Universal Credits for working couple

[Warmer]

Hi, I work part time and my husband works full time both on minimum wage and have 2 children. I have applied for universal credits and done the long 6 week wait to be told that we are entitled to £0! Not even any childcare help. I've spoke to them and they said this is correct. Is anyone else in the same situation? Where is the incentive for working families? We earn around £25,000 a year and have had help from tax credits for childcare costs in the past but just wanting to relate with other families in this situation.

We were told similar last year. One child, rent £595 a month, DD wasn't in childcare at the time but does two afternoons a week now. Our combined income was £25k and both online calculators told us we were entitled to nothing. When I rang Tax Credits they said unless we were carers or DD had a disability then we were over the threshold for help.

They may use net pay in the monthly calculations but the thresholds are worked out from the corresponding gross pay.

@myusernameismud if your net income is 30k your gross is nearly 50k if you receive universal credit the system is totally flawed!

OK these are my calculations. Bear in mind I don't earn the same every month, I did overtime in March so my wages were higher than usual. But if DH and I did earn the same every month, our combined annual salary would be circa 42k before deductions. And we would still be entitled to just under 50 quid a month.

OP here are the figures. I've assumed you are over 25, and included all your rent, although your LHA may be lower, if you can get this I can be more accurate.
Elements added together are £1773.64
Wages are £ 2120.
£2120 - 287 = £1833

£1833 / 100 x 63 = £1154.79 deducted from the maximum award.

£1773.64 - £1154.79 = £618.85.

£618.85 is the total that UC should pay, provided your full rent costs are included.

123 again, how have you worked that out?

How much tax and NI do you think we pay?!

£23,781 net under UC would be treated the same as £30k gross under tax credits.

With DC your age they are expected to share a room so you will only be granted the LHA for a 2 bed

I have experience of working on UC (not popular I know!). If you have a £409 work allowance this means your housing costs have not been included. Do you rent from social housing or private if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks for working that out Thismustbemydream. Goonergirl14 I private rent. I think even if UC are incorrect and what you're all saying is right it's still hard to prove and tell them that they are wrong because they will probably just think what do I know I don't work there but hopefully at my citizens advice appointment it will make it clearer and Ill ask uc to re-assess the claim

Warmer you must check about your rent details. Ask UC why you're not getting the housing costs included. If you can work out your LHA for a 2 bed property, it will be easier to work out if you're due any payments or not. It's really easy you just put your postcode into the LHA checker and it tells you, someone linked to it up thread.

Sorry OP if your kids are 5 and 8 aren't they in school so you only really need before/after school childcare presumably? Isn't there free school clubs where you are?
Personally I don't think they're should be extra help in these situations - before kids school age yes but at some point you've got to learn to stand on your own and look for better paying jobs/extra work otherwise you ll be looking for financial support until they're in their teens and support should be prioritised for those who need full time childcare ages 1-4 x

Good job no one gives a shit what you think then itwasalovelydream.

What a ridiculous fucking post. Get an eductation before spouting such ignorant views.

Sod off, itwasalovelydream. After school clubs, breakfast clubs and holiday clubs are not free and can be pricey. Yes it’s sensible to try and increase earnings, if possible, but what should she do until then? Leave the children home alone?

How often do you both get paid .if both or either of you get paid weekly or four weekly then that could have affected what you got this month as well as the missing rent element. UC payment for the month is based on any earnings reported by your employers during your assessment period which is monthly. So if you are paid weekly there will be some months where 4 pay days fall in that period and some months where five do. If either are paid four weekly then one month a year two pay days will fall in your assessment period which could potentially cancel out any UC that month. I'm just suggesting possible reasons for a nil award. Also childcare costs wont be paid back until you've paid them upfront. On your income you should definitely be getting some UC most months though.

Also there's not much point people comparing the amount they get because Uc is based on so many different variables . Peoples rent varies hugely and UC is affected by your age, whether your kids were born before April 2017, whether any children have disabilities, your LHA etc.

I have checked and my LHA is 2. So my husband is paid every last Friday of the month and I am paid every last working day of the month.

itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted (i don't know how to tag as I'm new on this) i don't know how I'm not standing on my own 2 feet, im 30 not 13, I would probably be better off not working but I'm not choosing to do that. It is widely known that UC and tax credits pay upto 75% or 85% of childcare costs, I'm not wanting any handouts or anything like that I was just questioning if it sounds right to not have childcare costs paid as the country so badly wants everyone to work but then also make it difficult. But now UC have said infact I am entitled to childcare costs being covered so I'm not a mug I'm not gonna refuse it. It's so easy to say look for better jobs or paid work, we'd all have better paid jobs if we could. The kids are at school but I work 9-5:30,3 days a week so need them looking after school for a few hours.

How much is the LHA for a 2 bed in your area?
Ignore that poster. Ridiculous comments and absolutely no need to justify yourself for their ignorance!

Thanks!

So I've just checked, sorry I'm not very good at this am i haha and it says 2 bedrooms for my area is £109.32 per week xx

So £473 a month and your rent is £665, is there a reason why your rent is so high?

I don't think that's particularly high if it's a private rent. My housing association rent is above LHA for our area.

OK Warmer I've just done the maths! You should be getting around £325 a month before your childcare costs are added. I'm not 100% sure how to work those out as I've never had to do it so can't help with that, but as a minimum you should be getting £325.

You need to get back on to UC today and ask them why you aren't getting housing costs paid. That's what is stopping you from getting any help. They will back date it all BTW, so once its sorted it should be a fairly easy ride, but the initial process is painful. We've been on it for 2 years now and since the first few weeks of hell, it's been painless. I have no work search commitments even though I'm only part time because DH earns enough, I imagine you'll be in the same position.

Let us know how you get on.

Childcare costs you work out 85% myusernameismud. Hers are £130 a month. So 85% is £110.50. Add that to the elements and then deduct as normal.

I don't think that's particularly high if it's a private rent.
I was thinking reasons like the op may be renting a three bed when she only needs a two. £192 a month is a lot of rent to pay even if UC cover the rest.

The OP choosing to rent a 3 bed instead of a 2 is none of our business though? It isn't really relevant to the post.