I'm a single, working mum on UC & I hate it – I get judged all the time, am still struggling and always get sanctioned
Kelly, a brunette beauty from the UK who works whilst claiming benefits, revealed that she 'hates' receiving Universal Credit.
2
She explained that not only does she get judged all the time for it, but she is still struggling financially too.
And that's not all, as the content creator also acknowledged that she often gets sanctioned 'for no reason.'
Posting on social media, Kelly, who is eager to 'find a way to grow and move forward,' voiced her frustrations with the benefits system, leaving many open-mouthed.
She said: ' Universal Credit is not as simple as it sounds - now, if you're just like me, [a] single mum claiming Universal Credit and working, all it does is give you stress, anxiety and depression.
'There's always payment issues, you get sanctioned for no reason, you don't get a lot anyway for the trouble it causes you.'
The mother also recognised: 'There is stigma attached to it - people judge you and think the worst of you.'
Kelly even accused the system of 'wasting so much time' and claimed 'it is not fit for purpose.'
Not only does she 'hate' that she is 'stuck in a cycle,' but Kelly, who is desperate to 'become financially independent,' voiced that she is "still struggling."
She continued: 'The system is there to help and support you in a time of need, I get it, I have needed it, but the whole stigma and the way it makes me feel, I don't like it, I'm still struggling, I am still financially worse off.'
Fed up of feeling 'trapped,' Kelly also claimed that the Universal Credit system involves 'invasive reviews and checks.'
I lost 'everything' when UC stopped my £4.3k-month payment... now I've been sacked from my new job
As a result, Kelly is now eager to 'do better' and is on a mission 'to make some more money' and 'become financially free,' which she hopes to do through TikTok's Creator Fund.
'I'm just so sick of being trapped in this cycle of feeling this way - one day I'm gonna come off of it and they will not ruin my life anymore," she concluded.
Am I entitled to Universal Credit?
According to the GOV website, if you're on a low income or need help with your living costs, then you could be entitled to Universal Credit.
To claim, you must live in the UK, be aged 18 or over (with some exceptions if you're 15 to 17), be under State Pension age, and have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments.
Other circumstances are if you are out of work, or unable to work, for example because of a health condition.
Social media users react
Kelly's TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ miss_kelly_c, has clearly left many totally stunned, as it has quickly racked up 164,800 views, 3,072 likes and 585 comments.
Many other Universal Credit claimants could relate to Kelly and quickly flocked to the comments, eager to voice similar frustrations.
One person said: 'I claimed UC whilst working, I found it a bit of a trap - if I worked more hours my UC was reduced more than what extra money I earned so it wasn't worth it.'
Another added: 'I've been on UC for two months. I hate it so much and so much stress.'
Will I be better off on Universal Credit?
Around 1.4million will be better off on Universal Credit, the government calculates.
A further 300,000 will see no change in payments, while around 900,000 will be worse off under Universal Credit.
Of these, around 600,000 are expected to get top-up payments if they move under managed migration, so they don't lose out on cash immediately.
The majority of those - around 400,000 - are claiming Employment Support Allowance (ESA).
Around 100,000 are on tax credits while fewer than 50,000 each on other legacy benefits are expected to be affected.
Examples of those who may be entitled to less on Universal Credit according to the government include:
Households getting ESA who and the Severe Disability Premium and Enhanced Disability Premium
Households with the lower disabled child addition on legacy benefits
Self-employed households who are subject to the Minimum Income Floor after the 12 month grace period has ended
In-work households that worked a specific number of hours (eg lone
parent working 16 hours claiming Working Tax Credits
Households receiving tax credits with savings of more than £6,000 (and up to £16,000)
But they could miss out on any future increase to benefits and see payments frozen.
Those who move voluntarily and are worse off won't get these top-up payments and could lose cash.
Those who miss the deadline and later make a claim may also not get this transitional protection either.
The clock starts ticking on the three-month countdown from the date of the first letter, and reminders are sent via post and text message.
There is a one-month grace period after this, during which any claim to Universal Credit is backdated and transitional protection can still be awarded.
The most recent data from the DWP shows 61,130 individuals have made a claim for UC, and 39,920 awarded transitional protection.
Another 40,540 are still in the process of moving to the new benefit.
A third commented: 'I wish I could have a job that makes me financially independent, I know exactly what you are talking about.'
Meanwhile, someone else wrote: 'I am on Universal Credit. I do work but I've got to get more hours.
"They won't leave me alone until I get more hours. I have got two children as well.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
9 minutes ago
- The Sun
Lottery results and numbers: Lotto and Thunderball draw tonight, August 16, 2025
THE NATIONAL Lottery results are in and it's time to find out who has won a life-changing amount of money tonight (August 16, 2025). Could tonight's £3.8 million jackpot see you handing in your notice, jetting off to the Bahamas or driving a new Porsche off a garage forecourt? 3 3 You can find out by checking your ticket against tonight's numbers below. Good luck! Tonight's National Lottery Lotto winning numbers are: 01, 11, 15, 19, 45, 48 and the Bonus Ball is 37. Tonight's National Lottery Thunderball winning numbers are: 02, 04, 14, 23, 37 and the Thunderball is 12. The first National Lottery draw was held on November 19 1994 when seven winners shared a jackpot of £5,874,778. The largest amount ever to be won by a single ticket holder was £42million, won in 1996. Gareth Bull, a 49-year-old builder, won £41million in November, 2020 and ended up knocking down his bungalow to make way for a luxury manor house with a pool. TOP 5 BIGGEST LOTTERY WINS ACROSS THE WORLD £1.308 billion (Powerball) on January 13 2016 in the US, for which three winning tickets were sold, remains history's biggest lottery prize £1.267 billion (Mega Million) a winner from South Carolina took their time to come forward to claim their prize in March 2019 not long before the April deadline £633.76 million (Powerball draw) from a winner from Wisconsin £625.76 million (Powerball) Mavis L. Wanczyk of Chicopee, Massachusetts claimed the jackpot in August 2017 £575.53 million (Powerball) A lucky pair of winners scooped the jackpot in Iowa and New York in October 2018 Sue Davies, 64, bought a lottery ticket to celebrate ending five months of shielding during the pandemic — and won £500,000. Sandra Devine, 36, accidentally won £300k - she intended to buy her usual £100 National Lottery Scratchcard, but came home with a much bigger prize. The biggest jackpot ever to be up for grabs was £66million in January last year, which was won by two lucky ticket holders. Another winner, Karl managed to bag £11million aged just 23 in 1996. The odds of winning the lottery are estimated to be about one in 14million - BUT you've got to be in it to win it. 3
The Sun
40 minutes ago
- The Sun
Meet the heir hunter who reunites families with £1million lost fortunes – as retired teacher gets £10k out of the blue
SITTING at her desk, Shannon Freeman pores over a family tree. Using historical records as well as birth and death certificates, she is trying to trace the relatives of a woman who was abandoned in hospital as a baby in 1922. 5 When she finds them, she has good news to share — they are the legal heirs to her £40,000 estate. Shannon is a probate genealogist, and spends her day tracking down families to reunite them with long-lost fortunes. She works at Fraser & Fraser, which featured on the BBC series Heir Hunters. Such companies will reunite unclaimed estates with relatives, and take a cut of the inheritance (usually ranging from ten to 30 per cent) for doing the legwork for you. There are around 5,800 unclaimed estates in England and Wales to chase. These are estates without a will or with no known relatives to give to, and are initially passed over to the Crown. If no family can be tracked down after 30 years, it stays in the Government's coffers. Sizes of estates can vary, but can be as much as £1million. Shannon, who has worked at the firm for 13 years, has never been busier, with nearly 300 cases on her list — six of which are worth more than £1million. Below, she reveals how she finds families — and offers tips on how to be your own heir hunter. HOW TO TRACK DOWN RELATIVES THERE are several ways for Shannon to chase leads. Local authorities, hospitals and even neighbours of the deceased will get in touch, asking for her help locating relatives. She looks at the address where the person lived and checks the electoral roll, to see if the deceased lived with anyone as they could be a family member. Researchers are dispatched all over the country, hunting down lost relatives by knocking on neighbours' doors to collect as much information as possible. Family trees are pulled together using birth, death and marriage certificates, information from old censuses and catalogues called Kelly's Directory, which list families who had a certain profession. 5 PASSING ON SAD NEWS IF Shannon strikes gold and tracks down a relative, it can be tough telling them a long-lost family member has died. 'Reactions are mixed,' she says. 'Sometimes you tell someone their father has passed away and the reaction is positive, as they had a difficult relationship. 'Other times, they might never have met the person, but are in tears as it's a shock.' The largest estate Shannon found living heirs for was valued at £1.2million. It was shared out to a total of 19 relatives with the largest share of £110,000 going to a cousin. But beware of cowboy heir hunters knocking at your door. Check a company is legitimate by asking local Trading Standards offices, and checking with Companies House and the Association of Professional Genealogists. 'Be cautious of any heir hunters company that asks for money upfront, as this is not standard practice,' warns Shannon. 5 BE YOUR OWN HEIR HUNTER YOU can check if you could be in line for a surprise inheritance by asking heir hunters if they have a list of cold cases you can look through. If you find someone you think is a relative, see if they have a will at If there's no will, map out your family tree to prove that you are both related. You'll need to pay for copies of birth, marriage and death certificates at £12.50 each. You might not be the sole heir. There could be other relatives who are also entitled to a share of the estate. To make a claim, send evidence to the Bona Vacantia Division at bvestates@ If successful, you will have to administer the estate — making a log of the assets such as property, money and investments, and ensuring any debts are paid off. This process can take two years to complete. 'Knock on the door brought me £10k' A KNOCK on the door changed Sarah's life when an heir hunter told her she was in line for a £10,000 windfall. The 66-year-old from Chelmsford, Essex, was told in 2022 that she was the sole heir to a two-bedroom house in Yorkshire, owned by a long-lost great aunt she had never heard of before. Sarah, a retired nursery teacher, said: 'I was nervous as, usually, when something sounds too good to be true, it is. 'But they talked me through every step and now it's just a case of waiting for the money to come through.' The property is worth £220,000 and is in the process of being sold. As there are debts including a mortgage to pay off, Sarah is expecting to be left with £10,000. She said: 'That is a life-changing amount for me. 'I've been struggling to make ends meet for years. 'I'm hoping to take my two children, aged eight and six, to Disneyland with the money.' PLUM NEW OPPORTUNITY POPULAR banking app Plum has launched a fun new feature based on the weather for millions of customers to use to boost their savings. Plum works out how much you can afford to save then automatically transfers this amount from your bank account into a savings pot in the app. 5 Money saved in this pot can earn interest of 3.53 per cent AER (Annual Equivalent Rate). The new feature on the app uses a weather-based classification for the amount of money you wish to save into your Plum pot. The app checks the weather in your registered location then you choose the amount of money you want to save from five options. Pick 'shady spot' and the app will set aside £1, 'sunny side up' saves £2, 'summer's here' is for £5, 'beach day' saves £10, while 'blazing hot' puts away £20. The highest savings option could see you stash a scorching £2,078 a year. Britain is not known for its balmy weather, so you can always boost your savings by choosing Plum's existing 'rainy day rule'. You can choose to save as much as £20 every time it rains. There are other apps to help you save, such as Snoop, that connects to your bank account and credit cards and sends you alerts so you don't overspend. Monzo allows you to set up spending targets and round up outgoings to set aside into your savings account. Emile Mee LEARN HOW TO SAVE MORE 5 CHECK if you are eligible for a new discount app that could be better than the Blue Light Card scheme. If you work in education, you can sign up to the Discounts For Teachers app that offers exclusive money-off deals at retailers such as Asda, Ikea, Jet2 and B&M. It is not just available to teachers. Teaching assistants, support staff, caterers, maintenance workers, lecturers and professors can apply to join. People who have retired, but used to work in education, can get one too. The app claims its 1.5million members save £2,262 a year including £265 on travel and transport, £259 on groceries, £214 on utility bills and £186 on their mobiles and TVs. The savings are said to be double the amount people can make on the Blue Light Card, which provides reductions of up to £800 a year. However, the Blue Light scheme is available to a wider number of people including NHS staff, emergency service personnel, social care workers and people in the Armed Forces. Sign up to Discount for Teachers by filling out the registration form at discountsforteachers. Then provide a work email address or a valid document to prove you work in education. To sign up for the Blue Light Card, head to Give proof of your profession by uploading a form of valid ID or recent payslip.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Mum raising six kids in 'crammed' council house 'at breaking point'
Ewelina Ciuruk, 35, has three kids of her own and has taken in her sister's three children. A mum has told how she's at breaking point after being left to raise six children in a cramped three-bed home. Ewelina Ciuruk, 35, has three kids of her own and has taken in her sister's three children from Poland after her husband of 17 years returned to their homeland. The mum, from Meir in Stoke-on-Trent, has been forced to quit her job of eight years as she struggled to juggle work with caring for the children. She said the move has also left her in limbo with her Universal Credit. Speaking to Stoke-on-TrentLive, she said: 'I worked at Fuchs Lubricants for eight years. After I brought the kids back with me from Poland, I carried on there for a few months. But it ended up being too much for me. I tried my best but I ended up having to leave because of all the stress and anxiety.' Ewelina is now unemployed and without transport after her nine-seater vehicle broke down and had to be sold. She has launched a £2,600 online appeal for a new car but has so far raised just £430. She said: 'I am having issues with my Universal Credit. They don't understand my employment situation. Because I am the legal guardian of my sister's children, I can't be recognised as their foster parent - in Poland, you are recognised as both. So there is a conflict there - one which means I'm losing out. 'Social services came around the house and acknowledged that I've got a lot on with six children to look after. They said there's no chance I can go to work because I'll often be getting called from the school asking me to collect the kids or what have you. Employers don't really want to take me on either because they can't offer the flexibility I need. 'We're also struggling with space. I've applied for a bigger house because there are seven of us living in this three-bedroom house. Everything's stopped on that front. Nobody is contacting me about my application. No interest, nothing. I've sent emails asking for updates but I don't get any response. I was hoping they have a house standing that needs someone to refresh it with some DIY, but I've had no luck." Eweline said she is currently forced to sleep in the living room with her youngest son, while the other children share bedrooms upstairs, which can make things "very complicated". The family has to share one bathroom, which has led to complaints from all of the children. She added: "The rooms are small so sharing them is tough. A lot of our things are in boxes at the moment because we don't have room to unpack them.' A council spokesperson said: 'The decision to place the children was under the jurisdiction of Poland, who directed the assessment. The city council completed a viability assessment which ruled that it was acceptable for the children to live with the resident. The city council is not legally able to grant fostering status in these circumstances as the decision was made outside of the UK. 'We will be reaching out to the family to consider whether there is any additional support required and will work with them to maximise their income and ensure that they are claiming everything they are entitled to. 'The resident does hold an active application on the housing register in the highest banding and an officer will make contact to provide advice and assistance with their housing options across all housing tenures. There is however a critical shortage of available larger homes which means families like this will often be waiting for some time to be assisted if they are looking to be accommodated in social housing.'
