Is a single mothers benifits enough

weymuffred

If anyone can find me a job with a salary that will be enough to cover rent of 895 monthly and council tax 150 per month and then pay for food/enough to live on, please get in touch as I would rather work than claim benefits, even though I am not in a situation (ill health) to work.

viktory

I paid £550 in tax and NI last month - because my employer was generous enough to give it's staff a bonus. My sixteen year old son paid best part of £200 and my husband about £300. That's over £1000 in tax and NI in one month from one household.

Isn't that depressing?

Yes, the level of benefits is quite generous. If I could feasibly stay at home with £120 in my pocket, no housing costs and no CT I would. Sadly I can't - so I must go and get ready for work.

PasturesNew

viktory wrote: »

That's over £1000 in tax and NI in one month from one household.

Isn't that depressing?

Not as depressing as my household, where income starts at £1000



If you chuck your son out and divorce your husband, you'll instantly reduce the amount of tax your household pays to the Govt. Sorted.

Actually, your son's doing rather well. £13k at age 16. Good going son!

krisskross

weymuffred wrote: »

If anyone can find me a job with a salary that will be enough to cover rent of 895 monthly and council tax 150 per month and then pay for food/enough to live on, please get in touch as I would rather work than claim benefits, even though I am not in a situation (ill health) to work.

So if you are not in a position to work it is rather pointless to find you a job. Can your wife not work? There will still be housing benefit and council tax benefit available.

affordmylife

The whole point is PRIDE.

So if you are no better of on benefits than at home so what. You should work. Its what we do. If you are fit and well you work. End of.

Benefits are only there if you CANT work. Its not about being better off working its about paying YOUR way in the world and not letting someone else do it for you.

Now I know some people did not ask to be single parents for whatever reason. I have been one for a number of years although not now.

I brought my children into the world through my own choices. There dads decided to clear off. My responsibility is to provide for those children. No one elses.

The only exceptions are people with disabled children but everyone else should get childcare and get to work.

Rant over.

badmumof1

makes you larf really dont it

broadband, cars, holidays, days out, window cleaners, new clothes etc are all essential to single mothers on benefits yet paying the bills is more essential to someone that works

Fran

Income Support rates

Tax Credit and Child Benefit rates

How much Housing Benefit paid will depend on your local area.

Note that as your income increases eg. from Income Support to working over 16 hours and claiming Working Tax Credits your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit will decrease accordingly. Someone on Income Support will receive full H Ben & Council Tax Ben.

Disability Living Allowance (up to age 65) and Attendance Allowance (over 65) are paid for the extra costs of a disability and are not income related.

Whether someone feels they have sufficient to live on is relative. Eg. someone who has been brought up by parent(s) on a low income might feel they have enough whereas someone whose husband has left and he (they) had a high income will find it a huge struggle to adapt to the huge reduction in income (and many grades in between). Also it depends where you live and how far you have to travel for food/school/work as transport is an enormous expense for everyone.

Quality of life means different things to different people as we have our own priorities and possibilities.

To answer the original post, it can be enough but for most people it is not desirable. The £20 per month will affect benefits in that it's a regular payment and can be seen as income. If she was earning £20 per week which she is permitted to do on Income Support as a lone parent without it affecting her benefits then the extra (regular income from you) would be taken directly off her IS. It would not affect any Housing Ben or Council Tax Ben which would be paid in full while she is receiving Income Support.

krisskross

viktory wrote: »

I paid £550 in tax and NI last month - because my employer was generous enough to give it's staff a bonus. My sixteen year old son paid best part of £200 and my husband about £300. That's over £1000 in tax and NI in one month from one household.

Isn't that depressing?

What I used to do when i was working and paying huge amounts of tax and NI was to tell myself it was paying my Mum's pension. Made me feel a lot better about it. However that amount of money (£1000+) would pay my pension for 5 months. Thanks viktory, I will consider myself adopted.

christabell

I am now on my 4th year of being on benefits due to CFS/ME
Believe me I would love to be able to work, I still look at job sites and wish...........however when I became ill and HAD to stop working I was not even able to manage to work 20 hours per week.

Incapacity Benefit £57.45 pw
Sick & Disabled (over 52 weeks I think) £24.50pw
Interest on mortgage £40.45 paid directly to the lender
Ground Rent £2.89
Service Charge £14.43
Other housing cost £1.93
Total 141.64 per week

DLA (care) low rate £17.10 pw
DLA (mobility) high rate £45.00

Thank God Council Tax is paid via Council Tax Benefit...

I pay each month

Water
Electricity & Gas
Sewerage

I choose to own/pay for
Phone line rental
Phone calls
Broadband
PAYG mobile
Home Contents Insurance
Mortgage
Life Insurance

I save an amount every month because my flat needs decorated, and new carpet throughout (been here 7 years 10 months not decorated yet) In case my repairs are needed to any of my equipment.

I do not own a TV,Video/DVD player or Freeview
I do not own a car

I choose to use the money for DLA to help me employ somebody for two hours each week to help me clean and cook, I also choose to use the DLA mobility money to save up for an older car as opposed to getting the new car every three years.

DLA has to be applied for, I am aware that it could be taken off me at any time.

Thanks to this website I have learned to manage my money, and get out of credit card debt.

I just wish sometimes I did not have to watch every single penny. I am not trying to start a row with anybody, however I think pensioners are much better off than SINGLE PEOPLE WHO ARE TOO ILL TO WORK.

Jet

angie_baby wrote: »

Yes there are cases where thus is not true, ie Disabled child, etc But the Tax Creds made it easier for parents so they could afford childcare.

That's assuming there is childcare in your area. Where I live it's hard to get. Not so bad now I have a child over the age of 8 but before that - forget it. One childminder had a 3 year waiting list. No before and after school clubs and I live in a medium sized town. In the outlying villages, it's worse. I know of a single parent who lives in one of the villages who says there is not one childminder in her village. She has a school age child and has managed to find a school time job and she is lucky in that she drives, but what if she couldn't find that job - there is no work in her village and public transport is non existant.