How much does a single mum with 2 children receive in benefits per year?

Clow

Please, this is not a single mum bashing thread or how much can someone sponge from the government etc, its a genuine question that i hope others can answer truthfully.

I have a friend who is in this situation and she seems a lot better off than me. I work full time and earn a salary of around £16000pa. I have to pay full rent, and council tax and receive no help from the government at all.

Why is she so much better off than me? (Or seems to be anyway?)

Are single mums paid a lot from the government?

She only has 1 foot so she is classed as disabled and i believes she receives the full motability element of which she uses for a car. Does she get another part of DLA also?

Is it possible to work out how much she is receiving in benefits including housing benefit and council tax benefit?

What is the going rate for HB? £100 a week?

Im sorry, im just being nosey as to how much she's raking in, in benefits and if its a serious option for me to follow in the same path as im finding it extremely difficult to cope.

Thank you

Soubrette

Aren't there different levels of incapacity benefits? How would you claim this aspect of her benefits? Why do you pay full council tax, wouldn't you get a single person's reduction?

Could it be that your friend is better with her money than you? Or perhaps she has a lot of debt? Perhaps she has family who helps out? Or some other kind of windfall?

If you are struggling why not go over the the DFW board and post a full list of income and outgoings and they will make suggestions on where you might be overspending.

Sou

bryanb

Clow wrote: »

Please, this is not a single mum bashing thread or how much can someone sponge from the government etc, its a genuine question that i hope others can answer truthfully.

I have a friend who is in this situation and she seems a lot better off than me. I work full time and earn a salary of around £16000pa. I have to pay full rent, and council tax and receive no help from the government at all.

Why is she so much better off than me? (Or seems to be anyway?)

Are single mums paid a lot from the government?

She only has 1 foot so she is classed as disabled and i believes she receives the full motability element of which she uses for a car. Does she get another part of DLA also?

Is it possible to work out how much she is receiving in benefits including housing benefit and council tax benefit?

What is the going rate for HB? £100 a week?

Im sorry, im just being nosey as to how much she's raking in, in benefits and if its a serious option for me to follow in the same path as im finding it extremely difficult to cope.

Thank you

Are you seriously thinking of having a foot amputated, then getting pregnant?

pandas66

Clow wrote: »

Please, this is not a single mum bashing thread or how much can someone sponge from the government etc, its a genuine question that i hope others can answer truthfully.

I have a friend who is in this situation and she seems a lot better off than me. I work full time and earn a salary of around £16000pa. I have to pay full rent, and council tax and receive no help from the government at all.

Why is she so much better off than me? (Or seems to be anyway?)

Are single mums paid a lot from the government?

She only has 1 foot so she is classed as disabled and i believes she receives the full motability element of which she uses for a car. Does she get another part of DLA also?

Is it possible to work out how much she is receiving in benefits including housing benefit and council tax benefit?

What is the going rate for HB? £100 a week?

Im sorry, im just being nosey as to how much she's raking in, in benefits and if its a serious option for me to follow in the same path as im finding it extremely difficult to cope.

Thank you

she should think herself lucky eh?

maybe she's only morally better off than you.

msmicawber

You're having a laugh, right? She's bringing up 2 children alone and has a disability and you're envious?

Of course she may receive more money than you - she has to rent a larger property as there's 3 of them, then pay larger utilities on that larger property, then buy food and clothes for 3, etc. etc. The DLA is to assist her with things like, as you say, a car.

You say this isn't a single mum bashing thread, but the questions you post indicate that you think somehow she's getting an easy ride and that you're hard done by.

Why not look at improving your own lot by going to college (night school or full-time) to get better qualifications and a better job? It's a lot easier for an able-bodied person without sole responsibility for children.

Anniemay_3

Whilst I realise that the post from Clow is a genuine question I have found myself having to walk away from my computer until I had composed myself enough to respond! I too have a disability and I also go to work. I experience some symptoms every day of my life and I can assure Clow it is not at all pleasant. I would give all the money in the world NOT to have to go through this experience daily.


AM xx

skintbutsmiling01

"Im sorry, im just being nosey as to how much she's raking in, in benefits and if its a serious option for me to follow in the same path as im finding it extremely difficult to cope."

What are you going to do? Cut one of your feet off?

meester

Clow wrote: »

Please, this is not a single mum bashing thread or how much can someone sponge from the government etc, its a genuine question that i hope others can answer truthfully.

I have a friend who is in this situation and she seems a lot better off than me. I work full time and earn a salary of around £16000pa. I have to pay full rent, and council tax and receive no help from the government at all.

Why is she so much better off than me? (Or seems to be anyway?)

Are single mums paid a lot from the government?

She only has 1 foot so she is classed as disabled and i believes she receives the full motability element of which she uses for a car. Does she get another part of DLA also?

Is it possible to work out how much she is receiving in benefits including housing benefit and council tax benefit?

What is the going rate for HB? £100 a week?

Im sorry, im just being nosey as to how much she's raking in, in benefits and if its a serious option for me to follow in the same path as im finding it extremely difficult to cope.

Thank you

I'm not an expert, but:

She gets Tax Credits:

£545 child tax credit family element
£2,085 for each child, plus £2,540 if the child is disabled, plus £1,020 if the child is severely disabled

So £2,625 minimum for 1 kid, £4,710 for 2

If she works 16+ hours/week then she gets working tax credit
£1,800 basic
£1,770 single parent/couples element
£2,450 disabled worker
£1,020 severely disabled worker (if she qualifies)

So up to £7,040 for working 16 hours per week. This is withdrawn for incomes above £6,420 at a rate of 39%. For minimum 16 hours, she earns £4,592/year from working, and she keeps all her tax credits.

She also gets 80% of childcare costs paid if she uses that

She then gets £18.80/week child benefit, plus £12.55/week if she has more than 1 kid. So £1630.20 per year.

She then gets DLA, certainly mobility element, possibly care element as well.

DLA is paid at:
£2,340/year for higher mobility element
AND, possibly
£889/year for care (lower element) OR
£2,243.80/year for care (middle element) OR
£3,354/year for care (higher element)

This is not classed as income and is not taxed

There are other benefits.

Income Support: £3,075.80/year, if she's not working. Not taxable.
Council Tax Benefit: 100% rebate, potentially, affected by income. Say £1200/year. Not taxable.
Housing Benefit: 100% rebate, potentially, affected by income. Potentially £7000+/year, depending on rent. Not taxable

Motability: not a benefit in such, but a discount on owning a car. It uses up her DLA mobility allowance, but it is about £1k/year cheaper than leasing privately.

And other things as well that might be payable to people in her family, such as Carers Allowance

I don't think she can claim IB because no NI paid.

So if she's not working then she will get, based on £600 month/rent, £1,200 council tax benefit, roughly:
£7.2k + £1.2k + £3,075 + £3340 + £1630 + £4720 = £21,156/year Potentially more for care allowance, disabled children, etc.

If she works earnign £4.5k/year based on 16 hours at NMW she would receive £11.5k from that, but would lose some of the £11.5k she gets in council tax benefit, housing benefit, and income support

Your income after tax comes to £12.7k

So she probably takes in about £8k/year more than you. So, yes, she is a lot better off than you, although she will have higher costs from her disability.

Hope that helps.

Clow

meester wrote: »

I'm not an expert, but:

She gets Tax Credits:

£545 child tax credit family element
£2,085 for each child, plus £2,540 if the child is disabled, plus £1,020 if the child is severely disabled

So £2,625 minimum for 1 kid, £4,710 for 2

If she works 16+ hours/week then she gets working tax credit
£1,800 basic
£1,770 single parent/couples element
£2,450 disabled worker
£1,020 severely disabled worker (if she qualifies)

So up to £7,040 for working 16 hours per week. This is withdrawn for incomes above £6,420 at a rate of 39%. For minimum 16 hours, she earns £4,592/year from working, and she keeps all her tax credits.

She also gets 80% of childcare costs paid if she uses that

She then gets £18.80/week child benefit, plus £12.55/week if she has more than 1 kid. So £1630.20 per year.

She then gets DLA, certainly mobility element, possibly care element as well.

DLA is paid at:
£2,340/year for higher mobility element
AND, possibly
£889/year for care (lower element) OR
£2,243.80/year for care (middle element) OR
£3,354/year for care (higher element)

This is not classed as income and is not taxed

There are other benefits.

Income Support: £3,075.80/year, if she's not working. Not taxable.
Council Tax Benefit: 100% rebate, potentially, affected by income. Say £1200/year. Not taxable.
Housing Benefit: 100% rebate, potentially, affected by income. Potentially £7000+/year, depending on rent. Not taxable

Motability: not a benefit in such, but a discount on owning a car. It uses up her DLA mobility allowance, but it is about £1k/year cheaper than leasing privately.

And other things as well that might be payable to people in her family, such as Carers Allowance

I don't think she can claim IB because no NI paid.

So if she's not working then she will get, based on £600 month/rent, £1,200 council tax benefit, roughly:
£7.2k + £1.2k + £3,075 + £3340 + £1630 + £4720 = £21,156/year Potentially more for care allowance, disabled children, etc.

If she works earnign £4.5k/year based on 16 hours at NMW she would receive £11.5k from that, but would lose some of the £11.5k she gets in council tax benefit, housing benefit, and income support

Your income after tax comes to £12.7k

So she probably takes in about £8k/year more than you. So, yes, she is a lot better off than you, although she will have higher costs from her disability.

Hope that helps.

Thankyou for your informative post :T

meester

Clow wrote: »

I am just wondering if its worthwhile for me to stop working to get free house and council tax etc? I forgot to mention i am 12 weeks pregnant also hence my question. I guess ill be able to claim IS and by the looks of it some sort of child benefit?

Almost certainly yes. If your landlord doesn't mind, getting your rent and council tax paid is going to be more than you earn from working, though note the tax credits

duchy

If she's such a good friend why didn't you just ask her ?
I don't think you have ANY idea of how cold you sound or that you have a clue what it is like to deal with disability within a family. Attitudes like yours that people with disabilities are "raking it in" and are some way fortunate are just plain warped ! General living costs more when you live with disability-most people with disabilities would gladly give up the extra benefits in exchange for perfect health or a complete fully working body.
I think you should concentrate on your own life and your own family and stop been jealous over the misfortunes of others. I wish you luck in your pregnancy and a healthy baby so you don't find yourself in the situation of been able to claim those benefits yourself. I know from personal experience how heartbreaking that is !!!