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Original poster

Can I claim benefits?

166 replies

babyt2020 · 11/03/2022 12:33

Just curious as everyone keeps saying we should be entitled to something! I've never thought so but Martin Lewis seems to think so. We own our house outright, we bought it in September last year. My partner earns £24,000 per year and I don't work as we have an 8 month old and a 20 month old?

OP posts:
whatsthestory123 · 13/03/2022 02:17

im on benefit's and own my house out right in just my name

cost to DWP for housing here approx £850-9 per month
cost to DWP for owning my own home £0

which do you think makes sense

girlmom21 · 13/03/2022 06:54

@whatsthestory123

im on benefit's and own my house out right in just my name

cost to DWP for housing here approx £850-9 per month
cost to DWP for owning my own home £0

which do you think makes sense

Presumably you don't have enough of a household income to cover your own living costs, though?
BearPear · 13/03/2022 07:03

Wouldn’t there be an expectation that the OP would have to look for work, assuming the child(ren) are over 5?

Cheshirecatwoman · 13/03/2022 07:14

So in op’s case, is there no obligation to find work nowadays?

I mean if her dh is a low earner and this impacts their quality of life then logically I would assume she cannot afford the luxury of being a Sahm, like many of the rest of us and would need to find a job?

Or is there no incentive to work because you can get more in benefits?

FTEngineerM · 13/03/2022 07:29

Probably @Cheshirecatwoman that’s how I have always thought of it.

I can see why some are getting worked up about it, this is what’s happened with some example figures:

OP and OPs DH saved/inherited/acquired £400000.

OP and OPs DH then spent ALL of it on a property.

Then once it’s all spent, bank now says £0 they have claimed that they need government help because they have no money and they can’t live on the single salary that DH earns whilst she looks after the two kids.

I agree, that is pretty interesting to think about.

That asset is also appreciating at record rates… so already that property isn’t worth £400000 anymore it’s now worth £425000 because they bought it 6 months ago. So whilst their massive investment is earning record returns the government is topping up their salary because it’s soooo measly.. apparently.

whatsthestory123 · 13/03/2022 11:59

Presumably you don't have enough of a household income to cover your own living costs, though?

my only inome is benefits,disabled with one child no other source of income approx £1300 a month

whatsthestory123 · 13/03/2022 12:38

meant to add £100 a month of that is from the CMS not benefit

FTEngineerM · 13/03/2022 13:07

Assuming you’re claiming disability benefit because you cant work @whatsthestory123 ?

Rather than because you want to stay at home with the kids whilst they’re young.

whatsthestory123 · 13/03/2022 13:24

yes correct but was just showing how much the dwp/council dont have to pay because of non mortgage

it's a big saving and depending on where op lives whether it is right or not can make a large saving compared to helping with rent if claimed

but i do realise that i am lucky to be in my position though was through my children's dads death IYKWIM

Original poster
babyt2020 · 13/03/2022 13:32

Who would take care of the children if I went to work? I'd have to earn a lot to cover childcare. Not only that I certainly couldn't work in the evenings, my day starts at 5am and my partner is out 7-7 so when he gets home I'm exhausted!!

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 13/03/2022 13:53

@babyt2020

Who would take care of the children if I went to work? I'd have to earn a lot to cover childcare. Not only that I certainly couldn't work in the evenings, my day starts at 5am and my partner is out 7-7 so when he gets home I'm exhausted!!
I'd suggest your husband searches for a new job if he's working 12 hours a day for £24,000 a year.
wouldukissafrog · 13/03/2022 13:54

This surely isn't what the benefits system is for???

girlmom21 · 13/03/2022 13:54

@whatsthestory123

Presumably you don't have enough of a household income to cover your own living costs, though?

my only inome is benefits,disabled with one child no other source of income approx £1300 a month

That's different to having someone in your household earning £1650 plus child benefit and no mortgage though.

You don't have a mortgage but physically have no other income so you have to claim benefits.

WaterBottle123 · 13/03/2022 13:57

You'd get help from universal credit with childcare costs.

You're not married, being financially dependent on a man is batshit crazy.

Kitkat151 · 13/03/2022 14:58

@wouldukissafrog

This surely isn't what the benefits system is for???
But of course it is....it’s for people on low incomes....which OP is....she isn’t claiming anything for housing as she wouldn’t be eligible ....but she more than entitled🤷
Original poster
babyt2020 · 13/03/2022 15:10

He works 10 hours a day, 4 days a week

OP posts:
Margaretmatcher · 13/03/2022 15:24

Does anybody know why the government (UC) will not pay towards a mortgage but will pay housing benefit towards rent? The system seems unfair sorry to take the post slightly off piste

Babyroobs · 13/03/2022 15:26

@Margaretmatcher

Does anybody know why the government (UC) will not pay towards a mortgage but will pay housing benefit towards rent? The system seems unfair sorry to take the post slightly off piste
Because they can't be seen to be paying off people's mortgages on property which is likely hugely increasing in value ! People on Uc with kids that have a mortgage get a higher work allowance on their claim so that means the first £553 of earnings does not affect their total Uc entitlement at all. It id pretty generous to be honest !
RandomMess · 13/03/2022 15:26

You could work on his days off, lots of families have to do that.

Even a few part time hours really helps as you would be under the tax and NI threshold.

Cheshirecatwoman · 13/03/2022 15:27

@babyt2020

He works 10 hours a day, 4 days a week
You do what the rest of us have to do, pay for a nursery, rely on grandparents or work on the days your dp is off.

You work out how you will afford everything before you have dc in the first place and also work out what would happen if your dp lost their job.

This country is an absolute joke and seems to hand out money to the wrong people, while people who struggle through no fault of their own can’t access help. It’s infuriating.

Babyroobs · 13/03/2022 15:27

@babyt2020

He works 10 hours a day, 4 days a week
So you have 3 days a week where you could do a few hours of work around his ? When we had four kids under seven we worked opposite shifts. i did night, he did days, it's just what you do to survive, although not easy I admit. Maybe you could consider some bank care work or something where you could pick and choose shifts when your kids are a little older?
FTEngineerM · 13/03/2022 15:29

I'd have to earn a lot to cover childcare.

Hahahahah

Not as much as you just spent on a house, babyt

Cheshirecatwoman · 13/03/2022 15:31

And this is under the conservatives.

I dread to think how much labour would be handing out…

girlmom21 · 13/03/2022 15:31

You could work the other 3 days a week if you didn't want to do evenings and would struggle getting childcare.

Babyroobs · 13/03/2022 15:31

When I read threads like this I feel like I was a bit of a mug when my kids were small. Admittedly we had four close together ( not entirely planned ! ) which wasn't the best decision but I literally took four and five month maternity breaks because we couldn't afford more and then for fifteen years or more we worked opposite each other. Dh worked 9-5, I worked most of the weekend or a couple of split nightshifts a week and somehow just survived on naps when the toddlers napped. It was hard. Looking back we probably should have just taken the 1k benefits instead.