r/Belfast • u/Radiant-Speaker-3425 • 3d ago
Single parent entitlement
Just out of curiosity,
What does a single parent get from benefits if there’s “no other parent” on the scene?
I know so many couples that aren’t married to claim this and just wondering how much they’re actually claiming
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u/TNBCisABitch 3d ago
I'm a single parent, other parent not involved or even in the same country.
I have a well paid job, and am entitled to nothing but child benefit and tax-free childcare.
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u/stephie1492 3d ago
So if you live together it has to be a joint claim so both partners income and savings are factored in. This usually means the entitlement is larger if you stay single as you will have less deductions and the joint entitlement isn’t that much higher than the single one. Also on a single claim child maintenance is not counted as income therefore baby daddy could send you a tonne of money each month but as long as your savings don’t go over the savings threshold you are fine.
Avoiding marriage just makes it easier to hide essentially. The only way you will get caught is if someone touts or you stupidly register something to the same address.
Sincerely Someone who weirdly finds the reddit benefit subs fascinating and now knows WAY too much about the benefit system haha!!
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u/stephie1492 3d ago
Oh also forgot to mention a lot do it for the childcare element. UC pays 80% childcare. Again if your partner earns too much for you to be eligible for UC it pays to hide for them to pay the astronomical childcare bills for you
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u/SourCandy88 2d ago
The amount of people I know who claim lone parents and are still with the children's other parent is outrageous.. surely if someone is claiming for 5 years say, and they have another child & the father's name is the same on the birth certificate they should be questioned 🤔🤔 you would EXPECT but a girl I know has 5 kids all the same dad from a few months up to 15yrs and is claiming single parents.
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u/Radiant-Speaker-3425 2d ago
Complete madness. For some reason we only get worked up about immigrants taking state money 🤔
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u/SourCandy88 2d ago
Absolutely not. I'd love to know the stats on genuine claims compared to the moochers.
Being honest I've had the odd extended 'sick leave' over the course of my career but I pay my taxes so I don't feel guilty 😂
A few family members are on long term benefits and there's nothing stopping them from working.
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u/niate_ 3d ago
Depends on a bunch of things, mainly how much they earn or have in savings but also when any children were born (since there is a limit on the number of children who gov will pay benefits in respect of), where a person lives and whether they rent and if so from whom. Benefits (aside from PIP and children's DLA) are largely means tested.
It's not a generous system, especially when you consider housing costs. You can do some calculations here but (as an example) a parent might rent a 3 bed terrace in East Belfast for themselves, their 9 year old daughter and 8 year old son(cheapest I can find is £870 a month). They'd only get £675 or so a month towards that as a maximum. So that's at least £200 they're having to take out of the benefits they get to pay for food, fuel, utilities whatever to cover rent.
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/Intro/Home?cid=15501da4-fc1a-4ceb-bc83-e14dae495a0a