Please tell me the facts about benefits

[Lochroy]

I'm deliberately posting this in chat not AIBU because I'm NOT looking to start yet another thread on the rights and wrongs of benefits, eligibility etc. I've read loads and it's understandably a sensitive topic. I want to learn.

Things I'm particularly interested in are:
Thresholds for eligibility for UC and max support available?
How disability/carers benefits sit alongside UC and what they can be worth?
Threshold for free school meals?
Has there really been a change to help during Corona or not?

I know it's complex which is why I haven't found simple answers, so if anyone can share an idiots guide, that would be helpful, thanks!

GOV.UK has all the details

www.gov.uk/browse/benefits

It’s all rather complicated to explain because it depends on tax codes, how much you have in savings, who you live with, how much you pay for childcare, the list is endless and relentless.

I know to receive UC you must have less than £16k in savings and I think to be eligible for Carers allowance you must be live-in and work for less than 35 hours p/w but I’m not sure.

The above link will clarify everything.

Google will tell you everything you want to know without starting a huge fight on mn which is what you know will happen.

Everyone's threshold for Uc will be different because there are so many variables - age, disability, children's ages, number of children etc.
On Uc there are no adult disability premiums, there is a child disability element and it depends what rate of DLA/ PIP your child gets.
You can claim the carers element of Uc even if you earn too much to claim carers allowance as long as caring for someone for 35 hours a week and they are in receipt of a disability benefit.
I am not sure regarding FSM.
There has been an increase for covoid of around 383 on the standard element of Uc until next April when it will be reviewed.

Sorry that covoid increase should say £83 a month not £383 !!

Also if you claim carers allowance that continues to be paid separately to UC but is deducted pound for pound from UC on an averaged amount so weekly carers allowance amount x 52 divided by 12 as there are 12 monthly assessment period per year. So you can choose to claim carers allowance or not, either way you still get the £162 carers element , the only benefit really to claiming carers allowance is that you are credited with class 1 NI contributions when claiming it.

Has there really been a change to help during Corona or not?

What does this mean, exactly? Are you a journalist, OP?

I second going to the .gov website - it's all on there.

Sounds like a journalist. Play with figures on entitled to if you want to see details

Thanks for the replies. I had looked on google and gov.uk and aside from seeing the complexity, struggled to find much more because they all wanted me to fill in eligibility calculators (which given how you've explained how it works I can understand but doesn't really help me!).

In light of this, perhaps I should have phrased my question differently - is there a minimum total 'income' (from employment + benefits) which it's designed to support per person? (Excluding additional needs/costs for disabilities, for example?)

If you need to apply for universal credit then apply and you’ll find out what you will get. Otherwise I can’t see why you would need to know all this information.

I expect what op means is whether there is extra help because of coronavirus - which there is ? Why would people think op is a journalist ??

Are you a journo wanting us to do your research for you or are you a potential benefit claimant wanting to know how the benefit system could help you?

If the former, go away, and if the latter, you'll need to tell us more about your circumstances or contact Citizens Advice to ask them.

@Lochroy

Thanks for the replies. I had looked on google and gov.uk and aside from seeing the complexity, struggled to find much more because they all wanted me to fill in eligibility calculators (which given how you've explained how it works I can understand but doesn't really help me!).

In light of this, perhaps I should have phrased my question differently - is there a minimum total 'income' (from employment + benefits) which it's designed to support per person? (Excluding additional needs/costs for disabilities, for example?)

If by this you mean "is there a minimum amount the gov have decided you need to live on?" Then yes there is. Is is however, when combined with rent, higher than the benefit cap for a lot of people so they actually have less than that pre decided amount

www.policyinpractice.org.uk

Apols, correct link:

www.policyinpractice.co.uk

www.entitledto.co.uk/

FSM varies per council - no hard and fast rules.

Why would people think op is a journalist ?

(1) vague questions, (2) hit up several topics that are triggers for benefit-bashing, (3) seemed to be testing the accuracy of a rumour by saying 'has there really been a change?', (4) no explanation of why they're asking or their situation, (5) lazy questions that can be googled (suggesting that what OP is after is opinions rather than facts on these issues), (6) fact they say they're just 'interested', (7) fact they say 'I want to learn', (8) general tone of wide-eyed innocence despite admitting they've read lots on the subject and know it's a sensitive topic.

There's no set amount, as you have been told already. You need to apply and see how much. There are savings limits, if you have over a certain amount of savings you are ineligible to claim UC.

Defo not a journalist! Sorry for being vague. I'm just someone who spends far too long on mumsnet and with all of the recent press on school meals, I've seen a lot of threads talking about benefits in relation to this. I found I'd read something which I felt was fair enough and then read something else which was completely contrary, but which I also felt was a fair point. I did try a quick google a look at gov.uk as I've said, but didn't really find anything helpful, which is why I tried to ask here. I know it's sensitive because of what I've seen on other threads, but no where have I found what I'd consider to be useful info to form my own opinion. It's too easy to jump on a bandwagon of disinformation, so whilst I know better that to 100% trust what I read on here, I know it can also be source of balanced and helpful info.

That was it. Hopefully that explains why I asked.

Fair enough, OP, thanks for explaining!

I guess you might as well ask your actual question now..

You need to apply and have your UC interview (they are doing phone ones at the moment) to have a real idea of what you would be entitled to as there are so many factors involved so the sooner you do that the better.

It's pretty easy to calculate what you might be entitled to - it's a simple question of adding up any elements you are entitled to ( amounts easily found on the internet), then working out deductions for earnings. Some people will have an amount disregarded before earnings reduce the total UC ( called a work allowance), then every pound above that reduced your total Uc by 63p.

No need to waste time applying and then wait five weeks to find out if you are going to get any payment if you can easily calculate what you might get yourself.

With the carers element that OP shared it can get complicated, but she may as well start the process off surely, even if she checks herself in the meantime and tries to figure it out. No point delaying it until she knows how much it would be, I can't see the benefit of that.

So basically, the government decides roughly how much a person in any given situation can live on. Its subsistence level at best just covers the absolute basics - food, utilities, rent.

In many areas, such as mine, the level of rent allowed by the benefit system is much too low. So UC or housing benefit pays a flat rate of say, £300 rent contribution for a 2 bed property if you qualify for the 'full' rent, but the market rate for a private rent is £400 a month. The waiting list for social housing is at least 3 years, and that is if you are overcrowded by at least one bedroom AND the housing situation is having an impact on your health. Good luck ever getting social housing if you are only on a low income. So you have to pay the extra rent out of the money that should be paying for your food, utilities etc. In recent years rules for council tax have changed and most people of working age now have to pay a contribution to council tax where previously they would have paid nothing. But benefits have not gone up. So that comes out of your money too. Then people on benefits are more likely to pay more for utilities on pre pay meters and similar.

But they just about manage. Then what happens? The washing machine breaks. If they lived in the local city, there is a charity that helps with cheap white goods. Here there isn't. So they take out a high interest loan to cover the cost of a washing machine and that creates a spiral of debt. Many people on high amounts of benefits are also in debt.

Thats ignoring factors like ill health. At my local citizens advice the biggest factor in people asking for food bank vouchers was not UC delays but ill health. It was ill health that caused people to be having to claim benefits. And then there is the PiP scandal.

But seriously, the number of people claiming that people shouldn't have kids if they can't afford them should speak to some of the people I've spoken to. It could be you any time.