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Original poster

Working while receiving universal credit

9 replies

UCSonHelp · 04/07/2023 14:36

Name changed, very new to how UC works.

My son (18) has mental health issues and is claiming UC and unable to hold down a regular job. His assessment confirms this. He gets £265 a month. My question is, what could he earn without it affecting his UC? My friend has her own business and would be willing to pay him to clean her premises after hours in a totally safe and flexible environment which would help him earn a bit more. Would this be allowed? Obviously he'd need to go on her books (not a cash job) but it would be a zero hours contract and he would only work when he felt able.

It sounds ideal but worries it would affect his monthly income.

Can anyone advise?

OP posts:
Squeakydogtoy · 04/07/2023 14:59

Speak to UC and ask them. 🤷

MissChanandlerB0NG · 04/07/2023 15:02

Squeakydogtoy · 04/07/2023 14:59

Speak to UC and ask them. 🤷

Hit the nail on the head.

Glad your son has found something that could work for him.

StevieNicksfan · 04/07/2023 15:02

Does he have a work coach he could ask? You can usually contact them via his journal. Surely he can be allowed to do this job without it affecting his payment, it's not exactly much is it and I bet it would do him the power of good mentally to have this little job.

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Benefits
cestlavielife · 04/07/2023 15:03

Presumably when he works that week or month his income is more than UC ?so he wont "lose"
But ask them
Has he applied for PIP?

Babyroobs · 04/07/2023 18:04

If he has been assessed and has been found to have LCW or LCWRA on his claim ( LCWRA will be giving him an extra element) then he can earn up to £631 a month and his Uc not be affected at all. This is because he has what is called a work allowance because he has limited capability for work. Anything above that would reduce his monthly UC by 55p for each pound earned. I am assuming he still lives with you and does not claim rent element of Universal credit, so therefore he would get the higher work allowance.

Babyroobs · 04/07/2023 18:15

Squeakydogtoy · 04/07/2023 14:59

Speak to UC and ask them. 🤷

Easier said than done ! It can take weeks for some people to get an answer on their journal and half the time the people who answer the phones aren't knowledgeable about the Uc rules anyway and can only give basic guidance.

FlemCandango · 04/07/2023 18:22

www.turn2us.org.uk/

Don't ask the JC+ they do not do benefit calculations that I would rely on. Basically earnings impact UC by 55p for every £1 earned (after income tax). If you DS has a limited capability for work he could get a work allowance before his earnings are taken into account

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/on-universal-credit/check-how-much-universal-credit-youll-get/

Original poster
UCSonHelp · 04/07/2023 20:07

Thank you so much for the replies. We have tried asking on his journal but never get a straightforward answer. Like I said, new to this and involved need to do a bit more looking into it. Lots of these terms new to me, and he isn't capable of doing th research or follow ups at the moment.

OP posts:
Original poster
UCSonHelp · 04/07/2023 20:08

Babyroobs · 04/07/2023 18:04

If he has been assessed and has been found to have LCW or LCWRA on his claim ( LCWRA will be giving him an extra element) then he can earn up to £631 a month and his Uc not be affected at all. This is because he has what is called a work allowance because he has limited capability for work. Anything above that would reduce his monthly UC by 55p for each pound earned. I am assuming he still lives with you and does not claim rent element of Universal credit, so therefore he would get the higher work allowance.

Thank you. He does live at home and doesn't claim any rent. I will look into the terms on his assessment.

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