How can we manage financially as Universal Credit support reduces?

[elliejjtiny]

We have 5 dc aged between 19 and 11 all with disabilities. Dh was a manager up until youngest was born, then he became unwell and had to take a massive pay cut. I'm a Sahm and get carers allowance. We get UC. Dc1 in his first year at uni, dc2 about to start in September.

We are just about managing at the moment but barely. In September we are going to lose the child element of universal credit for dc2 and I'm worried how we are going to manage. When the dc were younger I thought I would be working by now but I'm only getting 4 hours sleep a night and my 11 year old needs constant supervision when not at school so I don't know how I could fit work in. Dh has to work away about 15 weekends a year (from friday morning until late Sunday night) which leaves me completely exhausted each time. We spend 9 weekends a year picking up/dropping off/visiting dc1 and I imagine spending the same amount of time with dc2. There is no childcare for children my dc age with SN and they have to be picked up and dropped off at school. The dc have appointments about once a week on average and dc4 stays in hospital about 1 night a year when I don't get any sleep at all.

Realistically I can't think of any employer who would employ me with the amount of time off I would need and on so little sleep. At the moment I spend the time dc are at school doing the housework, cooking the dinner and trying to catch up on a bit of sleep.

I'm trying to think of anywhere we could save money but I can't think of anything. Dc1 doesn't cost any less money while he is at uni.

I can't believe we have got to the point that it is scary if somebody suggests a job that may be suitable!! For heavens sake that is mad and bad!

I suppose no one asked you to comment on the ops decisions though did they? You just feel entitled to.

So glad I’m not in the UK when I’m reading things like this. And an extreme number of young people who can’t work because of MH issues. How on earth did it come to this!?

FIVE kids.

Why are people kicking the OP like this has been posted in AIBU? You should ashamed of yourselves.

Communism didn’t work out too well either

Babies are not born with "I'm disabled!" stamped on their heads for many of us...it doesn't often get diagnosed until years later when you have no idea how bad things get for you.....and how it can restrict your life.

OP have you had your adult carer support plan done? Often you can get grants you can apply for to get respite breaks away.

OP, whilst I empathise with your demanding life, I must stay that there are many of others with equally demanding lives who hold down jobs. Some of those households are single parents, and there is no sharing the care of children. Could you work while younger child is in school? That is what many of us do.

Anyone with 5 kids would struggle on 1 reduced wage. None of the options are easy you need to earn more, husband needs a new job with less away time or cut your outgoings - that might mean less time to do housework but many are in the same boat.

You simply do not have the time and money to make such frequent visits to uni age children. The petrol for 6 or 8 hour round trips just about every other weekend with the whole family there must cost a fortune, let alone meals out etc. It cannot be good for younger disbaled children either travelling so frequently - unless there are serious mobility issues a uni age child should be able to complete the journey home without being collected - if not it was not sensible to support a move so far from home and the same for dc2.

My NDN is a nail technician and she works one hour each day. Self employed. No weekend work.

Also if your eldest is able enough to attend university, they should be working towards supporting themselves. I worked part time during my degree and lived in inexpensive halls of residence. Worked the summer months and knew my parents did not have the money to support me further. I also was given student loan support. Is that an option?

I have a family member whose husband and three children are disabled. She often hears people whispering eg schools mums about her not working/living off the state/why did they have three.
If they knew the family had been in the wrong place during a terrorist attack and had their lives turned upside down.

I am entitled to when I am taxed to shit to pay for people's decisions.

Spend more time thinking. Higher earners there have access to cheap childcare because it is heavily subsidised by the state. State subsidies are one of the means through which Nordic countries offer social welfare, so when it comes to direct benefits they can operate a different system.

Their wealthy are taxed more than the UK, so while lower earners pay more in tax than we do, so do their richer counterparts, who take home more of their income. They also have significantly less crime per capita with less poverty.

And that's the point. We could have a different system if we operated differently. Many of you see the problem is that people in this country get benefits rather than considering how our system is set up and how this could change.

I would love to see true cooperative living. Everyone working together, each contributing what they can, for the benefit of all . Everyone lives well and has what they need. Everyone wins. Nobody cares about gaining at the expense of others.

But that will never happen 1, because its against our nature as a species and 2 we'd need to go back to living in small self sufficient groups because the bigger the group the more selfish the individuals within it.

Its a nice dream though. I wish we were a better species.

I agree. Middle earner here with one child. Realistically I cannot afford anymore. No government help but pay upwards of 25000 each year in tax. My life is busy, demanding, stressful and I still work. Why? Because I have to if I want to sustain any standard of living. I wouldn’t dream of relying on the government to sustain my lifestyle. Benefits are to support people who are job hunting or who cannot work due to disability.

My friend has two disabled dc and although she’s a qualified teacher she works as a dinner lady at her local secondary (not where her dc go) it’s 2 hours a day and becuase it’s a secondary and there are a number of staff they have been able to absorb if she has needed to be off if her kids are ill and as she doesn’t start till 1130 she can usually arrange cover from her mum. It’s minimum wage but has meant she is able to make things stretch further

Because you can be disabled without having any learning disabilities? and DLA/PIP doesn't require you to have a learning disability or if old enough not be able to attend university/work to be eligible for it.

Get fucked.

My eldest is disabled enough that he needs support and he has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree.

Disabled people come in the full range of intellectual abilities.

Use the limited time you have to do as many courses as possible, it’ll help when you can get back to work. Is the youngest going on secondary school? Can you set up a cleaning business, work around school.
Things will get tougher as the children age out of the system you’ll need an income.

I would love to see true cooperative living. Everyone working together, each contributing what they can, for the benefit of all . Everyone lives well and has what they need. Everyone wins. Nobody cares about gaining at the expense of others
In other words what is often described, as a Hippy Commune. Problem is, it's not compatible with a market economy that is set on growth.

So you just pick on individuals?

Why don't you stop being such a bitter waste of skin and actually do something about it then, write to your mp, protest, lobby, go into politics yourself.

Yeah, you can say what you want, but you seem to have taken it upon yourself to be angry towards an individual when it's a government policy that decides tax rate.

Please give me some facts someone about the 'benefits abusers' you are all so angry about?

Because to me is really just seems like you are all just so disappointed with your own lives you are desperately looking for someone to blame.