tax credits chat re cuts 2016

[SuMBODY]

namechanged .

as a family of 5, both me and dh work full time, 1 of the dcs is disabled so we receive the disabled and severely disabled element of tax credits, as well as a little extra as our wages aren't the best.
With the proposed changes to tax credits, we are set to lose approx £70 a week, now this may not seem a lot to some, but having a child with extra needs, this money is a huge relief to us and helps us immensely.
Now the thought of losing it means some serious cutbacks to my family , overtime is not an option at present for me or dh because I have only recently gotten my 20 hour contract upped to a 30 after 9 year !
It is an extremely worrying and stressful time for my family, and I imagine others are feeling it too.
it is awful that the cuts are mainly being targeted at those who work, yes the benefit cap is being lowered for those that don't work, but that's another thread.
I keep seeing articles online and in newspapers that estimates families will be up to £1200 worse off a year, when infact we will be nearly £3000 worse off.
As long as David Cameron and George Osbourne are sitting pretty after claiming their petty expenses is all that matters I suppose
They dont see how it is affecting everyone as individuals :(
just thought id start a post incase anyone wants to discuss.

surely whoever wrote that above, about coping before tax credits, realise how expensive daily life is now, compared with back then? And I don't mean buying the latest trainers or telly, I mean paying rent, utility bills, council tax etc., surely they know how much this has increased since way back when?

ssd

has it not just increased with inflation though?
I can remember before FC or TC how tough it was.
We had very high mortgage rates, poll tax, and food wasn't cheap neither.
I do appreciate the disproportionate increase in council tax though.
I think we coped because we had to tbh, there really was nothing left and xmas was very meagre, gp' used to spend much more on our kids than we did.
This might just be my experience though, and I'm talking early to mid 90's.

Yes that's crap ssd and I suspect goes on more often than is realised.

In fact she's not £900 worse off because her partner obviously earns a salary which makes that up. I am guessing that loss is made up of housing benefit etc.

I think what you've received happens far more than disability fraud which is hard to get away with long term.

I do get a bit at the number of people who judge others as "faking it" when they have no access to that persons medical records.

If someone is loudly boasting about how he/she defrauds the State in this way then it is a matter of time before someone reports them.

I'd say that Sumbody has a duty to report this if she knows it's a fact and has evidence to prove it.

If she has no evidence though then tread carefully. A friend with a disability had all her benefit frozen while they investigated a possible fraud. Fact is that she has occasional good days when there is nothing wrong with her....they are outweighed by the bad days when she cannot leave the house though.

I need an edit button.

It should say "what's you've described" and not "what you've received".

said friend has reported her stepdad (when they fell out) they looked into it and nothing happened. I have no concrete evidence so shall not be reporting him.

It is said friend that told me there is nothing wrong with him and I have heard a couple of neighbours saying the same thing.
Yes depression is a hidden illness, I suffer from really bad health anxiety at times, my husband also has depression and anxiety and can hold down a job, I know it affects people in different ways, but the money should be there for those who really need it, even if it means assessing each case more thoroughly on an individual basis.

alfie, she is £900 worse off as she has had her partner living with her for years and benefitting from her claiming as a single parent whilst having his wages as well., now she is less well off as she is claiming honestly as a couple and so gets less money, as she should have done years ago

I think the fact that it's been investigated and nothing has happened means he is claiming legitimately. They check these cases out pretty thoroughly.

I think far more prevalent are the cases ssd describes, people claiming to be living separately when they are not.

Go Jeremy Corbyn !!!

Just thought that I'd revive this in case anyone is looking for inform wants to register their dissatisfaction at the proposed cuts:

38 degrees petition for anyone who wants to sign speakout.38degrees.org.uk/campaigns/339

29,000 signatures so far. Could really do with a few folks bumping this one so it gets out to the wider Mumsnet audience!

So many low income working families will be worse off under the new legislation. So unfair to target these groups in the cuts, while refusing to impose a mansion tax!

LexiLexi - reviving as well

This petition is for the House of Lords though: 38d.gs/1GrSnux

Up to 202,000 signatures. They are going to bring it to Downing Street on the day of the vote I think.

Don't know if it will help, but anything is worth a try. Hard to stomach seeing the rich get rich and the poor get even poorer