Benefits, how much do you reckon?

danielanthony

danielanthony

danielanthony

Associate
Joined
22 Sep 2007
Posts
2,184
Location
Abingdon
I found this interesting post on moneysavingexpert, I always wondered how much you could claim on benefits and someone has kindly put up the figures:

The costs amount up when those out of work are claiming LHA for the private rental market as opposed to housing benefit for a council property.

Just a breakdown of what an unemployed ''single'' mother of 2 can expect to rake in living in Aberdeen,

LHA = £159.81pw (£159.81 x 52 = £8,310pa)
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/Benefits/lha/ben_local_house_allow.asp

CTB = Band B 2 bed flat - 25% ''single'' occupancy discount = £717pa
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/CouncilTax/ctx/ctx_band.asp

CB = £20.30pw x 52 + £13.40 x 52 = £1,752pa
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/TaxCreditsandChildBenefit/Childbenefits/DG_073828

CTC = £2300 x 2 (CE) + £545 x 1 (Fam) + £545 x 1 (Baby) = £5,690pa
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/taxcredits.htm

IS = £65.45 x 52 = £3,403pa
http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/ssa/benefit_information/benefit_rates.htm

Assuming both children are under 4 for healthy start vouchers, otherwise I would have to calculate school dinners for over 4 so makes no difference =

HSV = £9.30pw x 52 = £484 pa

So total so far = £20,356

£20,356 is tax free and equates to an income of £1696pm. To earn £1696pm in the workforce you would have to be earning just over £26,700pa

The above figures do not include child maintenance from the 2 missing fathers nor do they include free dental, prescriptions etc

£26000 is the mean average wage for a person in Britain, so all these unemployed mums pushing their kids around shopping centres and the likes are better off than professional workers earning £26k. Considering the professional worker will have get to work costs, car costs, fuel costs etc which the benefit claimant would not, then the unemployed will infact have a fair bit more disposable income than the average worker.

There are many that maximise the above even further by claiming disability and incapacity for bad back and depression. If awarded DLA for themselves or for their children, the amounts can increase significantly.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2462133

My missus is a full time nurse and earns about £23,000, she has two degree's (biology and nursing) and works in Intensive Care. We are saving up so she can take time off work to have children, looking at these figures I wonder why I bother being responsible sometimes.
 
Last edited:
Just so you are aware, you don't receive a surplus in Housing Benefit. You will have your rent paid (sometimes in part) but won't have any left over to pocket.
 
I did the right thing, stayed at school, went to uni, graduated, work in IT and only just earn more than that!

I do wonder why I bother sometimes, then I remember I not female so can't live of the rest of the people who work by having kids.

Thank god I enjoy my job
 
What gets me about this though is that the government is trying to reduce child poverty. From these figures it looks like the poorest children will be those with working parents!

Seriously, for a single mother to find it worth getting a job, she will have to be earning £26,000+ How likely will that be?
 
danielanthony said:
I found this interesting post on moneysavingexpert, I always wondered how much you could claim on benefits and someone has kindly put up the figures:

The costs amount up when those out of work are claiming LHA for the private rental market as opposed to housing benefit for a council property.

Just a breakdown of what an unemployed ''single'' mother of 2 can expect to rake in living in Aberdeen,

LHA = £159.81pw (£159.81 x 52 = £8,310pa)
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/Benef...ouse_allow.asp

CTB = Band B 2 bed flat - 25% ''single'' occupancy discount = £717pa
http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/Counc...x/ctx_band.asp

CB = £20.30pw x 52 + £13.40 x 52 = £1,752pa
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTax...fits/DG_073828

CTC = £2300 x 2 (CE) + £545 x 1 (Fam) + £545 x 1 (Baby) = £5,690pa
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/taxcredits.htm

IS = £65.45 x 52 = £3,403pa
http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/ssa/be...efit_rates.htm

Assuming both children are under 4 for healthy start vouchers, otherwise I would have to calculate school dinners for over 4 so makes no difference =

HSV = £9.30pw x 52 = £484 pa

So total so far = £20,356

£20,356 is tax free and equates to an income of £1696pm. To earn £1696pm in the workforce you would have to be earning just over £26,700pa

The above figures do not include child maintenance from the 2 missing fathers nor do they include free dental, prescriptions etc
£26000 is the mean average wage for a person in Britain, so all these unemployed mums pushing their kids around shopping centres and the likes are better off than professional workers earning £26k. Considering the professional worker will have get to work costs, car costs, fuel costs etc which the benefit claimant would not, then the unemployed will infact have a fair bit more disposable income than the average worker.

There are many that maximise the above even further by claiming disability and incapacity for bad back and depression. If awarded DLA for themselves or for their children, the amounts can increase significantly.



My missus is a full time nurse and earns about £23,000, she has two degree's (biology and nursing) and works in Intensive Care. We are saving up so she can take time off work to have children, looking at these figures I wonder why I bother being responsible sometimes.
Click to expand...

The above figures would be adjusted downwards if maintenance payments were being made.

As for the other specific amounts, I can't comment as I am not a Welfare Benefits adviser. They do seem very high but to say that, "all these unemployed mums pushing kids around...." is a gross generalisation and pretty much destroys any credability to the effort you had put into researching the figures.

If you are going to rant, be accurate...
 
Personally I think that people on benefits should get very little money but instead receive most of their benefits in the form of coupons, stop those scumbags spending it all on alcohol, cigarettes and drugs :)
 
-BA- said:
The above figures would be adjusted downwards if maintenance payments were being made.

As for the other specific amounts, I can't comment as I am not a Welfare Benefits adviser. They do seem very high but to say that, "all these unemployed mums pushing kids around...." is a gross generalisation and pretty much destroys any credability to the effort you had put into researching the figures.

If you are going to rant, be accurate...
Click to expand...

I didn't write all that but copied it from moneysavingexpert as I said in the OP. There might be a few angry statements in there but the figures are backed up by the links to the government and council websites.

I'm glad you agree that these figures do seem a bit high :)
 
danielanthony said:
I didn't write all that but copied it from moneysavingexpert as I said in the OP. There might be a few angry statements in there but the figures are backed up by the links to the government and council websites.

I'm glad you agree that these figures do seem a bit high :)
Click to expand...

dont post that.. post 'oh yer.. they are way to high'... you gonna make me cry now :(
 
Skyfall said:
Personally I think that people on benefits should get very little money but instead receive most of their benefits in the form of coupons, stop those scumbags spending it all on alcohol, cigarettes and drugs :)
Click to expand...

This - I work full-time to get the money I spend on alcohol, cigarettes and drugs, why should they get em for free?
 
Skyfall said:
Personally I think that people on benefits should get very little money but instead receive most of their benefits in the form of coupons, stop those scumbags spending it all on alcohol, cigarettes and drugs :)
Click to expand...

Which a lot of the inscrupulous ones will sell for money. I was in B&Q a while back and a scruffily dressed man and his partner offered to pay for my paints and brushes (£80 worth) with their vouchers. The deal that i would pay them £50 cash outside afterwards. They got these vouchers from the council to decorate their house. I refused btw!
 
JoeMama said:
Which a lot of them will sell for money. I was in B&Q a while back and a scruffily dressed man and his partner offered to pay for my paints and brushes (£80 worth) with his vouchers. The deal that i would pay him £50 cash outside afterwards. They got these vouchers from the council to decorate their house. I refused btw!
Click to expand...

ok not vouchers a credit type card, then it cannot be sold.. it can also be set so it will not allow you to pay for tesco's finest / beer / fags...
 
danielanthony said:
I didn't write all that but copied it from moneysavingexpert as I said in the OP. There might be a few angry statements in there but the figures are backed up by the links to the government and council websites.

I'm glad you agree that these figures do seem a bit high :)
Click to expand...

Sorry, it's not very easy to make out where your quote begins and ends. My reasoning for the response I gave is that my sister is a single mum and most definitely does not get benefits like that and seriously struggles.

Life ain't a bed of roses for all single mums and that's why I didn't like the generalisation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom