To wonder why I can't claim Universal credit?

You should think more of a lodger. The right fit can really improve your quality of life. The £625pcm they bring in doesn’t count as income for UC and isn’t taxed.

Generous for those who know how to play the system. Forgive me if I sound cynical but that has been my observation.

OP, a friend of mine was in a similar situation and needed a second job that was flexible with hours/days etc. as her supermarket hours were variable.

She now works for a local care Agency who care for people in their own homes. The pay isn't brilliant to be fair, but they need workers from breakfast to bedtime, so she manages to gets plenty of hours to fit round her supermarket shifts.

Obviously this depends on you having a good care provider in your area.

She enjoys it and says sometimes she is doing personal care, assisting with showers etc., but often it's domestic or companionship. One day recently she walked a dog for a client, played cards with another one, took another to the garden centre and finished off doing a jigsaw with the last one.

It's something to consider.

The people who get high amounts of UC are those with disabilities or children.

Its not there to top up part time work. The expectation is you'll seek more work to top up your income.

The nit-picker is also wrong. Housing benefit is very much alive and kicking and is paid by local authorities, it is a benefit for pensioners who qualify for help with their rent.

Is there anything suitable on your local council. There’s lots of older staff working in local govt.

A laundry lady job in a care home is the sweetest little and well paid if you do 40 h - you will get above 2000 pounds and will be able to save, travel etc

Apply in hotels, warehouses or kitchen op. There are always jobs in garden centres too

https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit

B&Q used to be good, not so much anymore. Experience isn't valued in the same way as it was, kids are easier to stick on a till and use technology. They do pay a flat rate across all ages, its a good one for kids as they get paid adult rate. Again, short contracted hours with 'flex'. It reduces costs if they only have to pay holiday pay for part timer but get more hours. Cut overtime at a moments notice. Retail is notorious for this kind of thing.

Just report them if its that blatant.

A zero claim will remain open for 6 months, yes.

How nit picky. I called housing element housing allowance. The principle still stands.

Feel for you, i was raised too by a single mum with no help as dad fucked off basically. What is really annoying is the fact how many people thaf i know get loatsnof money from UC being dishonest, one i know gets 1300 a month ,lives on her own in 2 bed flat,working cash in hand. The other one claims to a single parent ( her partner of 10 years lives with her) . It really shit when i can't even sell my fucking flat as the government isn't fixed the cladding, but apparently i don't need help as i have an ASSET that i can so nothing with as it is valued at £0

Rent out ds room is he moved out

Rent a room in your home: The Rent a Room Scheme - GOV.UK https://share.google/6NVPNgMFWOhp1j0XS

I don't know if things have changed but ten years ago I was single (adult children all at Uni), working 18 hours a week and earning around £600 per month. I was not eligible for any help whatsoever, and my earnings went on rent in their entirety. Any help was limited to telling me to get another job where I'd have more hours. I was working part time for a reason and as soon as that reason ended I had to change jobs. There was no financial support at all.

OP,don't close your UC account down. If your earnings fall below the threshold you will automatically be awarded a payment,based upon what you have or have not earned in a specific period.

There's no such thing as housing allowance, the housing element is part of universal credit.

It’s not just childless people. I raised 3 kids alone and their dad paid the bare minimum maintenance (whilst being on a decent salary)

I worked 3 part time jobs around pretty much full time custody (they spent one night with him each fortnight, because he ‘worked too much’ to have them any more)

So he got free childcare at my expense, whilst I worked for a negative sum for the 13 weeks of school holidays per year as I had to pay childcare to go to work which cost more than I made and my benefits put together and that was with the reduction rate I got for my eldest.

This was before the 2 child cap. God help anyone who’s on benefits these days, it’s not enough to cover basic costs never mind anything else, and you still get the same shame, the stigma and judgement from those who don’t know what it is like to live like that plus the media crowing about how people on benefits are just raking it in at their expense. It’s not true. It has never been true, and it is even less true now than it has ever been before.

I feel for you. It’s a horrible and dehumanising way to live.

You are earning around £953 per month and won't get a work allowance, so 55% will be deducted, which is £524. The personal allowance is £400, so your deductions exceed the allowance and you get nothing.

I'm sorry it's all so hard.

Yes they can. What are homeowners supposed to live on if they’re unemployed? If you want to live on £400 a month, go ahead - I suspect you probably don’t.

Looks like you either need a second job or one which pays more OP. With no rent to pay, or dependants living with you, there’s not alot you can claim.

HRTFT but I think you've fallen into the Daily Fail trap of how generous the benefit system is.

18 hours per week at minimum wage (the Universal Credit Administrative Earnings Threshold) is £219.78 per week which is well over the £92.34 allowance per week for a single person over 25 with no rent/allowances etc.