Universal credit/tax credits

[Aftereights91]

Hoping for some advise as I'm massively confused. Basically we should qualify for housing benefit but because we're in a universal credit area we would have too onto universal credit to get it. My husband's work varies each week so I've done a calculator based on a "good " month and we should get roughly £160 a week universal credit compared to £117 a week CTC and wtc. Now I've heard universal credit is bad and full of problems but this numbers make sense to me, so we should we switch? Also what happens until were paid universal credit if we switch? Do we still get CTC until were paid universal credit or do we get nothing at all for about a month? I'm confused and Google doesn't seem to be much help, if anyone has some advice it would be much appreciated

Is the area you live in UC live service or full service?

Ermm I'm not sure, it said you only needed to go onto universal credit if you wanted to claim a new benefit, which we do, housing benefit, because it won't take normal housing benefit claims anymore

When I switched from TC to UC I had to wait 6 weeks - it’s the UC policy to give the 1st payment 6 weeks after the initial claim. My tax credits stopped as soon as I put in my UC claim.

It was a tough 6 weeks.

What council do you come under?

@Byebyebye East riding council

@biggirlknickers balls that's what I was worried about. We should get at least £40 a week more on universal credit which would be a big difference but how the hell do you manage for six weeks with no money?

If you switch to UC you'll go from weekly to monthly payments so it's a cash flow issue as much as anything. You can request an advance which is then paid back over six months.

Is you husband employed or self-employed? What do you do? UC has a lot of conditionality attached to it that tax credits don't. You can ask for an advance payment that can be paid back over 12 months if you can't managed the wait for your first payment. Tax credits will stop as soon as the basic checks on the UC claim are carried out.

I would expect UC to be higher because it includes the equivalent of housing benefit.

Cleo

My husband works full time employed, it's seasonal so his hours vary but the calculator I did was for when he's had a good month, so highest income. I'm a stay at home parent at the minute

Ah right so you can get a loan to cover the initial gap, that would be helpful. This is so bloody confusing why do they have to change things

I've done a calculator based on a "good " month and we should get roughly £160 a week universal credit compared to £117 a week CTC and wtc

I may be way off but does the UC not include the 'housing benefit' so you would actually be worse off? Otherwise surely your UC would be much higher?

@meadowmeow at the minute we can't get housing benefit as they won't take claims for housing benefit, so atm we get £117 a week total but on universal credit we should get at least £160 a week total. That's including housing benefit in universal credit, but not in tax credits as we can't claim it if you see what I mean?

You need to look into the conditionality (work seeking) requirements on UC for your situation. Depending on the age of your children, they may require you to look for work as well and your DH will be subject to work requirements in the months when he isn't earning enough.

Cleo

@Cleo29 thank you I didn't even know there was different work related groups, they've made this so confusing. My children are 2 and 3 months and my DH usually does around 38 hours a week but in quieter months does about 32, so from what I can figure out, when the baby is 1 I have to start going to these work related interview things, and I don't think my DH has to do anything because of his hours. I think. This is so complicated, I appreciate everyone's input, I think I might have to ring them and see if they can clarify because even with everyone's help I'm still massively confused

@pinktrousers5 surely that depends on how much hb op would be entitled to?

The housing benefit we are entitled to is £40 a week but we can't claim housing benefit whilst on tax credits, they won't take the application. So we would be equal to what we would be if we could get tax credits AND housing benefit, but we cant, so on the universal credit we would be better off than we are right now