Facing unemployment - just over £1100 in benefits

[BringBackCatsEyes]

I've just put my figures in a calculator and think I will receive just over £1100

UC £ 362.73 per month
(standard + child, then take away JSA )

117.22 per month child benefit

Council Tax Support
£ 71.07 per month

Support for Mortgage Interest loan
£ 152.49 per month

New-style Jobseekers Allowance
£ 414.05 per month

Are people actually living on this or do they end up selling their home to move into rented?

I am trying my hardest to find work. My contract ends at the end of this year.
I am not asking for advice on finding work, I want to hear from those who have experienced moving to UC and how they manage?

If you don’t have mortgage/ rent to pay you can definitely live on this.

Possibly. It's hard not to let it dominate every moment of my life when you are a single income household.
I work very hard in a job that has no future. I do some evening things with my son. Then I job hunt. I feel guilty if I am not job hunting.
It is down to be me to be proactive. Job hunting is dehumanising and depressing.
I am not sleeping well, I am spending as little £ as possible = not a lot to look forward to (yes, I appreciate free things, but it's nice to go to the cinema, or treat yourself to some new clothes).
I am isolating myself from friends. No one asks me how I am in the morning.

Can you make any savings from now until December? Get an extra job?
A minimum wage job plus UC would still see you better off than just UC so go for anything that’s feasible.

If you say you would just about manage and you said in another comment that your mortgage, food and utilities are nearly all that amount then you have enough money to pay for the essentials. Surely that’s the main thing until you find work again? Your home and bills are covered anything after that is a luxury, benefits aren’t for luxuries regardless of how miserable your child would be.

Some do manage on that

most will get themselves some kind of job even if it’s a temporary minimum wage role with antisocial hours

That’s plenty if you budget well and make some small adjustments.

Of course, but I'm not going to do that now. I do still have 5 months of salary.
It's also not a case of 'just get a job in Tesco' these days, not when there are hundreds of applicants for a position and as much as I minimise my cv, it would be quite clear it was a stop gap.

You can’t switch your mortgage if you are unemployed though.

Can you give an example, if you have a mortgage (£450)?

I get it OP. Not having that stability is very unsettling for most of us, and being solely responsible must bite even harder. No real advice, but good luck in your hunt!

I mean I would just about manage if I took a mortgage holiday. That's not a long term solution.
I wonder if you still get the Support for Mortgage Interest loan if you're taking a mortgage holiday (I can look that up).
I understand benefits are not for luxuries, I'm saying I don't think I can afford to pay my mortgage (after the 'holiday' is up) and my bills and food.

I don't think I can get an extra job. I am using most of my free time to look for a new job.

If you can’t get something in your field of work you may be able to pick up other work. Yes it’s concerning but you have months to apply for more work. Fo you get any child support?

I’m not writing this without sympathy, as I think most of us do spend more than that. But, objectively and dispassionately, there does need to be a balance in that able bodied people on benefits with no children still dependent on childcare, shouldn’t end up getting more money than someone working NMW. The problem I can see in your sums, is that you’re not considering a mortgage holiday. My apologies if I missed that. So, you’re wanting the tax payer to pay off an asset for you. That wouldn’t be right I don’t think. Not when people on NMW can’t. How much extra would it be if you take a mortgage holiday? Note, this isn’t without sympathy, just trying to offer balance.

If your contract is up you’ve got 5 months to carry on looking for a new role before this one ends, take the 6 month mortgage holiday if needed so that will in total give you 11 months to find a new job, any job. Do you not think that’s achievable?

Have you checked rent prices in your area? They may be more expensive than your mortgage.
There will be some little extras you can get for your teen, free school meals and some schools/colleges use the pupil premium to fund trips and equipment. There are broadband deals for people on benefits and there may be mobile contracts too.
Unfortunately it isn't usually enough to survive, that's why we have food banks and clothes banks. Some councils have discretionary funds for people who need financial assistance. You may need to utilise things like that and you may need to get into some debt to get through the period of unemployment. Electric and gas companies can lower direct debits through periods of hardship, the debt would still build but it will reduce monthly outgoings whilst it's needed. I think water companies can do that too.

Ah, my apologies, I was a bit behind.

I would like to see a system where the NRP is more accountable to not leave you stuck like this. Or more help for widowers.

Im sorry op its scary when you're on your own and you have a mortgage. People seem to think benefit claimants are rolling in it and thats just not the case for the majority. I wish you all the luck in the world x

We couldn't manage no. DH was made redundant a few years ago and our mortgage, car, utilities, council tax and food come to more than that.

We fortunately have a spare room and brought in some money renting it out on Airbnb. Would it be a consideration to sleep in your son's room and rent out yours some of the time? I reckon ours was rented out about 25% of the time (we don't live anywhere particularly desirable for tourists). Our house insurer allows us to rent for 90 nights without increasing the premiums.

Thank you for the supportive posts. I was wary of starting this thread in case I got piled on.
I am feeling very low.

To put it into perspective, something like a TA job would be a take home pay of about £1300 . That’s already £200 more plus whatever else you’d get on UC, because you’d still qualify. While taking time off for interviews would be tricky, the hours mean you would have plenty of time to look/prepare for another job and you could still have afternoon interviews where possible, or in half term/holidays if you last that long. If you find a great job, of course you can just take the time off/pack it in as soon as needed.

I know it seems really bleak and scary but try and look at how you can make it work, what kind of job(even if the wage is not the same level as you are now), would benefit your situation. I truly hope you find another similar level job though , way before any of this is needed. Best of luck.

Just trying to grasp at a possible positive for you in case it helps - can you reframe it as a great life lesson for your son? So, he’s had a lovely upbringing with enough so far. He might now have - hopefully only a short amount of time - with not so much. Life lessons in the importance of good qualifications, of building up a pot, of cooking on a budget etc etc

Yes you can, I did it.

You can do it for up to six month without any checks.

I'm guessing you don't have mortgage protection insurance ? Essential really for anyone with a mortgage unless you have savings to cover unemployment.
The UC amount sounds correct. Uc is really rubbish for people with a mortgage rather than renting but if you could even get part time hours you would benefit as you'd get a higher work allowance. You could earn up to something like £700 a month without it affecting your UC at all .JSA as you probably know only lasts for 26 weeks, you are no better off by claiming it.

You have to have been on UC for three months to get the support for mortgage interest, so if op took a mortgage holiday straight away, that would cover some of that period. I very much doubt you can Have SMI if not actually paying the payments, although I guess interest does still accrue whilst taking the holiday so maybe.