I’ve seen a lot of outrage on here today at the government apparently leaving children to ‘starve’ through the summer holidays.
Let me share our experience with UC to shed a little truth on whether the welfare state is supportive enough.
1/7

So a little over a year ago, myself, my partner and our son (who hadn’t long been born at the time) just moved into our first house, a council house funnily enough, maybe we’re lucky maybe not you can decide on that.
My partner was already receiving standard allowance on UC 2/7

As well as child tax credits for our son. As soon as we moved in, as I was earning minimum wage at the time, and we were only just managing to get by each month, we decided to see if we could apply for housing benefit too, we were eligible! 3/7

Some months I would earn less that others, and UC would always top it up to ABOVE the living wage, insuring we have enough money to cover the bills and by food. 4/7

12months onand I’m in a new job, earning considerably more than I was then, on average £1600+ a month, and guess what? We are still entitled to universal credit, only it’s reduced more due to me earning more. Since Covid-19 the gov have topped up how much everyone is entitled 5/7

Here is a breakdown of what we are entitled too, and what is deducted due to my earnings from employment. So I find it incredibly hard to believe that if I was not working, and we were solely reliant on the state, how we couldn’t afford to feed our son. 6/7

Of course I’m aware there are many different circumstances and UC hasn’t been ideal at the best of times, but on a whole it is a much better welfare system than the old legacy benefits, and isn’t as Victorian as the media will make out. 7/7