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

RoxieW

Although I'm not a single parent (hubby works full time) I've done both ie stayed at home with my children and also worked. So hopefully I can give my opinion on both sides. I had a wonderful well paid glamorous job - my dream job quite literally. I took it when my youngest was 2 and I'd had enough of 'just' being a mum. And at first yes it was nice to just be 'me' rather then x and x's mum - a novelty. It was also a novelty to make myself a cuppa without having to also sort out various juice/snacks etc and nice to have adult conversations that weren't interrupted by little people thrusting books at me or wanting their bums wipes! The work was great fun, suited me down to the ground but also involved alot of traveling, socialising and networking 'event's. Had I been childless it would have been fantastic but I wasn't and I was constantly having to do a juggling act, as others have said, in order to work. I felt overwhelming guilt that my boys were in a nursery all day long and every play/sports day/illness presented huge problems. And honestly, my employers were very flexible but it was still so so difficult. Plus, after paying childcare for 2 kids, plus travel etc we were no better off financially. In the end, I jacked it in and went
back to being a stay at home mum.
TBH I'm loving it. And I feel bad that I left, particularly my youngest, in childcare when I feel they should have been with me.
I find it quite depressing the replies that say 'you'll be climbing the walls', 'its depressing at home'. People just seem to accept that but I'm sure there'd be a backlash to anyone who said mums shouldn't work (no tthat i'm saying that - just think some of the negativity around staying at home is unfair). OP might not be climbing the walls. She might love staying home with her child as I'm sure her child will love having her. As for setting a bad example - the OP could go back into work when the child is school age, but I'm sure managing as a single mum and giving your child your all is a fine example to set.
I dont think people should see claiming benefits forevermore as an option - but I think while the OP's little one is under school age she should make use of the system to enjoy the time at home as a new mum.

pipkin71

From April, the benefits will be increasing.

Not including hosing or council tax benefit, a single mother with two children will receive:

Parent: £60.50

For children aged under 16: £105.18

Because you have children: £16.75

This then comes to: £182. 43 per week

Of course, there is child benefit of £30.20 per week, but as that is deducted from the above total, from 9th April a single parent with two children will receive £182.43 each week.

tsstss7

pipkin71 wrote: »

From April, the benefits will be increasing.

Not including hosing or council tax benefit, a single mother with two children will receive:

Parent: £60.50

For children aged under 16: £105.18

Because you have children: £16.75

This then comes to: £182. 43 per week

Of course, there is child benefit of £30.20 per week, but as that is deducted from the above total, from 9th April a single parent with two children will receive £182.43 each week.

You imply that this is on top of housing and council tax benefit - however in my experience increases in other benefits usually leads to a reduction in these!

pipkin71

tsstss7 wrote: »

You imply that this is on top of housing and council tax benefit - however in my experience increases in other benefits usually leads to a reduction in these!

No, council tax benefits and housing benefit wont be reduced. Benefits are increased every April.

The only time it reduces is when child benefit is increased, as that increase is deducted from the weekly amount.

pipkin71

mitchaa wrote: »

Payments of £105.18? £16.75? Where are you getting these from?

Some families have not moved over to the child tax credits, so it all comes under income support.

I haven't moved over to the CTC system yet, so the letter I received yesterday included these figures. The only thing I didn't include was the amount I receive in disability benefits.

So the figures are £60.50, £105.18 and £16.75. They then deducted the amount received for child benefit, but the total still comes to £182.43.

You calculated £182.52 so our figures are not really that different.

Pipkin xxx

WhatvIdone

But isn't the Gov't going to pressure lone parents back into employment?

smk77

mitchaa wrote: »

She would also get free housing and council tax, along with free milk tokens/prescriptions and other goodies such as maternity grant etc

And which of those is given to the single mum going to spend on herself?

mitchaa wrote: »

I personally think this is far too much for someone on benefits. I can see the attraction for young school girls falling pregnant straight from school and not bothering about a career. Free house and £800 a month to spend as you please.

Yes, fantastic foresight. 20 years time when the kids have left home (or are there but scrounging) the mother is approaching 40 with no job, no work experience and no education. What a great life that'll be!

mitchaa wrote: »

Beats a minimum wage job and no house, that's for sure.

True, but perhaps that's an incentive to get a better job or progress up the career path?

mitchaa wrote: »

The benefit system in this country is an absoloute joke.

The benefits system in this country is not a joke. The people who abuse it are a joke. A child born to a single parent should have as much right to a decent upbringing as one born to weathly parents. If a single parent chooses to spend the £790 on themselves and not the children then that's not the benefits system that's at fault - it's the single mother abusing the system! I don't believe that £790 a month is an excessive amount to raise 2 children properly, pay household bills and to have a bit left over to spend on themselves.

fkelanne

i was on income support for 3 years. i went to my job centre talk witch i beleave you have to go to every year. She worked out i was goin to be better off working. Which i didnt no, so just kept on claiming income support. Now i have two kids work 20 hours a week and get an extre £100 a week, for working. i get help with child care, I got £160 on income support plus council tax and rent payed fori get now £160 child tax and working tax a week plus my wage i earn at the end of the month which id £435. plus single parent council tax and 40% of my rent payed.I dont no y people think they will be better off on ben coz they arent.I love working now and i love the extre money even better, my kids dont want for anythink now, i can buy them more things and im learning them you have to work if you want nice things.

duchy

I think there is a happy medium.
I realised I couldn't keep my current job when I fell pregnant. The "glamour" travelling and socializing aspects of evening events that were a part of it simply didn't fit with a family. Six months of staying at home DIDhave me crawling the walls so I found what worked for me-which was working in the same industry but 3 days a week and with less responsibility. It was easier because I was married at the time-and having been both I really don't think some women realise what a difference a partner in the home can make when juggling family and work -even for the small things (Actually it's the small things sometimes that are the toughest rather than the big things )
Sixteen years on and dealing with a teenager with a disability as a single Mum my challenges are different although I do need to be around more than for an average teenager but I know the work ethic was so strongly ingrained that I'm happier when working than not even though finding work that fits in is more of a challenge. I've done all kinds of things over the years to fit in with my son and *for me* that works best-although it took me years to realise that I was struggling to get by when benefits were available when working that would help-but you live and learn <shrug>

RoxieW wrote: »

Although I'm not a single parent (hubby works full time) I've done both ie stayed at home with my children and also worked. So hopefully I can give my opinion on both sides. I had a wonderful well paid glamorous job - my dream job quite literally. I took it when my youngest was 2 and I'd had enough of 'just' being a mum. And at first yes it was nice to just be 'me' rather then x and x's mum - a novelty. It was also a novelty to make myself a cuppa without having to also sort out various juice/snacks etc and nice to have adult conversations that weren't interrupted by little people thrusting books at me or wanting their bums wipes! The work was great fun, suited me down to the ground but also involved alot of traveling, socialising and networking 'event's. Had I been childless it would have been fantastic but I wasn't and I was constantly having to do a juggling act, as others have said, in order to work. I felt overwhelming guilt that my boys were in a nursery all day long and every play/sports day/illness presented huge problems. And honestly, my employers were very flexible but it was still so so difficult. Plus, after paying childcare for 2 kids, plus travel etc we were no better off financially. In the end, I jacked it in and went
back to being a stay at home mum.
TBH I'm loving it. And I feel bad that I left, particularly my youngest, in childcare when I feel they should have been with me.
I find it quite depressing the replies that say 'you'll be climbing the walls', 'its depressing at home'. People just seem to accept that but I'm sure there'd be a backlash to anyone who said mums shouldn't work (no tthat i'm saying that - just think some of the negativity around staying at home is unfair). OP might not be climbing the walls. She might love staying home with her child as I'm sure her child will love having her. As for setting a bad example - the OP could go back into work when the child is school age, but I'm sure managing as a single mum and giving your child your all is a fine example to set.
I dont think people should see claiming benefits forevermore as an option - but I think while the OP's little one is under school age she should make use of the system to enjoy the time at home as a new mum.