Universal credit. Joke!

[Mo3gic]

So my partner works, we have 3 girls and receive universal credit. I can not believe how much of a joke this system is. “We make it easier to work” is their crap logo. They don’t! My partner works 24hours per week, if he goes over this they deduct it from UC. My partners wages literally pay for the car finance, and car expenses. He’s left with £50 to go towards any bills or shopping. So all the bills get paid from UC. This month is our last payment before Xmas. Once we have paid our rent bills. We are left with £14! That’s right. £14! To buy gas and electric for the month as we are on prepayment metres. To pay for my bus fare to take girls to school. And to buy shopping for a month for 5 people. Then let’s not forget Xmas is around the corner. We can’t even afford to buy the girls presents. I could say to my partner go work as many hours as you can, but then they will deduct it all from UC, which you think well he’s earned it back anyway. No because then work tax him so he loses quite a bit. But then UC decide oh no he’s earned too much this month so we will close your account down as your not entitled to it. So then we get nothing of them, and what my partner has earned isn’t even to cover the rent. Just frustrated with the crap system. I’m trying desperately to get job, I get interviews but then don’t succeed in securing the job. Then childcare is an issue as there isn’t really any childminders at the school and the schools childcare doesn’t have spaces. Is this just me or is anyone else in the same boat? I real feel like I’m losing the will to carry on, just everyday scrimping and scraping, trying to pay bills and put food on the table. We have never used a food bank but it’s really getting to the point we’re going to have to.

I know this isn't really the point of your thread but dp and I cancelled our sky contract years ago because it's so expensive. We have a second hand car that we could comfortably afford to pay for, rather than getting one at the top end of our budget that would have been a struggle. We have only 1 DC, I'm a sahm and his salary is too high for us to claim any sort of benefits (which is fair and I have no issue with that as we don't need them). I think if you're paying for things like sky and a financed car, and you're struggling for cash, you need to have a think about your priorities. Cancel the sky (something like netflix is better imo and cheaper), and if possible downgrade your car to something more affordable. There may be other things you can cut back on if you write everything down and work through it all, but ultimately you have 3 children and you can't support a family of that size with just one adult working part time.

Also don't know what your phone contract is but there are some good sim only offers out there. I currently pay £10 a month sim only with O2 and get a certain amount of free calls, texts and internet (more than I ever use)

No wonder the tories are coming down hard on benefits when you get the likes of the OP milking the system.

My partners wages literally pay for the car finance, and car expenses. He’s left with £50 to go towards any bills or shopping

You said he works 24 hours per week @ over £10 per hour. So, minus the £50 a week left over, he’s paying £190 a WEEK on car finance and ‘car expenses’.

Either this is the most expensive finance arrangement ever or he’s telling you porkies.

Go to entitledto.co.uk and put your figures in. I'm pretty sure you're entitled to more than you're getting. DH works FT earning £30k. I did a calculation as though I were a SAHM and we'd still get £300 or so a month.

Yeah, you need to have a complete rethink mate.

You have 3 dcs and work 24 hours a week between 2 presumably fit and healthy adults. You chose to be skint and work part time. Or you chose to be less skint and work more. Sadly, yours dcs are not anymore deserving or entitled to a sahp than any other. Also car finance is for those that can afford it. My dh has been driving a 1000 miles per week in a 2005 astra with 250k on the clock for the last 6 months, while we crossed our fingers and prayed it got to Christmas.

You cut your cloth accordingly.

Sounds like you and your partner fit your career around getting UC which is wrong and unsusatinable. For a family of 5 he needs to be full time with you doing part time work. Maybe you should stop thinking about how to get UC, rather retrain to build a better career for both of you? I was jobless too for a few years and it was depressing. It was absolutely daunting to go fir interviews, it was truly a case of faking it til you make it. I am now a higher rate tax layer after working for 4.5 years. It is possible. Good luck!

Op, your partner needs to contribute to the household from his wages as his car costs are excessive. Most people couldn't afford to run such an expensive car.

If he could contribute more by getting a cheaper car you will have more spare money.

Your H should be working overtime , never mind full time.
If no overtime is going , then he should get a second , part time job if you can't .
My H has a 2 hour round trip commute and works overtime almost every week.
He's never home on time because as a police officer in a very deprived area and so he's kept very busy.
Sometimes he's working 16 hour shifts and has to drive home exhausted.
It's dangerous , underpaid and underfunded.
We have 2 DC , both disabled.
1 severely and poorly and 1 with mild cp / learning disabilities.
Both in special schools.
I just read your post and this man who never swears , just said the cheeky fucking bastards.
I'm putting my life on the line daily to pay for their lifestyle.
And then a few other things that I'll keep to myself!!!
At the moment he's been off since August as I had a brain stem bleed.
We aren't entitled to any financial help when his paid leave comes to an end in January, so off to work he will go and I'll be struggling to look after the DC.
Honestly I'm not surprised the country is turning Tory now !

No wonder the tories are coming down hard on benefits when you get the likes of the OP milking the system.

This is the problem of ignorance, OP and those who "milk" the system are in a severe minority. Those who suffer at the hands of the Tories are those in serious need. The current system is inhumane and horrendous and change needs to happen ASAP. Death rates have risen significantly since the Tories implemented changes.

As for "milking" the system, you'll find none do it better than the rich, that includes a hell of a lot of the Tories. So the irony is quite something.

I think the point is OP, most people work MORE to improve their financial situation, not less, and we are baffled and slightly annoyed that you don't really think this principle should apply to you and your family. Why not?

It's odd because when UC first started there was lots of talk about people not being able to work part time and they would have to look for full time work . However in reality the earnings threshold at which they demand no further work searching commitments is ridiculously low, something like £535 ? a month. I'm amazed that people are allowed to be topped up by UC when working so few hours. I thought it was going to mean the end of people taking the piss out of the system.

Those who suffer at the hands of the Tories are those in serious need.

I think OPs entire post completely contradicts this statement.

This is the problem of ignorance, OP and those who "milk" the system are in a severe minority.

Are they really? You must live in a nice area. I'd think its the tip of the iceberg where we live.

Unless the serious need is to have their rent and bills paid by the taxpayer so they can keep all their wages to pay off their car finance?

Your partner works 24 hours a week?!

How can he expect to support you and three children working 24 hours a week? Universal credit is not the joke.

OP there isn't really any valid reason for your DH not to work full time. I gather, that he is fit and healthy. He has a financial & emotional responsibility for 3 children and yourself.
As for you, yes keep looking, image by next Christmas, with one adult in FT work and one PT, you can actually afford the presents of your DC's list plus a scrummy Christmas dinner with all the trimmings! - Maybe leave the sprouts out due to nasty side effects!

Op don’t be afraid of not spending time with your dc. I think as long as you are not working more than 30-35 per week you will have plenty of time to spend with your dc and childminders are much cheaper if you need childcare.

My partner and I both work 35 hours a week (I only do term time only though) and we’ve found that this works better for us as both of us are around more. We were doing dh 50 hours a week and me 20 hours and it was more of a struggle.

35 hours for each parent is a good balance for families, especially if you don’t have a big commute. We are also lucky as dh is home one weekday as he works a weekend day instead and this means no childcare costs at all this day. And me working term time only also makes a huge difference in the school holidays.

Money wise we are the same but we do pay less tax overall as she earns less now, but that doesn’t affect our own net income.

You are complaining that your benefits are not enough but look down on people who claim dla for disabled kids ? What is disgusting about someone suggesting your look into it if your daughter is poorly or disabled ?

Did you seriously call a poster 'disgusting' for asking if DLA was an option for the child that you said was quite poorly for 3 years?

WTF?

It was a suggestion that was intended to HELP

You don't seem to want help though; rather just to wind everyone up.

I genuinely don't understand this. Your OH works less hours so he doesn't have to pay rent because that way he keeps his wages while UC pays rent?? I really hope I've read this wrong.

Uc pays a rent element regardless of anybody's earnings. If someone claims UC they get a rent element in their claim alongside other elements they are entitled to. Then the whole Uc award is reduced by wages on a taper and the first £287 of wages is completely disregarded if you have kids and get the rent element. So their rent is not paid by UC, it's just the way op is interpreting it.

@MaButterface The thing is, you are just looking at your area, look at the statistics and figures that's where you'll get the true facts in regards to how those who milk the system are in the minority.

Ignorance is not bliss, the issues are wider than what only you see, surely that is easy to comprehend?

@Chattybum My point is that those who suffer are those who are truly in need, not cases like this OP. I've made clear OP needs to look for work.