Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

benefits cap

71 replies

christine081251 · 11/07/2021 13:20

Hello , My son has 3 children (7 -11) is unemployed, a single parent and privately rents. His benefits for this month have been reduced by nearly £1,000 (under the benefit cap) to leave him with enough to pay the rent and £250 for the month.

Does this seem the correct amount as the benefits cap is £20,000pa , yet the amount that he will receive is the equivalent of £16,200?

I have checked on Turn-2-us and the figure does look about right. How can anyone survive on £250 per month with 3 children?

Any help out there?

OP posts:
MrJollyLivesNextDoor · 11/07/2021 13:26

If his rent is £1k could he move somewhere cheaper? Not easy I know

What does he usually do for a living?
Is he actively looking for work?
Could he retrain while unemployed?

belhaven · 11/07/2021 13:28

Could he apply for Discretionary Housing Payment via the Council?

Does he claim Child Benefit?

What do you mean reduced by this month? Has he not always been subject to the benefit cap?

PaniniHead · 11/07/2021 13:30

Earning over a certain threshold will stop the benefit cap. Have you included child benefit in the calculation as that is included in the Ben cap

AlexaShutUp · 11/07/2021 13:31

Best thing is for him to seek professional advice to ensure that he's getting everything he is entitled to. Try the local CAB as a starting point.

Nuuktown · 11/07/2021 13:35

How can anyone survive on £250 per month with 3 children?
With school aged children, we get jobs.

tofuschnitzel · 11/07/2021 13:38

@MrJollyLivesNextDoor

If his rent is £1k could he move somewhere cheaper? Not easy I know

What does he usually do for a living?
Is he actively looking for work?
Could he retrain while unemployed?

Considering how hard it is for someone on benefits to find a landlord that will actually accept them, he's better off staying where he is. Also, moving is very costly and from the sounds of the OP, that is out of his grasp right now.
WrongKindOfFace · 11/07/2021 13:45

The benefit cap includes child benefit so that figure might be right.

If he can find 16 hours work per week it will be lifted.

Blondeshavemorefun · 11/07/2021 14:33

Guessing as all 3 are at school he needs fro find work

Obv this is hard if needs to be say 930/230

Or claim the childcare aspect which I think is 85%

bullockstoit · 11/07/2021 14:38

If it's universal credit, the cap is somewhere around £1600 per month including child benefit (or about £1900 if you're in London.)

To lift the cap he would need to earn about £600 per month.

Whiskyinajar · 11/07/2021 14:43

Meanwhile MPs claim spurious expenses.

Yet a single parent of three children is penalised .

This country boils my piss sometimes.

CiaoForNiao · 11/07/2021 14:46

Is he in London? The benefit cap is £16600 outside of London. (I think). It also includes child benefit.

JulesM73 · 11/07/2021 15:49

Is there any reason why he can’t work? I know it isn’t easy but unfortunately his children are at school so he should be able to do something to lift his income without needing more benefits.

Original poster
christine081251 · 11/07/2021 16:04

Thanks for the replies. Can't move out of the borough due to clause in the divorce settlement. No work locally - lost job during the first lockdown. He shares custody of the children so maybe able to find some work. He had the 9 month grace period on the benefits - which has just finished. He will try CAB. Discretionary Housing payment is a good idea.

OP posts:
omgthepain · 11/07/2021 16:11

@christine081251
I'd say get to CAB and explain And also book an appointment with a jobs coach at the job centre to talk about work possibilities and assistance with that

Even if he doesn't move areas perhaps somewhere cheaper needs to be considered or could they live with you until they get on their feet again??

Other help could include
Jobs club
Pupil Premium
Food Bank / vouchers
Free Milk if eligable

The local health visiting team are
Great at that sort of thing

This happend to my friend and she went to live with her sister for a year and got squared up

omgthepain · 11/07/2021 16:12

He's also eligable for help with school uniforms theres grants to assist my friends health visitor got her some help with that

CiaoForNiao · 11/07/2021 16:52

Which parent claims benefits for the children?

Babyroobs · 11/07/2021 17:33

If he is outside of London the cap is around £1666 per month. Child benefit is calculated into the cap - would he get this on top of the £250 to live off ?
As others have said he can apply for discretionary housing payments and council tax should be reduced significantly also.

Babyroobs · 11/07/2021 17:36

Just to add, assuming he is claiming Universal credit, the first £293 of earnings would not reduce his Uc at all so even if he could just find some kind of zero hours work however little he would be better off working. I understand it is difficult at the moment.

Cocomarine · 11/07/2021 18:41

You gave the impression I think in your OP that he was the sole parent of the 3 children, with the comment re how to bring up 3 on £250.

Which meant he would find it very hard to find work. Easier with shared custody. How often does he have them? Who claims the CB? Is maintenance due either way?

I expect he could go back to court to vary the stipulation about borough - that’s an odd thing for him to have agreed to, or was it him that requested it?

JustFrustrated · 11/07/2021 19:00

Why can't he work?
He doesn't have sole custody, and even then I'd expect him to work.

Miraculous isn't it how other people can.

sabrinathemiddleagewitch · 11/07/2021 19:18

@christine081251

Thanks for the replies. Can't move out of the borough due to clause in the divorce settlement. No work locally - lost job during the first lockdown. He shares custody of the children so maybe able to find some work. He had the 9 month grace period on the benefits - which has just finished. He will try CAB. Discretionary Housing payment is a good idea.
If he shares custody does that mean there are days and nights he dosnt have the children? In addition to school hours?

Sorry I don't accept there is no work.... warehousing and hospitality jobs are through the roof at the moment. There is work if he wants it

Nuuktown · 11/07/2021 19:41

No work locally - lost job during the first lockdown
He could drive? Get a bus?
Interesting how some people will always find an excuse not to earn their money

BarbaraofSeville · 12/07/2021 07:20

Do they have equal shared custody so no maintenance payable either way?

Are both parents claiming some of the CB each - one claim for one child and the other for the other two?

Agree that your DS should be working on the days he doesn't have the children or paying for childcare if he's working on his days. On a low to medium income, he'd get a lot of help with the cost of this.

Why can't he find work where he is? It's being widely reported that there's a shortage of workers in many sectors. Can the divorce settlement be changed if it's preventing him from finding work? His ex should want the best for their children so needs to agree for him to move to somewhere where he can work and provide for them.

Whoarethewho · 12/07/2021 07:29

@Whiskyinajar

Meanwhile MPs claim spurious expenses.

Yet a single parent of three children is penalised .

This country boils my piss sometimes.

Somebody who works (and elected by the people) claims expenses. Somebody who doesn't work gets their benefits limited seems very fair to me as a tax payer.
FTEngineerM · 12/07/2021 07:32

Could always find a job..