How to make up the difference between benefits and bills

bunglebus · 11 March 2017 at 3:52PM

My question is simple: How is one expected to survive off benefits when they do not pay the full amount of the expenditure they're meant to cover?

Our rent is £750 PCM, our housing benefit is £607.64 as per the local government maximum. We are entitled to and need the three bedrooms in our house, 1 adult son who works a low paid job and gives us a bit of housekeeping, one teenaged son in full time education.
We have a dog and two cats so moving is made difficult as few landlords will accept pets, plus if you don't have any money how do you pay for moving costs, deposit etc etc?

Our council tax is £1419.46 P/A, of which £1102.57 is covered by Council Tax Support. This leaves approx £168.77 PCM shortfall between rent and council tax.

We receive PIP as my wife is disabled, Standard Daily Living and Enhanced Mobility which is used for her Motability car. I receive Carer's Allowance and Income Support.

We moved here just over four years ago, I was working full time until Dec 2015 but now I am her full time carer.

I'm looking into a Discretionary Housing Payment but my main question is, how are we meant to make ends meet? I asked this question during a call about benefits to the powers that be, and they just said no-one gets the full amount.

KxMx · 11 March 2017 at 4:01PM

I'd suggest you need to do two things, decrease your outgoings and increase the amount your adult son pays you.

What kind of budgeting and tracking of expenses/outgoings do you do?

Often these exercises are very illuminating and allow you to stretch a fixed income further.

McKneff · 11 March 2017 at 4:03PM

Do you actually have to care for your wife full time. Im sure you can earn up to a certain amounr before it affects benefits

poppasmurf_bewdley · 11 March 2017 at 6:24PM

KxMx wrote: »

I'd suggest you need to do two things, decrease your outgoings and increase the amount your adult son pays you.

What kind of budgeting and tracking of expenses/outgoings do you do?

Often these exercises are very illuminating and allow you to stretch a fixed income further.

Spot on there. Either that or tell him you're downsizing the house and he will have to find somewhere else to live. You should be looking at £300/400 a month from him, as that is the minimum he would have to pay for a room in a house share.

McKneff wrote: »

Do you actually have to care for your wife full time. Im sure you can earn up to a certain amounr before it affects benefits

There is always a job you can do to earn some money. Even a paper round will bring in £15/30 a week - and many pensioners do this job to earn extra.

bunglebus · 11 March 2017 at 6:53PM

Correct on both counts - son pays £30 a week, and to be fair often buys his own food/stays at his girlfriend's so doesn't cost much (mind you I was paying £120 a month out of £100 a week in 1994). I could do some part time work.

However my main question is more how are we expected to make ends meet if neither of the above was feasible? It just seems odd that the benefits are not the same as the outgoings that we must pay. More questioning the system than my own circumstances.

elsien · 11 March 2017 at 6:59PM

The system would say that you don't need a three bedroom house. Your two sons could share a room if needs must.

Bogalot · 11 March 2017 at 7:31PM

bunglebus wrote: »

Correct on both counts - son pays £30 a week, and to be fair often buys his own food/stays at his girlfriend's so doesn't cost much (mind you I was paying £120 a month out of £100 a week in 1994). I could do some part time work.

However my main question is more how are we expected to make ends meet if neither of the above was feasible? It just seems odd that the benefits are not the same as the outgoings that we must pay. More questioning the system than my own circumstances.

Why is it not feasible to make ends meet, are you paying off debts? If you added up your income it would be more than many working households get. As suggested above, complete a statement of affairs and look at where you can make cutbacks.

TELLIT01 · 11 March 2017 at 7:33PM

The limits on HB etc are there in part to stop landlords constantly increasing rent in the knowledge that it will be paid by the LA. The OP does need to look at every aspect of income and expenditure, with particular emphasis on the rent paid by the son and the possibility of part time work. There is a small disregard on earnings so there isn't a huge amount of wiggle room in that area.

thorsoak · 11 March 2017 at 8:48PM

don't you claim child benefit?

Cakeguts · 11 March 2017 at 9:23PM

bunglebus wrote: »

Correct on both counts - son pays £30 a week, and to be fair often buys his own food/stays at his girlfriend's so doesn't cost much (mind you I was paying £120 a month out of £100 a week in 1994). I could do some part time work.

However my main question is more how are we expected to make ends meet if neither of the above was feasible? It just seems odd that the benefits are not the same as the outgoings that we must pay. More questioning the system than my own circumstances.

It is not how much he costs you in terms of food. He is costing you the rent on a 3 bed house which has to be more than £30 per week. Either he starts to pay you a realistic share of the rent or he finds his own place allowing you to downsize.

Darksparkle · 11 March 2017 at 9:43PM

So you get as a household:
PIP
Income Support
Carers Allowance
Child Tax Credits (assuming FTNAE)
Child Benefit (assuming FTNAE)
Housing Benefit
Countil Tax Support
Wages

But that's not sufficient?

How to make up the difference between benefits and bills

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