Benefit rant- seems really unfair?

[Tralalalalaa24]

I know I will probably get a bashing for what I’m about to say. But for the record I’ve always worked full time until I had my children and then financially it made no sense to work full time and pay nursery fees to not see my child much so I dropped to part time hours and have remained part time as I’ve gone on to have 3 more children. I then became a single mum to those children and have no financial help whatsoever from the dad but have managed ok on my wages and UC top up. I’m now in the position of wanting to live with my partner but it means I will lose all my benefits due to his wages. He’s not a massive earner (around 40k) I get that’s what the system is but it seems really unfair that he will be held financially responsible for my children. He has two children of his own who he has 50% of the time and still pays child maintenance for. So ultimately it means we can’t afford to live together without it being a struggle which I don’t want for my kids, or for his. Not really sure what I’m after as there is no solution, we just won’t live together until I’m in a position where I go full time when my kids are a bit older. Just wondered if this is a common issue people have

Just in response to pp talking about how the Dad's maintenance is not included, I had a quick look on the benefits calculator.

I work pt (16 hours a week) and earn £1,600

Kids Dad would pay 1k

Benefits would be £1,562

That's based on me having a mortgage, 2 kids at school full time and no childcare costs.

Total each month would be £4,162, which is equivalent to me earning £68,000.

I appreciate these calculators are not 100% but does seem quite a lot considering average salary in the S.E is £40,000.

Edited to say they didn't ask about maintenance so Dad could be giving me 5k a month....

I married a decent hard working responsible man who turned into an abusive bastard once I was pregnant who left us homeless whilst he skipped off to another country and stole all the assets and all of mine and my child’s personal effects. There was nothing I could do. Literally nothing.

And I feel zero stand in claiming benefits whilst I got back on my feet.

Stop blaming women for men being oxygen thieves.

There’s no way that is accurate. When I earned £1600 a month I got about £400-£500 a month UC and that included childcare costs. (I now earn £2200 a month) Similar circs to you, a mortgage and 2 kids at school

Oh it must be way out then. I guessed it would be a couple of hundred out but not over 1k out!!

I said mortgage was 200k. Also, live in v expensive area and council tax is high if that makes a difference 💁‍♀️

This is what you would actually get assuming first child born before 2017
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get
single person : 400.14
child element: 292.81
child element: 339

total : £1031.81 before deductions

wage deduction :
Wage 1600
minus work allowance of 684 = 916
Wage deduction of 916 x 0.55 =503.8

so total
wage 1600
UC £528
total incoming £2128.81

if you receive child maintenance FOR YOUR CHILD then that is not taken into account.

That's interesting - thanks. I've never claimed anything so don't know much about it tbh.

Think I'll keep my husband on as he's worth more to me here!!! 🤑🤑🤑🤣🤣🤣

I mean he's actually worth more to me dead of course, but I think that's a step too far.....🤔🤔🤔🤔

agreed, no UC here

Was going to say @GypsyQueeen you are way out but @oldFoolMe has beaten me

if no rent paid then get a higher working allowance of 200ish extra of £684 which isn’t really that much more tbh then the £411 allowance people who rent get - esp if they get £1000+ paid as their rent

If all of us silly little tax paying trolls went back under our bridges, there’d be no one left to pay for your benefits.

You should feel grateful that you live in a country where tax payers don’t want to see your children destitute, due to your decisions.

As a country, we can not afford to keep paying for this.

Can someone please explain to me why this is that men can literally walk away from their children and pay nothing and the tax payer has to pay instead? Why do our government let this happen? These men should face prison, women have been imprisoned for not have a tv licence for fucks sake 😡

I feel like writing to my MP and asking that they look at CMS reform. They need to hold these b@st@rd men to account for not paying for their children which then leads to the mothers claiming benefits. Such a drain on tax payers.

It’s an absolute disgrace, couldn’t believe what I read, a household income of 70k and that poster is receiving UC, enraging.

@BoxesOnTheWardrobe silly little troll, I do pay tax😂
cant imagine posting uninformed crap it must be so embarrassing. Or it should be, anyway

I'm afraid I agree. I'm sorry the father of your children doesn't contribute to their up ring - the state should find a way to make him pay.
If you want to live with your DP then you'll have to work full-time, like many people do.

Such is life. I guess find higher paying jobs or delaying your move in to when the children have left home. There are lots of absurd incentives built into our welfare system and you've got the shit end of the stick this time round. Some of us have never got so much as a penny

But then your living as a family why should the pay a shared cost of the household?

I’d suggest getting off mumsnet now and again, that way you’ll be able to learn about how those that are net contributors see those who are net takers (by choice).

@BoxesOnTheWardrobemight do some online shopping with your tax money

I agree! I've never understood why CMS is so soft of absent father in the UK!!!

I know some men will fudge their earnings, but for the ones on means tested benefits they should deduct it straight from their UC! Like you said other countries are far more proficient at enforcing it!

They can deduct from UC. They can deduct directly from wages. The fathers who don’t pay are the ones who go self employed or find a way to manipulate the system to not pay.

Yeah she has.

17 years and counting. Most of what was accumulated was written off. Multiple reports to HMRC and he is still not imprisoned for tax evasion. It's simply not a system that works.

ODFOD. Seriously. Just wait till it happens to you or someone you care about.