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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:
AnneLovesGilbert · 17/02/2023 14:12

What’s your income from self employment and what are you getting in benefits? Do you get maintenance for your child?

Are you coming back to enlighten us…?

SirChenjins · 17/02/2023 14:12

@Cuppasoupmonster surely that can't be right though - otherwise everyone would work minimum hours on a low paid job and come out with over £2k a month?

MissMarplesbag · 17/02/2023 14:13

www.charityjob.co.uk/

lots of remote and hybrid jobs advertised on here.

www.gov.uk/guidance/free-courses-for-jobs

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/02/2023 14:14

On another thread the OP says she has "under 2k a month" and gets "£500pcm benefits plus £1200pcm SE income". She also says she wasn't going to apply for a £27k pa job as she didn't know how to then afford childcare etc.

But as a LP on 27j she would likely get help towards her childcare and probs a little top up benefits too. Especially if renting.

Chimna · 17/02/2023 14:14

Well no because you don't 'live off' 12k a year. I earn a similar amount. I cope by living eith my DH who earns substantially more. If he died I would cope by receiving his pension. If we divorced I would have savings or recieve universal credit. Noone with a young DC lives off 12k a year unless they refuse to claim benefits they are entitled to.

MissMarplesbag · 17/02/2023 14:15

Why don’t you get a p/t 2-3 day job and work self employed for the rest of the week. This way you get a fixed monthly income from the p/t job which you supplement with your self employed job.

Comedycook · 17/02/2023 14:16

Child benefit alone would add roughly an extra £1000 a year. Then tax credits/universal credit? Child maintenance?

But I don't think the ops coming back

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/02/2023 14:17

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Ionlydrinkondaysendinginy · 17/02/2023 14:18

AnneLovesGilbert · 17/02/2023 14:12

What’s your income from self employment and what are you getting in benefits? Do you get maintenance for your child?

Are you coming back to enlighten us…?

She's not coming back she thought she was going to enlighten us on how savvy she is with money but has realised the government/people who work are actually paying for her lifestyle and she's probably got more disposable income then most

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/02/2023 14:18

Shit wrong thread. I'll get it deleted.

Rebellious23 · 17/02/2023 14:18

SirChenjins · 17/02/2023 14:12

@Cuppasoupmonster surely that can't be right though - otherwise everyone would work minimum hours on a low paid job and come out with over £2k a month?

Not entitled if no children (I earn min wage plus a small amount of commission)

SirChenjins · 17/02/2023 14:23

Sorry @Rebellious23 I should have said 'everyone with children'

I'm guessing there's a cut off limit that you can claim for re housing costs - the Govt wouldn't pay out ££££s every month to a bank or landlord?

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?

Airupnonsense · 17/02/2023 14:31

This could be a really interesting thread if the OP ever comes back and breaks down;

  • what she brings in from employment per month
  • benefits per month
  • what rent she has to pay
  • what council tax she has to pay
  • what child care she has to pay
ChatInMyFlat · 17/02/2023 14:34

Yes, I'd wonder how you manage given that 12k a year wouldn't cover my rent.

redskydelight · 17/02/2023 14:35

Airupnonsense · 17/02/2023 14:31

This could be a really interesting thread if the OP ever comes back and breaks down;

  • what she brings in from employment per month
  • benefits per month
  • what rent she has to pay
  • what council tax she has to pay
  • what child care she has to pay

Also any money from the child(ren)'s father.

Quite possible that that is a tidy sum!

Ceryneianhind · 17/02/2023 14:35

Redebs · 17/02/2023 13:13

Benefits are subsidising an enormous number of employers. They pay their workers a wage that they can't live on and then taxpayers pay the rest.
The system was never meant to enable massive numbers of Working Poor.

And then, people like you turn round and blame the employees. It's ridiculous!

Show quote history

Totally agree with this.

How can it be right that a person working full time hours still qualifies for benefits? Companies should be forced to pay a wage where that's not needed

Re the benefit check, I dont know if I did it right, but I used entitledto.com which is often referenced here

Cuppasoupmonster · 17/02/2023 14:37

MissMarplesbag · 17/02/2023 14:15

Why don’t you get a p/t 2-3 day job and work self employed for the rest of the week. This way you get a fixed monthly income from the p/t job which you supplement with your self employed job.

Because that could lower her entitlement. It’s quite endearing when people suggest those with a generous benefit top up ‘want to get a better paid/full time job’, I mean why would you 🤷🏼‍♀️

NewNovember · 17/02/2023 14:38

Ceryneianhind · 17/02/2023 12:27

If you earn 12k from your business
With 0 costs
With 0 pension
With 0 tax
With 0 ni

Rent of 750
1 child age 6
You are single aged 28
And get no money from ex (dc parent)
I put you in a random town south east with an RH post code

And no other income at all then entitledto.com says

Total benefits entitlement
£358.25 / weekly
Our estimate is based on the information you have entered and does not guarantee entitlement. It uses 2022/23 benefit and tax rates.

This amount is made up of the following benefits:

Universal Credit
£317.28 / weekly
We estimate your monthly Universal Credit award will be £1,374.91.

You could also be affected by changes to the .

If you made a claim for Universal Credit today this would be paid into your bank account on 23 March 2023. Our estimate is based on you receiving earnings of £12,000.00 and other income of £0.00 in the period between 17 February 2023 and 16 March 2023 (your assessment period if you claimed today).

Council Tax Support
£19.17 / weekly
Your full Council Tax bill of £19.17 per week will be reduced to £0.00 per week because of your entitlement to Council Tax Support.

Child Benefit
£21.80 / weekly
You will be subject to the Child Benefit high income tax charge. This charge will be the same value as your Child Benefit and you may instead choose to stop receiving Child Benefit. To find out more about your options see .

We have used the information you provided to search for other entitlements you may qualify for. Get more information about:

This calculation is clearly wrong as the child benefit charge would not apply.

DoesItMakeYouFeelBetter · 17/02/2023 14:39

I couldn’t live on just £12k a year. That would just about cover my housing costs, but not bills, petrol for work or anything else.

MelchiorsMistress · 17/02/2023 14:42

I would assume you can afford life quite comfortably because benefits for someone in your situation are very generous. There is no magic formula as to how to manage, you just get given free money to prevent your child being in poverty.

HikingforScenery · 17/02/2023 14:42

I dont wonder. I guess you received too ups with benefits which you live on

MillicentTrilbyHiggins · 17/02/2023 14:47

NewNovember · 17/02/2023 14:38

This calculation is clearly wrong as the child benefit charge would not apply.

Show quote history

I think @Ceryneianhind made the same mistake as me and entered 12k in the income but it actually asks for a monthly amount. Although I'm not sure how the website can you think earn 12k per month and still qualify for UC! Unless the rent was mis-set as a, weekly amount.

Entitled to nearly always over estimates Council tax support too.

SirChenjins · 17/02/2023 14:47

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?

£28k a year in benefits alone? Surely that’s including your wages?

lipstickwoman · 17/02/2023 14:50

All this thread has done is piss me off even more about our benefits system