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Original poster

Do people on here wonder how someone like me copes? I earn £12K/year.

275 replies

hekissedmybottom · 17/02/2023 10:27

I grew up poor, single parent on benefits, partied through uni, worked all my life but never got paid much. My highest salary was 28K/year in London as a single woman. Felt absolutely minted.

Now I'm on benefits with a child as a single parent and still feel well off compared to how I grew up.

I think this kind of life is unfathomable to some people on here.

OP posts:
simplefree · 18/02/2023 10:17

I’ve been on 12K salary a year + benefits

If you are good with money it is doable

Howevet my child grew older, I had more free time and independence and wanted to change careers - managed to double my salary with my 1st new job in new career and after only 6 months in I am close to triple. It feels amazing! Dare I say I work much less and the job is less stressful, less demanding and much more flexible - no brainer

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 10:19

Childcare is approx 1200 per month ! My UC is usually 2500 and my wages 1500

Comedycook · 18/02/2023 10:23

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 10:19

Childcare is approx 1200 per month ! My UC is usually 2500 and my wages 1500

You get £2.5k a month in benefits...wtaf?!

MillicentTrilbyHiggins · 18/02/2023 10:47

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 10:19

Childcare is approx 1200 per month ! My UC is usually 2500 and my wages 1500

Goodness! That's a lot of uc! Do you pay rent out of that?

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 11:45

My rent is paid directly to the council and taken off before I get my payment , my rent is %560 per month

peeweechigs · 18/02/2023 12:49

Elden · 17/02/2023 14:30

I’m also a single parent with one child and I get £28k a year in benefits. I have about £400pm ‘spare’ and that’s with cheap rent, cheap energy and a very fuel efficient car. I’d find it almost impossible to cope on anything below £20k tbh. It sounds pretty miserable?

How? That's more than me working. That's not fair.

MillicentTrilbyHiggins · 18/02/2023 12:57

@elden @Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane do you get dla/pip/carers allowance for you or your dc? I just don't understand how you get so much otherwise.
It's far more than I've ever been able to claim, even after accounting for childcare. And i pay my not cheap rent out of what I get.

MrBallensWife · 18/02/2023 13:06

NewNovember · 17/02/2023 23:40

You do if you have transitional protection.

Show quote history

But if you have transitional protection that means you no longer claim WTC as you have transitioned to UC.Here in England,WTC is an automatic no for FSM.
When I transition to UC from WTC I may be entitled to FSM but if not,il carry on paying for them as I do now.

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 13:18

I do have 2 DC who get DLA, I don't get carers allowance or anything

No transitional protection applied to me, was actually getting a higher amount when i was working and on TCs

IgglePigg · 18/02/2023 14:16

@Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane you get 2.5k in UC but you earn £1500 already? And your rent is paid by the council before you get that? I understand childcare costs are £1.2k but that leaves you with £2.8k a month to spend on everything else??

I'm a single mum and earn £70k a year for working full time. I feel very fortunate to have my job and it's taken me years to get to this point. £70k = £4k a month after tax. Out of that I pay the mortgage, and childcare bills for 2 pre-school kids and am left with £800 a month for everything including bills, car etc.

It's just an odd one eh? I work flat out 5 days a week thinking I'm doing the right thing.

MillicentTrilbyHiggins · 18/02/2023 14:24

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 13:18

I do have 2 DC who get DLA, I don't get carers allowance or anything

No transitional protection applied to me, was actually getting a higher amount when i was working and on TCs

Oh I see. That's why you get so much then. You have 2 children with disabilities.

WaddleAway · 18/02/2023 14:34

I have a disabled child who gets DLA but I don’t count that as part of our monthly income as it’s solely reserved for his additional needs, over and above the ‘normal’ cost of child rearing.

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 15:24

Yes I didn't include their DLA In my figures either

MillicentTrilbyHiggins · 18/02/2023 15:27

But you get extra allowances in UC as well. No?

Comedycook · 18/02/2023 15:50

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 15:24

Yes I didn't include their DLA In my figures either

So your £4k a month doesn't include their DLA?

FlatWhiteExtraHot · 18/02/2023 16:03

WaddleAway · 18/02/2023 14:34

I have a disabled child who gets DLA but I don’t count that as part of our monthly income as it’s solely reserved for his additional needs, over and above the ‘normal’ cost of child rearing.

Which is exactly as it should be. My daughter’s PIP wasn’t family income, it was to buy the extra things she needed, pay astronomical bus fares for hospital appointments, and pay for her to do extra curricular activities that helped with her disability. It’s shocking how many people are counting it as their income.

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 18:33

Correct

Gingerkittykat · 18/02/2023 18:35

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 15:24

Yes I didn't include their DLA In my figures either

You're being pretty goady. Why don't you post a breakdown of your UC elements with amounts so people can see whether you are telling the truth or not.

MillicentTrilbyHiggins · 18/02/2023 18:40

Gingerkittykat · 18/02/2023 18:35

You're being pretty goady. Why don't you post a breakdown of your UC elements with amounts so people can see whether you are telling the truth or not.

Show quote history

It sounds pretty accurate tbh.

But by not mentioning the fact there are people with disabilities, which leads to higher amounts of UC, it sounds like everyone is getting thousands. Which feeds into the benefit scrounger narrative.

Comedycook · 18/02/2023 18:40

Wow so you're on the equivalent of an £80k salary not including DLA for your DC. Wow. Just wow.

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 20:17

I'm happy to post my statement- not meaning to sound goady in anyway , shape or form!!

I thought it was the norm!

IgglePigg · 18/02/2023 21:38

You thought it was the norm for people who work part time at £1500 a month to end up making the equivalent of £75-£80k a year? No one would ever work full time! @Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane

Rebellious23 · 18/02/2023 21:48

IgglePigg · 18/02/2023 21:38

You thought it was the norm for people who work part time at £1500 a month to end up making the equivalent of £75-£80k a year? No one would ever work full time! @Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane

That's my wage for 40hrs a week

WaddleAway · 18/02/2023 21:56

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 20:17

I'm happy to post my statement- not meaning to sound goady in anyway , shape or form!!

I thought it was the norm!

Not the norm, no one would work full time if it was. You take in more than DH and I do together, both working (him full time, me 4 days).

Trinityandmadisondrivemeinsane · 18/02/2023 22:17

I hadn't thought about how much it equated to in real salary terms! That has floored me, you are absoutley right!!!