Low Income - No Benefits or Tax Credits Allowed!!!

ROldfield

Me and my wife has recently had our first child and we've never been able to claim for benefits or tax credits however when we had our child due to our low incomes we felt sure we would be allowed something.

We checked online and spoke to someone on the phone and both said we were entitled to around £400 per month due to our very low combined salaries.

After more forms and digging we actually realised that due to us being careful and saving up for years we aren't allowed ANYTHING due to the amount of savings we have.

I have felt almost punished all my working life for things outside my hands and this just tops it off!

Because me and my Wife have been careful and saved up we aren’t entitled to help to raise our child when I’m self employed and my Wife is a teaching assistant, we again feel extremely let down and frustrated.

We are being penalised for having a back up of savings which have been hard earnt, if we spend our savings then we can get help, it’s so wrong and backwards!!!!

Another reason why we have saved up is because my Wife is on a relatively low wage as a teaching assistant and i'm self employed again with not a massive wage but we enjoy what we do, live within our means and save incase something goes wrong or I struggle to find work.

Can anyone help

[Deleted User]

With what? Do you have a question?

poppy12345

Tax credits no longer exist for new claims, as all areas are now a full universal credit area. UC is a means tested benefit and savings of £16,000 or more will mean you won't be able to claim any means tested benefits.



Not sure what help you want?

Nannytone

You can still claim child benefit

[Deleted User]

If you have over 16k then you don’t need to rely on benefits, use that!

Rubyroobs

you would only not be able to claim Universal credit if you have savings over 16k. if this is the case then why do you need to claim them? I know it was different with tax credits and you could have as much savings as you liked as long as any interest over a certain amount was declared.

lisyloo

we aren’t entitled to help to raise our child

Why do you think others should subsidise you for raising you own child?
You are both responsible for doing that.

xylophone

Why do you think others should subsidise you for raising you own child?
You are both responsible for doing that

OP might have read below......

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6021789/p60-help

TELLIT01

I understand your frustration but there is nothing you, or we, can do about it. It has been said many times that the systems benefits the !!!!less and actually encourages them to be bone idle because they know the 'system' will always be there for them.


For some reason MSE seems to think the letters F & E & C & K followed by 'less' is rude.

JamoLew

The system such that it is will see that not only do you have a large savings pool but also that you obviously don't need any extra if you have enough left over to amass those savings in the first place.

I don't have close to 16k saved but I'm not entitled to any benefits due to my income - so arguably you are better off than I am

kingfisherblue

ROldfield wrote: »

Me and my wife has recently had our first child and we've never been able to claim for benefits or tax credits however when we had our child due to our low incomes we felt sure we would be allowed something.

We checked online and spoke to someone on the phone and both said we were entitled to around £400 per month due to our very low combined salaries.

After more forms and digging we actually realised that due to us being careful and saving up for years we aren't allowed ANYTHING due to the amount of savings we have.

I have felt almost punished all my working life for things outside my hands and this just tops it off!

Because me and my Wife have been careful and saved up we aren’t entitled to help to raise our child when I’m self employed and my Wife is a teaching assistant, we again feel extremely let down and frustrated.

We are being penalised for having a back up of savings which have been hard earnt, if we spend our savings then we can get help, it’s so wrong and backwards!!!!

Another reason why we have saved up is because my Wife is on a relatively low wage as a teaching assistant and i'm self employed again with not a massive wage but we enjoy what we do, live within our means and save incase something goes wrong or I struggle to find work.

Can anyone help

So you have saved all of your working life - you are fortunate to have been able to amass at least £16,000 in savings. The welfare system is there to act as a safety net for those who need it, and with a decent amount in savings, you are not classed as needing to claim benefits.