AIBU to be surprised someone on £34,000 receives Universal Credit?

[Balicious]

I was listening to BBC Radio 5 Live at work yesterday morning. They were discussing the Conservatives’ proposal to stop people spending benefits on alcohol, cigarettes, etc.—but that isn’t what my question is about.
One caller said she earns £34,000 a year as a trainee social worker and receives an additional £500 a month in Universal Credit. She didn’t mention having children, paying rent or having a disability—she simply said she struggles to live on £34,000 and needs Universal Credit to top up her wages.
What is going on? That’s more than I earn! Could I apply for a top-up too? Has anyone else heard of someone working full-time and earning well above minimum wage having their salary topped up by Universal Credit? I just couldn't get over what I was hearing!

Yep. They work for the country so for everyone, and are paid less than if they worked in the private sector. Private sector pensions should level up really.

Agree. People seem to want us all to level down!

My son pays £11700 per year into his LG pension. But he shouldn't get a good one at the end of it?

I'm a civil servant and it's 23 percent they pay in. If I added this to my salary it would be about 38 thousand a year instead of the almost 32 I get for a busy and stressful public facing role. My pay is low but the pension kind of mitigates it. It is pretty irritating to keep reading about how overpaid we are, how lazy and our great pensions which btw are totally fucked up by Capita at present so if we retire we can't even get our pensions.

Not everyone thinks like some on this thread. I admire you.

it is absolutely outrageous and I feel there should some kind of legal challenge against the fact it is so low for a single adult.

My friend was self-employed and fell very ill rendering her unable to work in the first time in her life for over a year. She was shocked to find out she was only entitled to less than £400 (or whatever the exact figure is) thankfully for her she didn’t own her house or she wouldn’t have got the additional £600 to cover some of her rent. She basically had about £200 to live in one she paid her rent. She was eventually granted the additional payment that people who are considered low capacity for working are given but only after like 5 months.

In many European countries they appreciate that an adult has worked for several years will have various ongoing costs, so if they abruptly become unemployed they need something similar to their old salary to cover their costs so you get 2/3 of your salary for 6 months.

We should have the same system here.

Instead the bloody tories are trying to make payments even less for everyone and saying if you’ve not worked you should get less - but the issue here is the payments for anyone who has or hasn’t worked are so low to begin with so that would be unconscionable.

They are basically cherry picking certain parts of other countries policies and applying it punitively.

I agree, it's crazy. So basically, a Bin Man can earn the same as a Teacher, as long as his wife pops out a load of kids. No shits given about the fact that a Teacher has had to go to Uni for years, and study to get the job they have. Make it make sense.

The worst thing I see on here is people saying that children are " popped out". It's disgraceful.

Plus, where would we be without Bin Men and Women?

Cripes. Ty.

I know. It was sarcasm from a pp saying that people should 'just move' like it is easy and not expensive.

You could say that about anyone. Where would we be without dog walkers???? Let's pay them the same as Brain surgeons !!!! FROTH FROTH FROTH.
(I say this as a dog walker!)

Except what you and the pp are missing is many teachers, nurses, etc. are also receiving UC on top of their wages.

I was going to say, didn't even someone earlier on the thread say that they are a nurse and receive UC?

Probably only working part time, hence the low wage and UC top ups.

Lol. The fucking irony. Stop attacking people for gasp claiming what they are entitled to.

Not necessarily. Some nurses, teachers, etc working full-time are still eligible for UC.

If they’re childless and healthy?

I wasn’t aware that someone’s job was a factor in their eligibility for benefits.

The pp didn’t say they were only talking about people who are childless and healthy. Although a minority may still be eligible even if childless and healthy e.g. if they live in one of the more expensive areas and rent.

Someone’s job isn’t a factor in eligibility in the vast majority of cases. There are a couple of situations where someone’s job can influence the rules but not in the vast majority of cases.

I know she said she is a single parent. Might have no choice but to work part time if that is the case.

What about “popping” children “out”?

but we’re ok letting everyone hate the poor?

She obviously has dependents. £34k after tax and NI and other deductions such as student loan isn't much to support a family on with rent to pay.

In fact most pension couples with £25k coming into the household via state pension and no rent to pay will be better off at the end of each month.

I don't think £34k was the take home pay, it was the trainee workers gross salary. Your assumption is wrong. UC mainly helps people in work with families ( not single persons on £34k) pay high private rents, driven by the lack of not for profit social housing supply . 11% of private rent paid by low income working families is paid for out of UC.

In answer to your question , yes, that's why it's Universal. Anyone can apply. It's eligibility that determines what you might receive, if anything.

You can do it on line. If you are struggling to support a family on your earnings and you are working the required number of hours, and don't have savings above the threshold then you should definately apply . There no help with mortgage repayments but you might get help with rent depending on local.housing rate. Low wages have always been problem for single income households , especially if renting privately.

You too will receive a top up on your income if you are eligible. Go ahead run the calculator and fill in the forms. You might be surprised., one way or the other, at the ease of application but as to how hard is is to qualify.