Do you feel bad for receiving a ‘high amount’ of UC?

[AnotherNameChange1233]

Last week I went to my local Children’s Centre and attended a Citizen’s Advice group that runs once a week.

As long as you’re registered to the Children Centre, you can turn up for any advice needed. Some people want privacy so they go into a side room with the advisor and some parents may help other parents if they’ve been in a similar situation/can offer the correct advice. It’s also like a social group for parents, hopefully you get the jist of it.

On the table I was sitting on, one parent was trying to get her head around UC as she didn’t quite understand LHA rates, how DLA impacts UC and what elements she would be entitled too. Anyway, I started speaking about my experience with DLA, UC and offered to log into my UC account if it was easier for her to look at the breakdown visually (instead of me talking and complicating things). I also got her postcode to explain how the LHA rates work and etc.

Another parent suddenly spoke up and said, ‘don’t you feel bad for claiming that much money?’ She wasn’t argumentative or anything and we had an interesting conversation but it made me think, are people like me supposed to feel bad when receiving a certain amount?

She also said something like (I’m paraphrasing here as I can’t remember it exactly word for word) if people can’t afford their rent then they should move to a more affordable area. I raised the point of Landlords purchasing properties as part of the Right to Buy scheme, charging extortionate rent which taxpayers then pay through UC. Surely, it’s more a problem that there isn’t affordable rental properties in many areas.

For full transparency, I’m going to mention all of my UC amounts and wonder if people that claim similar, feel bad?

• 292 single person allowance
• 1450 private rent
• 539 for 2 children
• 293 for 2 disabled children
• 589 childcare costs
• 189 carer

£216 is deducted from my entitlement due to my wages. That means my UC amount is £3133. My wages is £771. I receive two amounts of MRC through DLA which is £580 all together.

Now that I’ve written it down, it seems like a whole lot of money but the costs that come with raising one of my disabled children (the other still costs a lot, but not as much as the other) is through the roof due to their issues

You shouldn't feel bad.

It's s lot of money!

Agree with this. They only see the £'s and none of the additional hardship associated with single parenting children with disabilities.

I'm grateful to be in a position where I can work full-time and afford standard nursery costs etc. I dont begrudge or envy anyone else's circumstances.

There's another thread on herofat the moment of a cash buyer for a near 1million house who is alsgenot getting lot of sympathy for their current difficulty and the jealousy of certain commenter is palpable.

Thank you also for your kindness! I don’t want to just focus on the negative comments as so many people have shown their support. I’ve tried to give thanks to all of those that I haven’t been able to respond too personally

A huge proportion of it goes to the landlord . OP has nothing to feel bad about.

Ok but it’s not about switching places is it? It’s about reasoning what is fair as an upper limit for any 1 household to receive given the country’s economic constraints.

Sorry have seen you’ve edited should to shouldn’t now !

Is volunteering at a care home and working full time whilst my disabled children are in day care close enough?!

I find this hard to stomach tbh, thinking how hard I have to work to cover basic bills and mortgage, pay for nursery for my baby son - all so I can work round the clock and still struggle.
im entitled to no UC, when you read what others get it makes me wonder why on earth I bothered trying so hard!

There is an upper limit - the benefit cap for those without disabilities in their household. The cap is lifted for those with dla/pip and rightly so.

Who would want to swap with the op to get the extra money? She will never see her disabled children be independent, never marry or have grandchildren, then when the op gets old she will still be looking after disabled children/now adults as the services are non existent. Then there’s the constant worry of what will happen to them when she dies. And also some disabilities are not apparent until 2 or 3 years.

Is it right though?

I do not understand how you’ve come to the conclusion that I get over four figures in maintenance. I do not understand how you’ve come to the conclusion that I do or do not get maintenance seeing as I haven’t provided this information. Do you just go on threads and completely make things up from thin air?

Do you want a disabled child so you can get more money then ? Is that what you are saying ?

Gobsmacked. I understand it’s tough with 2 disabled kids, however, never in my wildest dreams could I imagine people can claim the equivalent of a 65k salary.

The real issue is the the future for you.

Yo wont her childcare for long, nor the disability allowance, these are short term benefits. The same could be said for rent, you’ll only claim this whilst your children live with you:

Now previously you could’ve earned it all yourself, paid tax and not claimed. So whilst the government are being generous in the short term, what position are you going to be in when they leave school, claim disability themselves and leave home? You’ll be in absolute poverty and will have to move to a cheaper area and smaller property.

Woman are warned to keep their career going, Jist something g to think about.

Well I think it's fair to say that if you're not forthcoming with if you're getting maintenance or not, then people will make the fair assumption that you are getting it and it's an ok amount. Because if you admit you're getting it it's another reason for users to have an go/be shocked etc

What an astronomical amount to be given without working.
My DH works 12 hour shifts and stays away from home all week for less. I wish I hadn't seen this thread.

How is she not working?? She is a full time carer & works p/t

The way you dodge the question. Most mothers are not backwards in coming forward to say they get nothing from the father.

@40somethingme I've actually mentioned this a few times and people have never really reacted- maybe coz there are a few reading who have been benefiting nicely- I'm all in favour of good maintenance on top of wages etc- but not when the state is also paying out a fair whack too , as well as wages. I think it's actually disincentivising many women with school aged kids to work much at all and is unfair on couples and single mums with mortgages and average paying jobs who can claim nothing or next to nothing and end up with far less income than women or families doing as few hours as possible if they can get away with it.

Clearly in the OPs case , this is not the situation- so it's an individual thing

I think you’re right to be honest, some people probably would!

I have a voicemail recording that says, ‘If you’re calling in regards to DC1 or DC2, please send me an email at X address and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.’ The weekly appointments are genuinely next level and that doesn’t even include the day to day care. Those that get it, get it

Yes it is.

Disability within a household massively increases financial strain

Thank you so much for your kindness. I also wish you the best as a carer x

It's hard to see when I earn much less with 2 kids to support.
BUT
You aren't doing anything wrong.
You have disabled children to care for and that's hard.

Each council has a housing cap.
UC will only pay part of the rent if your local council say so.
You still have to find the rest of the rent money.
We have a teeny 3rd bedroom and our council will only pay UC for 2 beds if you only need 2 bedrooms.

That is understandable but
They don't take into consideration that the 3rd bedroom is like a teeny office size (toddler bed size) and that no 2 beds were available to rent at the time we came here.
They don't find that out,the proportion of our private rent paid by UC is very low.
We are new to UC this year.