benefits cap

[christine081251]

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?

@LakieLady if that’s the case though and as @Gingerkittykat said before as my partner is self employed and his minimum floor is technically £1200pm surely we shouldn’t be affected by this benefit cap?

If all 3 children are at school he needs to find a job to pay to support his DC. I.dont understand why he is not affected by the benefits cap before this month? Has he just lost his job OP? Could he move to a cheaper area.

I heard on news today over a million jobs need to be filled. He could train as a HGV driver. They can earn £45k a year and more if in the South.

FFS zombie thread

I'd have to look that up, I'm afraid, it's not something I've come across.

Which is pretty shocking, considering I deliver a training course on UC and self-employment.!

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the MIF, being notional, doesn't count at all and that it's only actual earnings that count for ben cap purposes. It's very like the DWP to give you less money in two completely different ways ...

If one of you has been working, there's a 39 week grace period before the cap is applied.

You also get the grace period for 39 weeks if you've separated from a partner who's working and are making a sole claim.

Can I ask does the cap include housing element? How could a family in London survive on £1900 a month if that is the case?

Yes, although it's slightly higher in London.

I think many families who claim benefits also work tbf so benefits isn’t a sole source of income. I can’t afford to live just off the UC I’d get if I was unemployed or off my wages to be fair. Wages plus UC is doable. I feel like in London it’d only work if you had social housing where your rent was fully covered.

Jesus Christ. ‘Borough’ means he’s in London, he’s a part time parent and gets £16.5k free money. No wonder he doesn’t want to work. No jobs since the first lockdown 😂😂😂😂 absolutely outrageously laughable. And sickening.

There are plenty of borough councils outside of London. In Sussex alone, Hastings, Eastbourne and Worthing are all boroughs.

It's a problem all across the south east, and probably in other areas where housing costs are high.

At least the cap has been increased now, it was frozen for years. Even single people in one-bed flats were capped.

So he's not a single parent at all 🙄

He only has his children 50% of the time and they are at school anyway. He needs to get a job. Any job.

Why do you think he should get more free money instead of working?

Who is the 'resident' parent? I'm suspecting Mum. Happy to be corrected.

I had sympathy until I saw this. He has shared custody, some of us had to find work with sole custody and no other parental involvement. Sounds more like he doesn't want to work ffs.

He's quite well off if he's a single man claiming UC and Housing Benefit.

That's the going rate.

The resident parent claims child benefit, UC, housing and CM if needed.

Yup. A 'real' single parent here. It's not easy! If it was.

*only

Exactly what I thought. Wish someone would give me free money but get jack shit after working for 46 years and not pension age yet, gave up work due to ill health but can’t claim anything!

This!