (as they pay 85% of the actual costs up to a maximum of £1768.94 if 2 or more children are in childcare which includes after school etc)

Total UC before wage deductions - £2260.76

Take the £4166 of income. Deduct £684 as no housing costs. This makes £3482. Multiply this by 0.55. This makes £1915.10 which is the amount deducted from the total UC award.

This leaves a UC payment of £345.66.

I have a mortgage and claim UC.

So for a family with a disabled child and having to rent what exactly do people here want to happen? Assume one parent has a minimum wage job and other parent can't work.

Take the child, stick them in a care home and tell both the parents to get a job? Withdraw the housing benefit and put them on the street?

This is going to be the end result of continually attacking the benefit system.

What are your savings for then?

But presumably not the "housing element" part?
This is what gets confusing. What used to be separate benefits (ie Housing Benefit was one type) is now all lumped together as UC and you might get some but not always all of the different parts.

I feel exactly the same. I also have a disabled child who gets middle-rate DLA, but not entitled to UC as both DH and I work and have a mortgage.

However, if I didn't work and we rented, we'd be better off.

What I don't understand is why people on UC who get DLA then get an additional disabled child element as part of UC - the DLA is for the disability, so what's the disabled element for? My employer doesn't give me anything extra for having a disabled child!

I think it’s interesting actually and shows how messed up the system is

Yeah we don't get anything for housing. They only pay for rented properties. They used to pay the interest on mortgages many moons ago but stopped that. These days there is a loan for the interest portion of a mortgage that people can claim but the loan has to be paid back within a certain amount of time and there is interest charged on it.

1 of the children is an adult, he’s my child so I said children but he gets benefits in his own right now.

For many, DLA/PIP alone does not cover the cost of disability related expenses. According to Scope’s latest disability price tag research, disabled households need an extra £1,095 each month on average to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households.

Wealthy pensioners aren't getting winter fuel allowance. No payment if you earn over £35k.

Exactly….and how much would it cost to put a child/young adult into residential care? A lot more than what it does to pay the family UC so they can care for their child/adult.

I have asked social services several times to put my dd into residential care (she is now an adult so not as a child) so I can work and not be so tired all the time. My own health has suffered due to lack of sleep and stress. Every time I have asked they have begged me to keep her here with me, have promised more support and asked what they can do for me to continue caring for her. Because the costs of her getting 24 hour care elsewhere would be extortionate.

We are a high income household and claim DLA (which isn’t means tested) I have been told we are greedy on MN for this previously, but we are only taking what we are legally entitled to. I’m not rich enough or too proud to turn down money!

This isn’t the case for all though.

I’ve had to call in sick to work when my child has been up all night or take unpaid carers leave. My partner works from home in a flexible job, purposely chosen to manage the needs of the children, so someone is available if my daughter can’t go into school.

It’s not easy but if there are 2 parents to share the load and the child has appropriate support in place it is possible. Of course it’s not possible for some. But should we be really be paying benefits that mean it’s better for people to be at home than earning a £34k salary because that seems insane to me. Again remember that’s on top of the DLA and PIP. I was £400 a month better off leaving work.

Of course don’t leave these families in poverty but for those that struggle to hold down jobs around their children’s needs it’s pretty galling to realise it’s all for nothing and I shouldn’t bother.

You can if you want. I wouldn't if you don't need it. DWP can be quite intrusive. You'd have to be happy to give them access to your bank accounts for example, if they request it.