Benefits when children reach 18 ?

calleyw

typan wrote: »

Whats the point in having this section if all everyone is going to say is 'get a job' I thought the idea was for people to get help here, no one is going to ask for help if that's all they can expect.

Because benefits are not there for able bodied singles with no dependents they are expected to work.

I work part time because I have disabled husband as he is not safe at home. We have no children and we get no tax credits because I work less than 30 hours a week,

I still have to pay full mortgage and council tax to pay as well as prescriptions for the 5/6 different tablets my husband has to take everyday to stay alive and well. All we get is his benefits.

Why not get another part time job. I work a job I hate but have no choice as I have bills to pay.

Just because you don't like the answers does not mean people are not helping you. As you don't qualify for any extra benefits your only choice is to get another job be it full or part time.

Yours

Calley

Oldernotwiser

typan wrote: »

Whats the point in having this section if all everyone is going to say is 'get a job' I thought the idea was for people to get help here, no one is going to ask for help if that's all they can expect.
And for the record, I am not a scrounger, if I could work full time tomorrow I would, but life's not always that simple. I do enjoy working for the company I'm with, but there's no full time work available there, so now I have to keep looking for alternative work, it may be next week, it may be 6 months down the line, but hopefully something will turn up. It's not an ideal situation and no one knows my personal background, but that's the way things are at the moment.

But if your son is now 18 your situation isn't a recent problem. You've been choosing to live subsidised by benefits for many years when most people in your situation would've been working full time. You've been given good advice here, even if it's not the kind you wanted!

seven-day-weekend

typan wrote: »

I understand what you're saying, but I feel as though it's my responsibility and hate having to ask him to pay my rent, it's even worse that he's hardly here much, and trying to explain why he has to pay that much while his friends pay nowhere near. He brings home 185 a week.
Although I really enjoy the small job I have, it looks like I'm going to have to seek out other employment. The thing is, it wouldn't be a problem if I kicked him out, but why should I have to do that.

But he is not paying 'your' rent ; as an adult he is paying his too! He can't expect to live for nothing!

Paparika

I work part time in a job i enjoy, my DS is 13 and i am a single parent, but i am already planning and organising for when he becomes 18. i see no point in waiting until the day he turns 18 and all my entitlements disappear before i deal with the situation, not in this financial climate anyway.

What i'd like to be doing is a full time job with suitable finances that i can stop any entitlements before that time, so when the day comes there will be no major financial difference for me to worry about.

What have you been doing for the past few years, you knew this day would come, blocking it out doesn't stop it happening.

Yes if your children/child decides to stay at home then at that age they should help towards the household.

Were you hoping he would pay it all so you could stay part time?

Yes I'd love to just do my part time job, as i have an immune disease that makes life tough for me some days, i don't think i am entitled to any benefits illness related, but you just keep going dont you.

bestpud

I think it is all very well wanting to help your child out, IF you have the money!

Many would argue (including myself) it is actually better for him to learn how life works from the start, but I also know many parents feel it is harsh to charge their adult children more than a token sum.

The difference here is you are expecting the state to subsidise your parenting choices and that is not going to happen. Tbh, I think you are lucky the state is allowing you, as an able bodied adult, to choose part-time work.

In short, if you want your son to have more money in his pocket then you need to increase your income and there is no point getting antsy with people for suggesting the only option open for you.

Seems like you can keep the job you enjoy and let your adult son pay his way, or you can work more hours (full time job or part time alongside it) and have the same amount of money in your pocket, but have the 'satisfaction' of knowing he is rolling in it!

**MissL2**

bestpud wrote: »

In short, if you want your son to have more money in his pocket then you need to increase your income and there is no point getting antsy with people for suggesting the only option open for you.

Sorry but I totally agree. You really have been given the best advice- although probably not what you wanted to hear. This is going to sound harsh but if you want the best for your son (ie more money in his pocket) it shouldn't be at the expense of others.

woozywendy

I do feel for the op up to a point. When benefits stop it must be hard. We receive wtc and ctc and am trying to prepare for the future when we no longer receive them. We are due to remortgage next year and will reduce the term so it is paid off when my daughters leave school. My husband pays a lot into his company pension every week so we will not rely on the state alone to fund our retirement. There a weeks when we could deperately do with the over payments he makes but we are getting used to it.

seven-day-weekend

The point people are trying to make woozywendy is that the OP's son hasn't 'suddenly' become 18. Unlike yourself, the OP appears to have done nothing to prepare for the day when the children's benefits stop and indeed appears surprised that they have!

Really as her son is now adult, the situation has to change and really the only advice people CAN give is that she has to work more hours as there are no more benefits available to her.

Also she seems to think it is 'unfair' that her son should have to pay his way. If she could subsidise him without the aid of State Benefits, that is their choice, but she can't. Therefore he will have to pay out of his wages like everyone else does.

I'm not sure why the OP seems to find it 'unfair' .

woozywendy

Thanks for the post seven-day-weekend. I also think nobody should ever get used to the benefit always being there as it could be stopped at anytime, i.e miras, married tax allowance. When I budget (and I do try to honestly:A) I work it out on my husbands wages and my part time wages though I do include the child benefit at the moment. The figures just about add up but if the worst happened and benefits did stop I would find another part time job in the evenings as the one I do now is in school.

typan

I was prepared for when child benefit stopped as that happened when he was 16 and I was in full time employment, and had been, all through the time of being a single parent, which is since he was 2, so I have never before had to depend on 'hand outs' To be honest, it always used to annoy me to see single parents queuing up at the post office first thing in the morning, waiting to collect their money, then see them later in the pub spending it on themselves. I'm not saying all single parents are like that, but there are some, and I'm sure you all know of someone.
I was in full time employment up until 3 months ago, company cut back and I found myself without a job, I didn't go straight to the job centre and sign on, I spent a lot of time searching around for work, there wasn't anything, but I found this part time one, which in my opinion is better than nothing.
My original post was not a cry for help, but more a statement of surprise, I thought the benefit system was there to help you in times of need. At this moment in time I admit I am in need, hopefully not for long. I didn't know my sons wages would make such an impact.