Is £2K per month possible on benefits?

Posted by L_4_2@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 22 comments

My friend has stated that his ex-girlfriend gets this per month. She has one child, a council house, a job (which is cash in hand after 16 hours) and he said she claims something for mental health too. I’m not bashing this before people jump on me for it, if she is entitled to it then fair enough. I’m just wondering if it’s actually realistic or not. It’s a hella of a lot of money.

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22 Comments

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SuboptimalOutcome@reddit

> which is cash in hand after 16 hours > if she is entitled to it then fair enough She's not entitled to it, she's committing benefit fraud. Yes, it's a lot of money.

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JohnCasey3306@reddit

Sorry, are you saying you think she'd need to earn £87k a year to net £2000 per month? Because that is definitely not correct.

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SuboptimalOutcome@reddit

No, the woman in the linked news story getting £60k in benefits would have to earn £87k to end up with the same amount.

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leonardo_davincu@reddit

I feel I’m being dumb because I don’t understand how 2k per month after tax equates to earning 60k per annum while paying tax. Am I missing something?

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SuboptimalOutcome@reddit

The woman mentioned by OP gets £2k/month. By way of example I linked a story about another woman who gets £60k/year, to show that while £2k/month seems a lot, it’s possible to get a lot more on benefits. If the woman on £60k benefits was instead actually working, she’d need to earn £87k to get the same amount, £60k, after tax than she does from benefits.

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LordShrekOgre@reddit

I don’t think the 2k figure was ever mentioned for the 60k a year woman

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L_4_2@reddit (OP)

Well aside from the benefit fraud ha. I know tonnes of people who work cash in hand after 16 hours. Does my head in but what can you do eh

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BibbleBeans@reddit

Report it.

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L_4_2@reddit (OP)

The business has been reported previously. Nothing seems to happeb

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BibbleBeans@reddit

Report the individual for benefit fraud.

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Minimum_Airline3657@reddit

I get £3000 plus my wife’s £450 wages

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AerieStrict7747@reddit

Crazy because a starting junior doctor gets about £2,200 after tax after 5-8 years of schooling then has to pay rent insurance and gmc registration fees. but benefits are £2000….. what even is the point of having a job in the UK?

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Lybertyne2@reddit

A relative's daughter has cerebral palsy. She's also naturally deaf, due to birthing complications, but has a cochlear implant and so can hear. She recently passed her driving test. She is also a competent horse rider and competes in show jumping. She receives around the £300-per-week mark for her disability!

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W_squeaks@reddit

If your monthly rent cost is large enough, and depending on where you live, possibly.

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FDUKing@reddit

It’s called the Local Housing Allowance and is based on local housing market areas. In most cases, it’s not nearly enough to rent privately. ( e.g in Cornwall it’s £159 less than the cheapest 2 bed property for rent)

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CustardCreamBot@reddit

**[OP or Mod marked this as the best answer](/r/AskUK/comments/160a260/is_2k_per_month_possible_on_benefits/jxl8duv/), given by u/ThrowRa_agrlcndream** I am a single mum of 4. Before I started work and all my benefits taken into account I received £2100 but that’s with a disabled child who I’m still a full time carer for. That doesn’t include the money they receive in DLA but did include my council tax reduction and housing in a council house. --- [_^What ^is ^this?_](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/jjrte1/askuk_hits_200k_new_feature_mark_an_answer/)

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ThrowRa_agrlcndream@reddit

I am a single mum of 4. With all my benefits taken into account I get £2100 but that’s with a disabled child who I’m a full time carer for. That doesn’t include the money they receive in DLA but does include my council tax reduction and housing in a council house.

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L_4_2@reddit (OP)

!answer. Thanks, based off what you’re saying then he’s probably exaggerating it quite a bit.

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SleepFlower80@reddit

Well she’s not entitled to it. She’s committing benefit fraud.

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Traditional_Cress561@reddit

Sounds like benefit fraud to me

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Valuable-Wallaby-167@reddit

>a job (which is cash in hand after 16 hours) If she's claiming benefits based on only working 16 hours and then not paying tax on whatever she is earning after that, then easily. Illegal, but very possible Is your friend a reliable person when it comes to talking about his ex though?

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Other_Exercise@reddit

I'd be asking more questions about the kind of job worked - it sounds lucrative!