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

It is quite difficult to understand when we are being told

1. benefits are a pittance and horrible and no one can live on them AND
2. people are receiving the equivalent of a 60k salary in benefits

You shouldn't feel bad about it you're obviously entitled to it, especially with disabled children but I am shocked I won't lie.
It's an awful lot of money with likely school meals on top and I read your single mum so no doubt child maintenance on top.
I work full time and don't bring that sort of money home

How do you know the world is a better place? How does anyone know anything like that about anyone on an anonymous forum

I’m also surprised, you are in the top ten percent of earners in the uk. And that’s before your own wages.

I can imagine that the rent situation is only going to get worse - in December (both of us work) we had an affordable mortgage. In January it trebled.
So if this happens to Private Landlords, the taxpayer is going to be forking out even more for those who need accommodation.

Whilst I feel huge empathy for your situation, I’m sure you are more exhausted than many full time workers and commuters, without the breakdown it seems a huge amount of money to be getting and even though you are entitled to it, and your situation is not enviable - I can see why people are jealous of the income. also it seems that the person you were helping is envious of what you receive.

Another on the list of things on the internet that just never happened.

I’m struggling to believe someone would be rude enough to say that to someone’s face. And if they were, I don’t know many people who’d follow it up with an interesting conversation about it.

You get the same in UC as i get paid to be the matron of an emergency department

Not to say you shouldn't, but i'm a bit shocked!

And if you are only earning 771 a month net you are paying a pittance in tax.

So you have 2k for bills and living expenses? Sounds okay to me. Most of it goes on rent and childcare.

Right to buy landlords should never be allowed to rent out properties. They should have made the scheme with a homeowner resident clause.

This is the definition of a strawman argument, and a snide one at that. You don’t get to shut down debate that easily.

I have never heard anyone, ever, no matter how right wing, say they want no benefit system at all and those with disabilities or in desperate need should beg or starve.

But we currently have 4 million people claiming disability benefits of some form. That’s an enormous number - and with 1 in 6 working age people not working (and their circumstances are moot - they’re not contributing while using all the services), we are faced with a huge problem.

The taxpayer is frankly exhausted by those with ‘needs’, and it isn’t mean spirited or bigoted of them to be happy to support others but only to an extent their own family and lifestyle isn’t curtailed to do it.

Unless we cut benefits or cut the number of people on benefits, we can expect further austerity and managed decline because we just aren’t producing the tax revenue to create the society everyone demands on here

I thought I got a fair amount but it’s way less than what you get. I am quite shocked at the amount you get. When I was asked to migrate from tax credits to universal credit I nearly didn’t apply as I thought I wouldn’t be eligible. As it turns out I am but I have an overpayment from tax credits to give back. Also my youngest dc is nearly 18 and will not stay in education after that so I won’t be entitled to anything then.

If £771 a month then no tax I don’t think?

You’ve got two disabled kids and you work. You have my respect and deserve the amount you get. Anyone that has a problem with it can piss off

@AnotherNameChange1233

I much rather live here as a council tenant with a much lower rent that I’d be able to pay for out of my own pocket
I'm sure you would 🙄

Good grief, I’m astounded. That’s like £65k a year. I thought universal credit was like a couple of hundred quid a month top up, not more than double the average national salary.

That's like a 70k + salary after tax.
You shouldn't feel bad for claiming what you are entitled to and you work hard to care for your kids. But the government should feel bad for capping child benefits and childcare for people with barely any more income than you.

The 771 is net I think,
Have to do sums now.

I definitely think that more social housing is needed

Why did you show your statement? We are in a cost of living crisis!

I feel this is a bit of a cop out though. You know they can’t build millions of social houses, so it’s about sharing equally what we have now.

Gobsmacked. You get all your rent paid? I thought UC just topped it up?

@TheFunHasGone how dare you point fingers at me. You know nothing about me other than I'm knackered after a 12 hour day.

I'm absolutely shocked at this figure and I have every right to be. I feel like just jacking it all in. I'm knackered and have had enough.

UC are the tightest people over ever encountered. If that's what your getting then that's what you are entitled to and shouldn't feel ashamed one bit

No, why would I?