Help? Are benefits being capped at 3 children?

Dunroamin

mikey_bach wrote: »

We see lots of lone Parents and Couples on I.S with five or more children.
I don't honestly think they have them to get more money, I think they just know they don't have to worry about continuing to having them, as they know there will extra benefit paid for the new born. So they just keep on having them. No worries or stress on how they are going to afford the new addition.

If the benefit cap is £500 across all benefit claimed, then someone who is just on WTC and CTC and HB would be ok, wouldnt they?

When you could claim IS until the youngest child was 15 I used to see many clients with a couple of grown up children and a little "afterthought". What this meant was that you had lone parents who hadn't been in employment for over 30 years, seeking a job for the last 10 years before retirement.

krisskross

*gem* wrote: »

Can I say that I have been applying for every job possible for the last 6 months as i'm due to come of IS next month and go on JSA. I feel totally unemployable. I don't have a qualification to my name. I used to work until just after my oldest son was born but that was years ago. I've had people laugh in my face whan i've gone to them to ask for work because of my lack of qualifications in todays job market which has left me depressed and on medication. I am going to college Sept and will struggle but it's what I need to do to get back into the jobs market and to be employable. I guess i'm trying to say that alot of people feel worthless because of the rejection and ot being able to get a job. I think training is the key to get people back to work but not at a struggle like I will be doing.

Why on earth didn't you study with the OU while you had the opportunity? It would have been totally free, in fact they would have given you a grant to do it.

kingfisherblue

Sbridle82 wrote: »

I am currently 4 weeks away from having my 3rd. Totally unplanned and a shock to say the least. However we could not consider a termination and, yes we will be skint, but we have worked out we can live.
I totally agree benefits should be capped, and maybe even at 2.
We both work and between us earn around 26k. No where near well off. However, even afer this one i will go bk to work. People who dont and live off benefits disgust me and they are the reason the country is in such a mess.
People who say they cannot work as they have kids drive me mad. If your child is in school, work them few hours. If they are younger put them in nursery. I appreciate that nursery is expensive, however this is what the childcare element of tax credit is for. I also understand some people have a child with disablilties, again this is what disability and the carer allowance is for. If they are in school. Work a few hours. If you husband/partner is off work, go to work!
My husband works 5 days and i work the 2 days he is off. We never see each other or have family days. But this is how we get by. I wouldnt dream of quitting work. But seeing how much more tax credits we get from one child (£545 per year) to 3 children (roughly £4500- ive not had a renewal til he is born) is it any wonder people carry on having more and more. Something needs to be done to stop it. If you cant afford them, dont have them.
End of.

Disability Living Allowance is to pay for the additional costs associated with disability. Carer's Allowance is a 'wage replacement' - although at less than £60 a week, it doesn't come near replacing a wage. Having said that, I do acknowledge that I receive other benefits as I do not work, due to my caring responsibilities.

If I worked, can you suggest an employer who would allow me to have time off at the drop of a hat when my son is ill? Not everyone has alternative childcare, and disabled children often have poor immune systems, so are ill more frequently. That would be in addition to time off for appointments - some weeks I can take my son to two or three appointments in various clinics and hospitals. They often run late, so getting back to work afterwards is unlikely. My son attends numerous clinics and two hospitals. Alder Hey in Liverpool is a fantastic hospital, but parking is atrocious. It can take up to an hour to find parking, even with a Blue Badge. I know, it has happened to us several times. I now go for an afternoon appointment just after 12noon, as there is a better chance of getting a parking space, but last time our appointment was 3pm. We didn't see the doctor until 3.40pm, and still had to see the dietician, physio, and Xray.

My son wakes at least four times a night for his feed. He has oral feeds, as he cannot have a gastrostomy tube due to the amount of abdominal surgery he has had. He also has nights that he has choking episodes, asthma attacks, and spells of vomiting. I sometimes sleep during the day. If I was working, I couldn't catch up on any sleep - nor would I be able to give my best to any employer on the occasions I am so exhausted that I can barely stand.

I don't have a husband or partner. He decided to leave our family and start a new one elsewhere. He lives an hour's drive away (by motorway), so isn't easily available if I needed him to look after the children - even if I thought he would.

Childcare is expensive, I agree, but it is almost impossible to find when you have a child with severe disabilities. Childminders are reluctant to take on a child who needs so much more care. Few 14 year olds need nappy changes, constant supervision, food cutting up into tiny pieces so that they can eat it without choking, etc.

Believe me, I would like to return to work. It just isn't possible at the moment. It isn't as easy as 'the children are in school, so work a few hours'. I wish it was.

Ellejmorgan

princessdon wrote: »

No logic is there?

I'm harsh on "some" benefit claimants but pity the poor soul thrown out of home expected to feed and heat on £56 pw

When I left the care home I was in at 16, and went into independance in 1994 it was £36.15, that was heat, elec, food, clothing and travel to college...

I was in no position to work as had to cover rent and wanted to study...

Never been so hungry in my life as then...

Ellejmorgan

Sbridle82 wrote: »

I am currently 4 weeks away from having my 3rd. Totally unplanned and a shock to say the least. However we could not consider a termination and, yes we will be skint, but we have worked out we can live.
I totally agree benefits should be capped, and maybe even at 2.
We both work and between us earn around 26k. No where near well off. However, even afer this one i will go bk to work. People who dont and live off benefits disgust me and they are the reason the country is in such a mess.
People who say they cannot work as they have kids drive me mad. If your child is in school, work them few hours. If they are younger put them in nursery. I appreciate that nursery is expensive, however this is what the childcare element of tax credit is for. I also understand some people have a child with disablilties, again this is what disability and the carer allowance is for. If they are in school. Work a few hours. If you husband/partner is off work, go to work!
My husband works 5 days and i work the 2 days he is off. We never see each other or have family days. But this is how we get by. I wouldnt dream of quitting work. But seeing how much more tax credits we get from one child (£545 per year) to 3 children (roughly £4500- ive not had a renewal til he is born) is it any wonder people carry on having more and more. Something needs to be done to stop it. If you cant afford them, dont have them.
End of.

Hypothetical question, but I wonder what would happen if hubby left, you got PND and couldn't go back to work..
Hubby then refused to pay maintainance, then you had to wait 3 years for CSA to get any money..

Hypothetical, but just to show it doesn't take much sometimes to end up on your own and on benefits...

*gem*

krisskross wrote: »

Why on earth didn't you study with the OU while you had the opportunity? It would have been totally free, in fact they would have given you a grant to do it.

Because I was in a relationship (with a very controlling man) and we agreed that I would bring the children up while he worked and brought the money home. Our relationship ended 6 months ago and he moved away so now i'm left bringing up the children and trying to get back on my feet. He would probably have never had let me study anyway and he wasn't happy when I went back to work after having our oldest son. Hindsight is a great thing isn't it but I can't change the past and with his wages that he controlled, i doubt the OU would have been free anyway!

kingfisherblue

Four and a half years in my case, Ellejmorgan.

Incidentally, I'm the first person in my family to find myself relying on benefits, and I'm not proud of it. My daughter claimed JSA for two months when she left school (2009), and my ex claimed JSA for two weeks after being laid off not long after we met (1986).

Unfortunately, circumstances do change. Stuff happens and it can be beyond your control. When I attended the Job centre to claim Income Support, I cried throughout the interview. I still hate going, but I have to attend work focused interviews every six months (fair enough - I don't like it, but those are the rules).

*gem*

Ellejmorgan wrote: »

When I left the care home I was in at 16, and went into independance in 1994 it was £36.15, that was heat, elec, food, clothing and travel to college...

I was in no position to work as had to cover rent and wanted to study...

Never been so hungry in my life as then...

When I live with my nan at 16 in 1996, I got paid £29.50 for attending college everyday. We got a cheque on the Fri morning and were allowed to go straight to the bank to cash it at lunchtime. That had to buy food, pay bus fares etc. Luckily I had no rent to pay back then. God bless my nan!

clearingout

Ellejmorgan wrote: »

Hypothetical question, but I wonder what would happen if hubby left, you got PND and couldn't go back to work..
Hubby then refused to pay maintainance, then you had to wait 3 years for CSA to get any money..

Hypothetical, but just to show it doesn't take much sometimes to end up on your own and on benefits...

sadly in one form or another, this is more common than many would like to think. Many people have children in relationships where there is sufficient money to go round....fast forward to the unforseen and life isn't so rosey. Unfortunately, until it happens to you or someone close to you, far too many people seem to think this is a made up problem and that 'single mums' somehow asked for it. And far too many don't get that the CSA cannot get blood out of a stone.

princessdon

But surely women should think of that?

I have been with my OH since a very young age - but I don't expect him to support our children. I have always been aware that I need to be prepared if necessary (and I genuinely hope I never need to) support my children.

It's not about single V married - and many who find themselves in this situation (like clearingout has said on many occasions) had means or housing to occur less benefits.

This is really about those who continue on benefits to procreate time and time again.

Many who by circumstances find themsleves needing short term benefits could survive of 3 children worth of benefits (and I'd wager that their children were raised to pay taxes and be productive members of society) - not creating cycles and cycles of benefit dependency and throwing out child after child for generations to come.