If you live on benefits do you save each month? And if so, how much?

[namechange987]

Just that basically.

Just make sure you declare your savings to them, because there are certain bands and if you go above a certain threshhold then they amend your allowance downwards.

I have to add that the benefits were more generous a decade ago. I'm not sure if I could do what I achieved NOW.

I’m impressed that anyone saves. Im rooked every month.

We're able to save a reasonable amount each month, it varies. I'm a single parent with no maintenance, but DS is autistic and gets DLA and I'm disabled and get PIP, so we have more income than just income support etc, and we're protected by the benefit cap. We rent a small council flat so don't have to pay rent top ups, and bills are lower than they would be in a house. It never goes above the savings cap - I usually save short-term for home improvements, sensory equipment, holidays etc.

But you’re not paying normal household bills are you. I lived with my folks for three months and I also had plenty of money.

Now I’m skint after paying normal household bills. I’ve also been made to move over to UC. I’m shitting myself as I have no clue how much I’ll get. Ive also had all previous payments stopped so apart from CM and wages, nothing coming in which has been tough.

Nothing. I had recived about £60 in HB and another ..:I think around the £50 mark JSA possibly a bit more per week.

My rent was £100 a week on its own.

LOL!!

I save about £200 a month and also pay a loan that I got to buy a new kitchen at £170 a month. When that’s paid off I could save £370 a month. I work full time, but DD gets high rate DLA, we get tax credits and exH pays a decent amount of maintenance. It’s not long term savings for no reason - we are slowly doing the house up to a decent and safe standard. We lived in an absolute dangerous dump for a very long time.

Maybe some of the 'richness' you feel is actually from the ability to control your own finances for a change.
When you're single, the freedom in spending what you want and when is such a great gift!
No one around to withdraw the last 20 pound you had earmarked for food!

Just proves people on benefits always manage to be better off, both me and dp work and I would be surprised if we managed to save a fiver a month at the moment. But we eat and all the bills get paid so I can't complain.
I grew up in a family where nobody worked and all I remember from my teen years was constantly struggling and never having much food in. Vowed to never live like that or out my kids through it either

I do work ohwell. And I never would have chosen this for my children either. After 14 years with my husband he cheated on me and left me and both DCs. I couldn't afford to live in our family home on my own so me and the DCs had to move in with my parents, which fortunately was an option. I never would have chosen this, I would far rather be in a position where I didn't have to claim benefits, and hopefully I will be again, but that's not the case right now. I already feel like I'm failing them, please don't make out that I'm choosing this for them.

Ohwell, I highly doubt that the vast majority of people on benefits "choose" to be. Yes, there will be a few but on the whole there will be shitty circumstances leading to it.

And no, people on benefits don't "always manage to be better off". I was temporarily better off because we were low earners any way but I had no debts/mortgage payments etc to pay out. For many benefits would mean the shit hitting the fan.

We're both on better incomes now and whilst by no means well off we are better off than we were on benefits!

@namechange987, don't let it get you down!

Your kids have a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. You are NOT failing them, you are doing the best you can for now with the help you're entitled too and hopefully soon things pick up for you.

Just proves people on benefits always manage to be better off

I grew up in a family where nobody worked and all I remember from my teen years was constantly struggling and never having much food in

Make your mind up ohwell

Thank you boredofmyoldname. I think that's why I'm pleased to be able to save a bit for the DCs now. This is never what I wanted or what they wanted, but I didn't have money to save for them when we were with their Dad, partly because he spent without thinking, and this entire situation is so shitty that at least if I can make the future somewhat better for them then I can make something good come out of it.

Save? What planet are you on?

DH and I receive £360 per week in non-means tested benefits and we are able to save the equivalent of all of that money ++ because of our other incomes.
Very different to people on means tested benefits for whom life is becoming more and more difficult - UC sounds like a nightmare pushing people into debt.

Elin - Absolutely true. A lot of people are entitled to non means tested disability benefits and are able to save a lot because even though this money ( which can be quite substantial amounts each week ) is meant to pay for the extra costs of being disabled, people can afford those things already on their income. My in laws both died in recent years and for many years before their deaths were claiming Atendance allowance for which they were both entitled but did not need for everyday living as they had pensions and occupational pensions and their house was paid for and they rarely went anywhere as they were too unwell. They didn't need to pay for a cleaner or gardener as family did it and they rarely put the heating on much as mil always felt hot ! Therefore they had £160 a week extra benefit money just piling up in the bank each week which soon builds up to a lot of savings over the years !! Likewise with dla for children - some families will need it for daily living and other won't. No-one checks up that it is actually being spent.

I was in a financially abusive relationship and because of his high income weren’t entitled to any benefits at all. I was always broke and overdrawn, even when I was working full time because of the imbalance in our incomes and the control he had over me and my money.

I’ve now left, am temporarily living 100% on benefits until I get the rest of my life sorted and I feel like a Queen. I was so used to only shopping in charity shops, getting things second hand on eBay and gumtree, only buying discounted and value food, and never spending any money on myself, having money that I can now choose how to spend is incredible. I still do all those money saving things as I know how but it is now more of a choice than an absolute necessity.

Therefore to answer your question, yes I do manage to save a bit every month but only due to the way I manage my finances in the first place.