Moving to universal credit

[chickhonhoneybabe]

I can’t find the answer online and no one can seem to give me a firm answer...

I’ve just had to apply for universal credit, and have found that I won’t get a payment from them for 5 weeks.

I already get housing benefit and child tax credit, so I’m assuming that I get a final payment for these up to the day before my payments swap over, is this correct?

No unfortunately yo ur payments stop, everything apart from child benefit. At your first meeting you can request an advance though, but you will pay this back over 12 months.

FFS! 😭😭😭

What happens to the 3 weeks I’ve got left from the housing benefit and child tax credit payments then, are they added to the universal credit payment?

No your payments stop once you claim

So you have 5 weeks with nothing.

Its disgusting. My sister has just been through it :(

They told my sister she would get it backdated but then when the 5 weeks passes they said she wouldnt.

A work colleague opted to change over because she had enough savings to see her thru.

You can ask for an advance payment (a loan). The Jobcentre staff should proactively tell you about this, but rarely do.

If you're struggling ask the Jobcentre for a food bank referral.

I agree it’s disgusting! It’s just making more people go into financial hardship and get into debt!

I’ve seen online that you can apply for the advance payment (loan) that’s just making people worse off each month! Grr!

Recently gone through this too, after being made redundant.

Except I waited 5 weeks and still got nothing!

Turns out they 'forgot' to put the housing element on our claim and it took weeks and weeks of extra chasing for them to sort it.

The system is shocking. Absolutely shocking.
The service I've received on the phone has also left me in tears. I'm 4 months pregnant and it's causing so much stress. I was spoken to everything like a cheap scrounger.

Every time*

I’m sorry to hear that harmonyandrapsody hope things are sorted for you soon.

The system is not fit for purpose. I bloody hate this Government

It says here that you will get two weeks of housing benefit after you claim. www.gov.uk/guidance/moving-from-housing-benefit-to-universal-credit

WrongKindOfFace thsnks, I found that earlier after a mad google search.

I’ve just got off the phone to the council and they said they end the housing benefit the day before universal credit take over, so if anything is due you still get paid on the Sunday after they take over. So I should get my usual payment on Monday (fingers crossed).

TheTrapDoor they’re a joke, not even a funny one! 👎🏻

I went through it not long ago, scrimped and starved and went cold for the 5 weeks.. then they short paid me by £300 and basically said tough.
I calls them and had no choice but to take an advance, which I'm now paying back at £60 a month.
It was horrible.. damn near killed me.. but it got sorted eventually. :)

Be warned, try to save a little bit each month... Which sounds ridiculous I know. But eventually they'll likely want some tax credits back.. which they'll take directly from your UC payments in a lump sum.
They recently took over £100 in one go without warning.. the options I was given was make do or have some paid back to you... In 2 weeks..

System is broken.. leaving people starving, cold and risking eviction.

But there's plenty of cunts in the country that think it's fine and the poor and vulnerable deserve it and should be grateful.

KlutzyDraconequus sorry you’ve had a rotten time too. They don’t seem to realise people are living hand to mouth and £100 is a lot of money to deduct. £60 is a lot to be having to pay back. 😔

I've been on it for five months. EVERY MONTH they have underpaid me. Sometimes it's the housing element missed off, sometimes it's the childcare element. I have to ring and chase every month and it's just "oh sorry, it needs to be confirmed be a decision maker" etc. Or they say something like this month a bank statement showing my childcare costs isn't sufficient (despite the fact it has been every other month and says on their website it is), and I need to send in an invoice marked "paid" etc. But they only tell you all this once they missed your payment date and have left you short. It's an appalling service.

They make deliberate fuck ups in the hope people stop claiming.

Very smooth experience here

They make deliberate fuck ups in the hope people stop claiming.

These are ordinary people in the public sector on far from high salaries administering universal credit

They key is to talk to them.

Don’t assume they know you’re living hand to mouth

Tell them!

what about when workers get 2 payments in a month and then nothing because UC think you have been paid twice

i can see the next 1-2yrs when more people go onto it will really put people in a bad position as many still dont realise how it works

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3244817-Universal-credit-domestic-abuse