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Original poster

How little do you actually have to earn to get any UC?

26 replies

Dembones292 · 28/02/2022 06:11

DH earns £410 per week. Its looking like I'm going to lose my job soon. We have one DC age 13. We're not entitled to any UC.

Does that sound right?

OP posts:
Lollyfalalalalalalalalaaahhhhh · 28/02/2022 07:01

What does he he monthly without tax? I earn 1660 00 pcm, am a single parents and get 200 from universal credit per month.
What has happened to your job?

JustWonderingIfYou · 28/02/2022 07:16

Can you not get jobseekers whilst looking for work?

I'm not sure i'd expect you to get UC with a healthy adult at home without any small children tbh.

stilldumdedumming · 28/02/2022 07:18

I was surprised to get UC as I earn ok - but my dp has highest PIP.

Use a calculator- there are links here https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators]]

Interested in this thread?

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Benefits
needanewplannow · 28/02/2022 07:21

@JustWonderingIfYou

Can you not get jobseekers whilst looking for work?

I'm not sure i'd expect you to get UC with a healthy adult at home without any small children tbh.

Are you confusing Universal Credit with what used to be Income Support?

Universal Credit has replaced JSA (and several other benefits). That was the while point of it, to provide one benefit not lots of different ones.

WormHasTurned · 28/02/2022 07:22

That’s not dissimilar to my income and I found I was entitled but it was about £20 a week. Do you have savings? That might be what’s affecting your entitlement.

needanewplannow · 28/02/2022 07:22

Dembones292 who has told you you won't get UC?

Have you tried using one of the online calculators?

arethereanyleftatall · 28/02/2022 07:28

Doesn't it depend on your savings too. If memory serves, (and I might be wrong), it's £16,000 in savings and you get nothing.

hupfpferd · 28/02/2022 07:29

It will depend on your housing situation. If you rent then you will probably get some UC. Is £410 before or after tax?

If you own you won't get anything.

This is where I am. Colleague in identical situation with identical earnings and outgoings - she rents and gets £300 a month. I have a mortgage and get £0.

Not saying it isn't fair but it's important to know all of the facts.

Isolated101 · 28/02/2022 07:33

It depends on savings, also it’s split into elements eg housing/childcare etc so if you are paying rent and nursery fees you would get something towards those elements, if you aren’t paying out for those things you don’t get it - ie it isn’t a blanket amount of money for everyone. Have a look at ‘entitled to’ website, that gives a good idea of what you might get.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 28/02/2022 07:34

@hupfpferd

It will depend on your housing situation. If you rent then you will probably get some UC. Is £410 before or after tax?

If you own you won't get anything.

This is where I am. Colleague in identical situation with identical earnings and outgoings - she rents and gets £300 a month. I have a mortgage and get £0.

Not saying it isn't fair but it's important to know all of the facts.

You can get benefits with a mortgage depending on your earnings, I do. You just can't get the housing element. I get working tax and child tax credits.

I earn £266pw before tax/pension. Part time hours, single parent of one. I get £60pw child tax credits and £40pw working tax credits.

Slimemonster · 28/02/2022 07:37

It depends entirely on:
how much rent you pay (if you don't own)
How many children you have
How much childcare you pay
If you are a couple /single.
Any disabilities.

Then there is the deductions for earned income.

You might be surprised to find you are entitled to some UC if your rent is high or your childcare expenses are high for example.
Search 'universal credit essentials' and grap a pen and paper to do their manual method, it's far more accurate than the online calcs.

Bagadverts · 28/02/2022 07:37

Use a calculator.
Jobseekers Allowance based on NI contributions still exists called new style , only JSA based on income is replaced by UC.

www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance

TerraNovaTwo · 28/02/2022 07:38

Wrt UC, it pays to earn at least the personal tax allowance. Any lower, UC will drop significantly.

AlternativePerspective · 28/02/2022 07:42

I currently receive spousal maintanence from my eXH which amounts to just over £200 a week.

I do have a mortgage though which comes out of that so am guessing this is why I’m not entitled to anything.

I also have a disability however ESA has now been removed for anyone who hasn’t paid national insurance in the past two years so I wasn’t entitled to any help there either.

I did sign up as a job seeker, but withdrew my claim when they started sending me jobs as e.g. car park attendants and amazon delivery drivers (I am registered blind,) I figured that given I wasn’t getting any financial help it was a bit pointless really.

Original poster
Dembones292 · 28/02/2022 08:05

Thanks everyone, it was the benefits calculator that predicted a big fat zero. We do have a mortgage and some modest savings so it sounds like that may be affecting it.

OP posts:
Gingerkittykat · 28/02/2022 08:11

I earn £266pw before tax/pension. Part time hours, single parent of one. I get £60pw child tax credits and £40pw working tax credits

For some working parents it is far better to claim UC. If you g onto an online calculator they will be able to give you a figure.

Peppa1978 · 28/02/2022 08:16

I own a house which I’ve had to rent out and move back with parents with two small children. I get £400 rent and that’s what I manage on until I can return to work next year.

I can’t get the child element of UC.

Peppa1978 · 28/02/2022 08:17

400 PCM that is.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 28/02/2022 08:54

@Gingerkittykat

I earn £266pw before tax/pension. Part time hours, single parent of one. I get £60pw child tax credits and £40pw working tax credits

For some working parents it is far better to claim UC. If you g onto an online calculator they will be able to give you a figure.

I did and according to the calculator I'd be worse off on UC. Broadly it seems as if UC is better for 2 parent families and legacy benefits are better for single parents.
Babyroobs · 28/02/2022 09:09

@Dembones292

DH earns £410 per week. Its looking like I'm going to lose my job soon. We have one DC age 13. We're not entitled to any UC.

Does that sound right?

Do you have rent to pay?
Babyroobs · 28/02/2022 09:15

@Dembones292

Thanks everyone, it was the benefits calculator that predicted a big fat zero. We do have a mortgage and some modest savings so it sounds like that may be affecting it.
Sorry just seen you have no rent to pay. A quick calculation shows you would get some UC if you had no savings but for any savings over 6k and under 16k there would be some reduction. If you have savings over16k then you cannot claim UC at all. If you have paid NI contributions over the past 2-3 years then you could claim New style ( contributions based) JSA regardless of savings and partners income. IT's pointless people on this thread going on about what they get on tax credits as no-one can now make a new claim for tax credits.
Babyroobs · 28/02/2022 09:16

@Peppa1978

I own a house which I’ve had to rent out and move back with parents with two small children. I get £400 rent and that’s what I manage on until I can return to work next year.

I can’t get the child element of UC.

It's the equity in a home that you do not live in that they look at. So if that equity is over 16k, you would not be able to claim UC.
Roomba · 28/02/2022 09:40

Even if not eligible for UC, if you have made sufficient NI contributions over the last couple of years you should be able to claim New Style JSA for six months. This is not income based, but is available to anyone who has "paid in" - if you've worked most of the time over the last 2 financial years and paid the right type of NI contributions (which you most like will have if you are taxed via PAYE). Your husband's income will not be taken into account with this benefit.

www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-jobseekers-allowance

Also, I've claimed UC and have more than 16K equity in my home! It isn't taken into account when calculating my benefits. You're not expected to sell up your home before you can claim a penny in benefits, it is other savings & investments or if you own other properties than your main home that would affect benefits. I could not, however, get any help towards housing costs at all for the first nine months of my UC claim. After that I could, but it is a loan which is repaid when my house is sold/I die/I choose to repay (if I win the lottery). It is also time limited, IIRC (but that may have changed, don't quote me on that bit).

Slimemonster · 28/02/2022 16:48

@Peppa1978

I own a house which I’ve had to rent out and move back with parents with two small children. I get £400 rent and that’s what I manage on until I can return to work next year.

I can’t get the child element of UC.

What's the reason for not being able to claim child element? You usually can unless someone else is claiming for the children? But if they are full time with you, it should be on your claim.
Bagadverts · 28/02/2022 19:37

@Peppa1978

I own a house which I’ve had to rent out and move back with parents with two small children. I get £400 rent and that’s what I manage on until I can return to work next year.

I can’t get the child element of UC.

As @Babyroobs says equity will be affecting the calculation. Sometimes if you are taking steps to sell the property or in some other circumstances the equity can be disregarded. You could try calling citizen’s advice.

If more than £16000 that counts as capital they would not have looked at the rest of the calculation eg child element for entitlement as you were not eligible due to too much savings

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