Future planning- child benefits

partdeux22

*I work 30hours a week for the NHS*

So, one of my children is now over 18 so my benefits have halved. What a shock to the system!  It'll be even worse when my second child hits 18. And we all know that students at university still need their parents financial help, besides that my bills and grocery shop prices haven't reduced. So I'm quite a lot worse off per month (£300 for one child)

I can't do anything about this. Increasing my hours to full time will not equal the amount I have lost, let along the amount I am yet to lose. I'm a "living" wage earner, but no prospects. So.....how do you manage with a £300-700 monthly pay cut?! 

I'm not in the benefit trap- I'm working and earning so no need for nasty comments. I'm in the "benefits stopping and really struggling category". 

Any advice?

soolin

partdeux22 said:

*I work 30hours a week for the NHS*

So, one of my children is now over 18 so my benefits have halved. What a shock to the system!  It'll be even worse when my second child hits 18. And we all know that students at university still need their parents financial help, besides that my bills and grocery shop prices haven't reduced. So I'm quite a lot worse off per month (£300 for one child)

I can't do anything about this. Increasing my hours to full time will not equal the amount I have lost, let along the amount I am yet to lose. I'm a "living" wage earner, but no prospects. So.....how do you manage with a £300-700 monthly pay cut?! 

I'm not in the benefit trap- I'm working and earning so no need for nasty comments. I'm in the "benefits stopping and really struggling category". 

Any advice?

Realistically your children will have to do what a lot of students do and supplement their income with part time jobs whilst at Uni. Most Uni areas have available low hour jobs, nothing will be exciting unfortunately, but it will pay their food and basic living costs. That saves you a bit with how much you need to support them.

Then again unfortunately if you have the chance to up your hours at work and go full time, that may also help to ease the burden. As a mother with 3 sons you may be surprised how much your shopping bills drop when they aren't there, constantly hungry and raiding the cupboards for 'snacks' between meals. 

sheramber

Increasing your hours will make up some of the deficit.

Many  students take a pert time job to help cover expenses. 

Or, take a year out to get a job to  build up some  capital to help when they go university. 

freesha

Increasing hours. Your sons get jobs. They pay you keep when back home.

tacpot12

I agree that it is an enormous shock to your financial system, but the advice given above is really all that can be done. 

To everyone who is likely to be in this situation, I would advise discussing your family finances with your childern when they are 15/16 years old. Chilren need to know where the family income comes from, and what will happen to this income when they become adult. The benefits system and the taxpayers who fund it expect that whenchildren become adults, they create an income for themselves so that they can pay the cost of their adult life. This also comes as a bit of a shock to youngsters, who are used to having mum/dad look after all the important aspects of finance. 

I wish the UK was richer and could afford to provide support to both the parents and the children at the time while children are of university age, but sadly this is never likley to be a priority for any government, other than perhaps a Labour government, and only if Labour voters say they want it.

kimwp

How does child benefit of £26 a week add up to £300 a month?

I do sympathise, but the system has been set up to (in theory at least) support parents with dependents. Once over 18, they are no longer classed as dependents, so the system assumes that you no longer need to support them. If you can't support them through uni, then they are in the same category as every other adult who has to support themselves and you are in the same category as other single parents with one dependant. The step change in income will be tough for everyone who hasn't prepared for it.

Spoonie_Turtle

kimwp said:

How does child benefit of £26 a week add up to £300 a month?

They don't specify which benefits but this is presumably including a UC child element.

Altior

tacpot12 said:

I agree that it is an enormous shock to your financial system, but the advice given above is really all that can be done. 

To everyone who is likely to be in this situation, I would advise discussing your family finances with your childern when they are 15/16 years old. Chilren need to know where the family income comes from, and what will happen to this income when they become adult. The benefits system and the taxpayers who fund it expect that whenchildren become adults, they create an income for themselves so that they can pay the cost of their adult life. This also comes as a bit of a shock to youngsters, who are used to having mum/dad look after all the important aspects of finance. 

I wish the UK was richer and could afford to provide support to both the parents and the children at the time while children are of university age, but sadly this is never likley to be a priority for any government, other than perhaps a Labour government, and only if Labour voters say they want it.

In any system it is surely reasonable to expect adults to support themselves as a default. Or alternatively their parent(s) can support them when their adult children are capable of working, but opt not to, if their parent(s) are so inclined. 

This board is not meant to have discussion of benefits policy, or politics. It's arguable that the OP invited this, so I don't want to report your post, and put the other side of the argument instead so to speak (without party politics!). 

strawb_shortcake

I think this is actually a really important discussion to be had especially with the removal of the 2 child cap. 

I bought my children up with support of CTC, every pay rise every promotion saw me less dependent on benefits and more dependent on myself. Working more for no financial increase isn't for some people that appealing and there will be some jobs or sectors where moving up and pay rises beyond NMW just aren't possible for some. 

I'm now only in receipt of one child benefit, if I'd different choices or not had the opportunities I did, and if I was still reliant on UC then I can see the next couple of years could be very difficult financially. 

peteuk

strawb_shortcake said:

I think this is actually a really important discussion to be had especially with the removal of the 2 child cap. 

I bought my children up with support of CTC, every pay rise every promotion saw me less dependent on benefits and more dependent on myself. Working more for no financial increase isn't for some people that appealing and there will be some jobs or sectors where moving up and pay rises beyond NMW just aren't possible for some. 

I'm now only in receipt of one child benefit, if I'd different choices or not had the opportunities I did, and if I was still reliant on UC then I can see the next couple of years could be very difficult financially. 

Totally agree that at some point in life your children nned to know when you can no longer afford to support them.

However lets loose the political references.  It’s very simple there is a cut off point at which UC and CB stops, depending on the circumstances of the child.  These benefits are there to support the individual with children and at a point those children become adults.  If they need firther support they are expected to either work or if eligible claim benefits in the own rights.

Going back to the Op, yes you will loose the child elements but in theory your cost will be reduced.  I get that it’s natural to support them through uni. But if you cant you can’t.

Altior

I started learning to drive aged 17, that needed lessons and tests paying for. I wanted my own car when I passed, to go to school, so had to purchase it, tax it and insure it. Who do you think paid  And yes I was doing my a levels at the same time.

I wanted to go to uni, got turned down for a grant, they said my family had to pay. I got a full time job.