I’m a single mum who works THREE jobs – but I still can’t pay my rent on Universal Credit
Single mum Tanya Lawson, 51, has 63p from every pound she earns over £198 a month deducted from her Universal Credit payment like thousands of workers round the UK
SINGLE-MUM Tanya Lawson works as a carer for the elderly, as a dinner lady AND runs an after-school club - yet she still can't afford her rent after her Universal Credit payments were cut.
The 51-year-old mum of one, who lives in Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, is struggling to keep up with bills and is so strapped for cash that she has to walk the four-mile round trip to work as she can't afford the bus fare, despite suffering an agonising foot condition.
"It brings me to tears, because it's so humiliating to be put through this month after month," Tanya told The Sun, which this month launched its Make Universal Credit Work campaign to help the 7million people who will be rolled on to Universal Credit by 2023.
"The jobs I do mean I'm on my feet all day in the school yard supervising, in after-school clubs putting out and packing away toys, tables, chairs, and walking round supervising the children," said Tanya, who suffers from plantar fasciitis, a condition which causes heel and arch pain.
"I'm on my feet doing the cleaning. I take ibuprofen in the morning, paracetamol at lunchtime. I have gel cushioned heel insoles in my footwear. I just do my best to get through the day."
Tanya, who lives with 17-year-old son Christian, says her salary varies from £200 to £800 a month as her hours are affected by school holidays, and as a result she never knows how much she will receive in Universal Credit.
If she manages to secure more hours, Universal Credit's harsh taper rate means that she is taxed 63p for every £1 she earns over £198 a month (there is a high allowance of £409 a month for those that don't get help with housing costs).
The taper rate is calculated monthly based on what you earned the previous month, rather than on an annual basis.
This means Universal Credit payments can fluctuate month to month as earnings rise and fall.
“I seriously wonder whether it’s worth me working at all, considering what they take off my benefits because I earn a wage,” she says.
'I raided a jar of pennies to see friends'
Juggling three jobs on a low income is something Tanya has come to accept, but the effect it has on her personal life is now also taking its toll.
She added: “I’m normally such a happy person. I volunteer for local charities and I’ve helped with the Poppy Appeal."
Tanya adds that Universal Credit has stopped her from seeing her friends as she can’t afford to go out.
“I used to have a social life. Not much, but I could get out once a week to a local that had a band playing on a Friday. I don’t go out now. I can’t afford it.
“The last time I went out was only because I raided a jar of pennies and 2p pieces and got it changed up at the bank. It's humiliating to be living like this.
“I shop in charity shops now as I have no money to buy new clothes.
“I buy my work clothes there and even got a Christmas jumper recently, because I wanted to feel a part of it all.
“We had a Christmas work meal where we exchanged presents. Now, I never have any money so I plan ahead, collecting bits and bobs from tombola wins, small things at charity shops, that kind of thing so I can take part.”
The Sun wants to Make Universal Credit Work
UNIVERSAL CREDIT replaces six benefits with a single monthly payment.
One million people are already receiving it and by the time the system is fully rolled out in 2023, nearly 7million will be on it.
But there are big problems with the flagship new system - it takes five weeks to get the first payment and it could leave some families worse off by thousands of pounds a year.
And while working families can claim back up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, they must find the money to pay for childcare upfront - we’ve heard of families waiting up to six months for the money.
Working parents across the country told us they’ve been unable to take on more hours - or have even turned down better paid jobs or more hours because of the amount they get their benefits cut.
It’s time to Make Universal Credit work. We want the government to:
- Get paid faster: The government must slash the time Brits wait for their first Universal Credit payments from five to two weeks, helping stop 7million from being pushed into debt.
- Keep more of what you earn: The work allowance should be increased and the taper rate should be slashed from from 63p to 50p, helping at least 4million families.
- Don’t get punished for having a family: Parents should get the 85 per cent of the money they can claim for childcare upfront instead of being paid in arrears.
Together, these changes will help Make Universal Credit Work.
Join our or email Univers[email protected] to share your story.
'Impossible to budget'
Under the previous benefits system, Tanya received a basic rate for childcare of around £315, plus housing benefit of £284 a month.
This was a fixed amount, calculated based on her annual income and it allowed her to budget more effectively.
"With Universal Credit I can't keep on top of my outgoings because everything gets paid in arrears, and with my wages going up and down I can't guarantee what I'll get," she says.
"I've always prided myself on being able to pay my bills, rent and council tax in full and on time, and manage my money so I have enough left over for me. That's not the case now."
Are you on Universal Credit? Tell us your story! Email: universalcredit@the-sun.co.uk and join our
Tanya was moved onto Universal Credit in November, but had to wait five weeks for her first payment - which was just £22 when it came through.
She said: “Once I applied for Universal Credit my other benefits stopped.
"I ended up owing back-rent of £270, although I’ve managed to pay £200 of this.
"Plus I owed £160 in council tax. So far I’ve paid £80, and will clear this debt next month. The rent will have to wait, as I can’t commit to re-paying in full as I have no money.
“I go to the Job Centre, I go to work, the shops and then I go home."
A spokesperson from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said: “Universal Credit adjusts automatically to earnings to ensure people receive the right support.
"We have investigated the earnings used in Ms Lawson’s claim and have confirmed her payments have been calculated correctly.”
The Sun has also revealed how one family are facing a Christmas without food or presents due to Universal Credit.
Our Make Universal Credit Work campaign has had huge support from charities and readers, with experts praising our powerful reporting and putting pressure on MPs to help struggling Brits.
How is Tanya Lawson doing now?
SIX months on from the launch of our Make Universal Credit Work campaign, we've revisited some of our most hard-hitting stories.
We spoke to Tanya Lawson again in June 2019 to get an update on her situation.
She told us she is still working as a cleaner although her hours have become more balanced, which means she now earns a steady £500 a month rather than earning anything from £200 to £800 a month.
Her son is currently back from university, and is contributing £25 a week towards the rent, which helps.
But Tanya is sadly having more problems with debt and she now owes more than £400 in rent and council tax arrears.
This is because her council tax recently rose by more than £10 a month, and with gas and electricity costing more due to a new payment plan, she can’t meet all the repayments.
It's also left her relying more and more on her mum for food, such as the odd breast of chicken or baked potatoes.
Tanya told The Sun: “I worked hard to reduce what I owed, but it’s gone right back up. It never seems to get better. I just can’t seem to get on top of my money."
The mum also still suffers from an agognising foot condition, which is made worse being on her feet all day. Tanya said: “I do a lot of walking, to and from work, the shops, the JobCentre.
"I’m always on my feet at work, cleaning. I just go through shoes at an alarming rate. But I just don’t have the money to buy decent ones that fit. With my feet problems I’m always in pain. It’s no way to carry on.
“I can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel, but I’ll keep plugging away. I don’t have any option.”
The Sun has reached out to the Department for Work and Pensions again, which says it stands by its original comment in this piece.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 78 24516. Don't forget to join the for the latest bargains and money-saving advice.