How can this be??

BB78

My friend is a single parent, rents privately and works full time, she has just been given a very nice pay rise taking her to £30k a year plus bonus (which was £4K in April)!! I was concerned this would have a knock on effect on her benefits but it works out she'll still get £550 a month in housing allowance, £60 a month council tax benefit (on top of the 25% discount) plus about £80 a month child benefit, £40 child tax credit & a take home wage of £1850 a month!!

When I was working full time I was earning no where near £30k and wasn't entitled to any help. I'm single, bought a shoe box of a 1 bedroom flat before I got ill & now can't work because of disability, I'm trying to pay a mortgage & all the other associated bills plus a home improvement loan and all the usual living expenses (like food) on benefits and even with all the money saving tips & cost cutting I'm still a good £300 a month short, every month! :eek:

Can it really be that I would be better off having a baby, working full time on a very nice salary and privately renting a place much bigger than mine??!! :mad: :mad:

clairec79

The CTC could well be right (it's based on last years earning providing you don't earn more than £25,000 more - plus £40 a month is the basic)

But housing benefit and council tax seems dodgy to me - I was earning less than that (with 3 kids) and didn't get council tax (only 25% discount) - had a morgage so no housing benefit

BB78

clairec79 wrote: »

But housing benefit and council tax seems dodgy to me - I was earning less than that (with 3 kids) and didn't get council tax (only 25% discount) - had a morgage so no housing benefit

She's privately renting so entitled to Housing Allowance (new name for Housing Benefit).
My mortgage is £100 less a month than what I would be charged to privately rent, yet because I'm paying a mortgage & not rent I'm not entitled to Housing Allowance. My mortgage is interest only & the monthly payments have to come out of my Income Support and is £100 short which I have to make up out of the Incapacity Benefit I get.
Because I own the place all the repairs are down to me!! What with mortgage short fall, loan repayment, ground rent, insurances, utilities, TV licence, food etc I'm screwed!!

OK she's a single parent but £30k is not a low income!! I would work if I could and I think its really disgusting that through circumstance I'm worse off than someone taking home £1850 a month and that I've got to have a baby to be MUCH better off & have a bigger home!! :mad:

bunny999

BB78 wrote: »

My friend is a single parent, rents privately and works full time, she has just been given a very nice pay rise taking her to £30k a year plus bonus (which was £4K in April)!! I was concerned this would have a knock on effect on her benefits but it works out she'll still get £550 a month in housing allowance, £60 a month council tax benefit (on top of the 25% discount) plus about £80 a month child benefit, £40 child tax credit & a take home wage of £1850 a month!!

When I was working full time I was earning no where near £30k and wasn't entitled to any help. I'm single, bought a shoe box of a 1 bedroom flat before I got ill & now can't work because of disability, I'm trying to pay a mortgage & all the other associated bills plus a home improvement loan and all the usual living expenses (like food) on benefits and even with all the money saving tips & cost cutting I'm still a good £300 a month short, every month! :eek:

Can it really be that I would be better off having a baby, working full time on a very nice salary and privately renting a place much bigger than mine??!! :mad: :mad:

If you are able to work full time why are you claiming IB. Why shouldn't someone who works full time be better off than someone on benefit. Also remember she will actually be paying income tax and National Insurance. She would only be entitled to CTC and Child Benefit - so she is either having you on or commiting fraud.

BB78

bunny999 wrote: »

If you are able to work full time why are you claiming IB.

I said I would work full time if I COULD but I'm not able to! I used to work full time BEFORE I got ill and that's why I claim IB!!

bunny999 wrote: »

Why shouldn't someone who works full time be better off than someone on benefit. Also remember she will actually be paying income tax and National Insurance.

If someone is taking home a nice pay packet every month I do expect them to be better off but I don't think its very fair that they can then claim more help on top! The benefits system is supposed to be to help people on a low income, I don't think a take home pay of £1850 a month is a low income! I took home less than £1200 a month when I was working & I wasn't entitled to any help.

bunny999 wrote: »

She would only be entitled to CTC and Child Benefit - so she is either having you on or commiting fraud.

She isn't commiting fraud, she even sends copies of her pay slips & P60's off when she doesn't have to cause she's scared of being overpaid & then having to pay money back! I've checked 'entitledto' and the housing allowance calculator and that's the figures they are giving for CTC, CB, Council Tax benefit & Housing Allowance!

BB78

BB78 wrote: »

Can it really be that I would be better off having a baby, working full time on a very nice salary and privately renting a place much bigger than mine??!! :mad: :mad:

Just to be clear; when I was working full time I wasn't on anywhere near £30k a year! I can't work full time! & I don't want to have a baby!
What I'm saying is how can it be that someone is entitled to so much more financial help when they earn so much already??

hanny83_2

Good on her, she's working full time and a single mum. Personally think she deserves every single penny, she pays her tax and NI. It would all be so easy for her just to sit on her bum and claim Income Support. What she's doing is providing a future for her child.

I understand it is difficult for people that can't work but you can't begrudge her for claiming what she's entitled to, even if it isn't fair.

fluffymovie

Working in benefits, this seems very strange to me,

If your friend has told the LA the truth about her earnings, she would not be entitled to Council Tax Benefit in almost any case.

Depending on where you live, what her Tax Credits are and how many children etc, doesn't seem right and I would suggest you consider speaking to the investigation department of your local council as if she is not entitled but has failed to declare her true circumstances, she is being overpaid tax payers money

BB78

hanny83 wrote: »

Good on her, she's working full time and a single mum. Personally think she deserves every single penny, she pays her tax and NI. It would all be so easy for her just to sit on her bum and claim Income Support. What she's doing is providing a future for her child.

I understand it is difficult for people that can't work but you can't begrudge her for claiming what she's entitled to, even if it isn't fair.

I don't begrudge her anything but I do begrudge a system that hands out money to those that aren't in need while others are left to struggle!!
And I'm not sitting on my bum claiming Income Support, until I got ill I had always provided for myself, worked full time, paid my taxes and never claimed a penny of help or got any help, I'd swap my health issues in a heartbeat if I could!

xmaslolly76

OMG i had never heard of this allowance before and have been struggling on my own with two kids paying full rent. I just phoned the council and found out im entitled to £52.86 per week help with my rent. So although off topic thanks everyone that will relieve quite a lot of pressure from my finances :T

BB78

fluffymovie wrote: »

Working in benefits, this seems very strange to me,

If your friend has told the LA the truth about her earnings, she would not be entitled to Council Tax Benefit in almost any case.

Depending on where you live, what her Tax Credits are and how many children etc, doesn't seem right and I would suggest you consider speaking to the investigation department of your local council as if she is not entitled but has failed to declare her true circumstances, she is being overpaid tax payers money

If anything she actually over declares, like I said she's scared of being overpaid & then receiving a demand to pay money back! But 'entitledto' and the housing allowance calculator are saying she'll get CTC, CB, Council Tax benefit & Housing Allowance!!