Universal credit and savings/capital

mum_to_many

My husband does work, we do not claim housing benefit or council tax benefit. Re the horses, my children look after them not the foster children, the 2 we currently have are preschoolers, so thats why I do not work. I appreciate the comments about "normal life" where people work. It is a requirement that I do not. Re the horses costs, our children do not have expensive tastes, I'm not saying that some people maybe do spend a fortune, we however do not. Why is their talk of entering shows and transport costs, I never said they did any of that. Their body protectors were second hand, as were jodpers. It does not have to be costly. I also have never paid a vet bill, lucky maybe, and yes I have bought worming tablets but nothing else I'm sure.

BigAunty

As indicated, you may not qualify for UC because of the land you own once the transitional protection has ceased.

Therefore if you can't increase your income, then you must look to decrease your living expenses - download the MSE budget planner and work though MSE to identify where you can slash costs and if you can still afford to have horses if you were to lose the benefits part of your household income.

If you cannot up your income or decrease your expenses, cannot live without UC, then you must sell the land and be under the capital threshold.

If you still want your children to have access to horses when you don't have the land and can afford this on UC, you could look into the services offered by local stables and riding schools, horse-sharing and so on.

It's a quirk of tax credits that households with second properties, substantial savings and capital were allowed to receive it as it is biased towards income. Now that protection is vanishing.

MissMoneypenny

mum_to_many wrote: »

Re the horses costs, our children do not have expensive tastes, I'm not saying that some people maybe do spend a fortune, we however do not. Why is their talk of entering shows and transport costs, I never said they did any of that. Their body protectors were second hand, as were jodpers. It does not have to be costly. I also have never paid a vet bill, lucky maybe, and yes I have bought worming tablets but nothing else I'm sure.

Horse shoes aren't cheap and you can't make them last by not using a farrier, as horses feet grow and need trimming. It all costs; as does the feed and hay and any extra feed they need during winter when the grass isn't growing

Safety equipment: I hope they have new hats? What about safety jackets that inflate if the child falls off? Not a good idea to buy those secondhand either.

Horses are not a cheap hobby, but renting a space in a field for them, can be cheap. About a fiver a week per horse in rural areas so the field you own is not essential if it means you will lose your all your benefits under Universal Credit. But as you said you only get "small WTC and CTC" is it really worth the bother of claiming UC if you have to sell your field? You will still have all your child benefit and fostering money.

mum_to_many

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Horse shoes aren't cheap and you can't make them last by not using a farrier, as horses feet grow and need trimming. It all costs; as does the feed and hay and any extra feed they need during winter when the grass isn't growing

Safety equipment: I hope they have new hats? What about safety jackets that inflate if the child falls off? Not a good idea to buy those secondhand either.

Horses are not a cheap hobby, but renting a space in a field for them, can be cheap. About a fiver a week per horse in rural areas so the field you own is not essential if it means you will lose your all your benefits under Universal Credit.

The horses I don't think have shoes on, they don't go on roads and yes they have new hats. I have never heard of inflateable jackets, but they do wear body protectors.
We do not receive huge tax credits payments, I worked full time before deciding we could go into fostering. We had the field and horses before hand so this income has not subsidised that.
I was only asking on this as I was concerned, we do both work very hard, and I appreciate the answer given. If we lose it so be it, we are not an extravagent family, and do not have expensive tastes. sorry if It got my back up when people question the horses, they really do not cost the figures suggested by some, and we do not drink, smoke have large phone contracts or other expensive items.

mum_to_many

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

Horse shoes aren't cheap and you can't make them last by not using a farrier, as horses feet grow and need trimming. It all costs; as does the feed and hay and any extra feed they need during winter when the grass isn't growing

Safety equipment: I hope they have new hats? What about safety jackets that inflate if the child falls off? Not a good idea to buy those secondhand either.

Horses are not a cheap hobby, but renting a space in a field for them, can be cheap. About a fiver a week per horse in rural areas so the field you own is not essential if it means you will lose your all your benefits under Universal Credit. But as you said you only get "small WTC and CTC" is it really worth the bother of claiming UC if you have to sell your field? You will still have all your child benefit and fostering money.

Sorry you edited your post after I replied, we probably won't apply for universal credits.

poppasmurf_bewdley

mum_to_many wrote: »

Thank you for your kind post, I do not have anything to do with the horses, the children do. I am allergic to them. The first horse cost £180 8 years ago, so wind your neck in about my luxery hobby. NO One would want a lesson off me, I can't even get on the sodding things.
Also your comments reguarding me getting another job is an insult and shows what little you know

Another one who comes on here seeking advice, and doesn't like it when someone criticises them.

One horse might have cost £180 eight years ago but how much has it cost since then?

When I read your statement about having two foster kids who apparently need full time care leaving no time for a job, my thoughts went straight to those many thousands of men and women who DO manage a houseful of kids AND do find time to work.

Incidentally, I am a single father who managed to work full time for many years so I do know what I'm talking about.

mum_to_many

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

Another one who comes on here seeking advice, and doesn't like it when someone criticises them.

One horse might have cost £180 eight years ago but how much has it cost since then?

When I read your statement about having two foster kids who apparently need full time care leaving no time for a job, my thoughts went straight to those many thousands of men and women who DO manage a houseful of kids AND do find time to work.

Incidentally, I am a single father who managed to work full time for many years so I do know what I'm talking about.

I think I feel cheesed off that people criticise so easily. The horses have not cost money, why can people not understand that? We feed them hay in winter, made during the summer. Have no vets bill and they don't wear shoes. So they cost less than some people's darling cats and dogs! Which I don't have. The children, or me, do not have iphones or modern gadgets (I can't even list some of them) We do not drink smoke, go on expensive holidays or things like that.
I did work when my children were small, my husband still does. I currently have 2 preschool children and am required by social services to be at home to give them a stable home.

edeneve

I don't normally criticise 'mum to many'...I think your earlier posts seem to come across that you both couldn't work as you were FT foster carers and it did put my back up being a single mum juggling FT work and 6 kids. Then when people mentioned upping your income with work you seemed dead against getting work, you hadn't stated at that point that your husband worked. I think thats what got people's backs up that we thought you were saying neither of you could work, when so many of us have no option than to work and juggle to just pay the bills, let alone have the luxury of keeping horses.

If your husband is working then that is different, I was simply suggesting that at least one of you could bring extra money in working even if foster caring.

I guess you will have to weigh up whether losing CTC is worth holding on to the land or selling it and renting land to keep CTC as someone else suggested.

mum_to_many

edeneve wrote: »

I don't normally criticise 'mum to many'...I think your earlier posts seem to come across that you both couldn't work as you were FT foster carers and it did put my back up being a single mum juggling FT work and 6 kids. Then when people mentioned upping your income with work you seemed dead against getting work, you hadn't stated at that point that your husband worked. I think thats what got people's backs up that we thought you were saying neither of you could work, when so many of us have no option than to work and juggle to just pay the bills, let alone have the luxury of keeping horses.

If your husband is working then that is different, I was simply suggesting that at least one of you could bring extra money in working even if foster caring.

I guess you will have to weigh up whether losing CTC is worth holding on to the land or selling it and renting land to keep CTC as someone else suggested.

I'm sorry if it came across as that, my husband works full time, I have had 3 lots of social workers through the house this week, as its half term (which my children also point out when I say we can't go off as xxxx is coming) I work very hard at what I do and am given very positive feedback by all I work with. I get upset when people make negative comments about foster carers, we are not all money grabbing and don't care about the children. I am all for working, and always have from when I was around 11. The land is all we have, no house. A high proportion of wtc is paid to people who have their house, but I was slated for having a field. I was only asking as I wanted to be clear so no mistakes when/if the universal forms need filling in.:)

quintwins

Hmm this has got me thinking,I plan to build my own home and at some point will have a plot of land and be savings to start building (have a big aversion to mortgages and a good saving mentality so hoping to do it all off our own bat) we are currently staying with a relative, it hasn't been decided what will happen when we find a plot we may stay here awhile or live in a mobile on said plot. My husband works and we get tax credits and will have the min hrs under UC so....

If we choose to live here for longer will we be subject to the capital rules?