to be worried about Universal Credit

[idiuntno57]

I am in the lucky position of not needing to claim this but I am so worried about its implementation.

Its coming in in the Autumn and is going to be an online only, monthly, postdated payment. It will be paid to one adult in the family unit.

All well and did if you are god at managing your money, internet literate and in a stable relationship. But in the real world....

How are the most vulnerable in society going to have a chance with this?

Already the council tax changes are coming in and as far as I understand people are confused and shell shocked by it. UC is much bigger and no one is prepared.

well don't count part of that time as work.

what work are you suggesting that earns less than NMW?

I'm signed off for the foreseeable future. I have arthritis that means I can barely hold a pen. I'm using an iPhone I got free with my phone contract so that I can touch type. I don't have a home phone because you have to pay a deposit in the hundreds here if you are unemployed.

I don't pay for the Internet - it is the one payment that my uncle makes from the small amount my dad left me when he died. He does it so that the DC's can do their homework as it has to be submitted online (even my 9yo's h/wk is ALL online now). That's all that that money can pay for.

I also have daily seizures from my epilepsy, and have been medically retired twice, once on legal grounds (barred from working in my old career by law due to epilepsy), once from retail which I tried to work in after I lost my architecture job.

What 'extra work' and initiative do you think I should find or do?

Then add in the fact that 3/4 of my DC's have multiple disabilities and health needs. One who can't even be left in a MS Nursery or preschool due to his needs. Where would I put him whilst 'using my initiative'? Have you seen the cost of SN childcare? If it even exists in your area?!

Self-employed work often works out at less than NMW.

And then there's the fact that 99% of employers expect you to work weekends and evenings and be flexible about shifts.

None of which is possible if you are a Lone Parent, with no family support, whose Ex refuses to have your DC's at those times.

When you have to book your DC's into set days at registered childcare, you CAN'T be flexible. What are you meant to do - leave your DC's at home alone, or take them to work with you?!

A word of warning for those who'll be a nominated carer for a child under five under UC - that age limit is most definitely not set in stone. The documentation I was reading a few weeks ago (haven't got a link but it was on the government website) says something along the lines of the nominated carer being spared from conditionality until the youngest child reaches a certain age, and that age must be minimum three years. Which leaves things open for them decide to apply conditionality when your youngest turns three, with very little warning.

The 'genuinely disabled' will be paid UC too, and will also be expected to make one week's CTC and two weeks IS last 4 weeks. Their DLA will change to PIP at the same time, so there may also be a delay in receiving payments from that, if they have to appeal. Which most people with 'genuine disabilities' do have to now.

So no, there is no 'special treatment' for people with 'genuine' disabilities, OR their Carers.

This is England 2013.

aufanie- if you are SE you get to define what is work i.e. exclude travel time (even if this is a substantial part of the job)

I have just this minute received a letter that informs me that :

"Based on the total amount of benefit that you currently get, we estimate that your Housing Benefit may go down by up to £50 a week. We will notify your local Authority about your benefits at some point between the 15 July and the end of September 2013 so they can apply the cap"

So, basically, because of my DLA FOR MY DISABILITIES, I'm screwed.

I'm living in a house that is too small for my needs already - two of my DC's share a room 10ft x 11ft, I share a room with my 2yo that is 10ft x 10ft, and my 15yo is in a room that is 9ft x 5ft.

I can't possibly MOVE anywhere smaller.

Where am I meant to find £50 a week from?!

FUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKK!

The Government expects charities to pick up the slack and holes left in the welfare safety net for families like Couthy. Victorian values or what? If she's lucky her PTA or Church will organise a few whip rounds to help her over the coming years - that is if they regard her as being of the "deserving poor".

People need to understand that this is the harsh reality of "the big society", preferably before they find themselves in similar straights (every family is just one serious car accident away from similar circumstances).

Are we really willing to go down the route taken by the USA and accept families living in tent cities, or the Greek one where children are left at school at weekends by desperate parents who can no longer feed them? As a nation we still have a few years grace where we can find sensible solutions to our fiscal mess versus the needs of the vulnerable. This isn't going to happen if we continue along our current course of punishing small business and socialising multi-national corporate losses while penalising the most vulnerable. A cultural shift in both ourselves and our nations leadership needs to happen and fast.

Couthy

DLA is exempt from the cap!

Couthy,

Phone them NOW you are exempt from the cap due to the DLA also if they are meaning the under occupancy changes you can apply to DHF via HB to get the full amount paid.

yy if DC have disabilities then you should not be affected by bedroom tax.

what work are you suggesting that earns less than NMW?

Any job that is exempt from nmw requirements off the top of my head taxi drivers are exempt.

Also according to the csa almost every single self employed nrp who says they earn less than nmw so gets assessed as having to pay a fiver a week no matter how many kids are involved and you get the fiver if your one of the lucky ones. This is also accepted by hmrc, as the csa go on figures provided by hmrc for self employed people.

DS would benefit from actually recieving that fiver a week lol!

Many, many British children would be spared poverty IF the political will was in place to ensure the CSA was an effective organisation, capable of doing what it says on the tin.

Audrina,

With dc being disabled its not as simple as that it only matters if a disturbance would be caused to any child expected to share and you have to apply to the DHF this is subject to different rules than normal HB is not guaranteed is done on a first come first served basis.

They do not have to accept your application they only have to concider it.

I read that nobody is actually meant to be worse of under Universal Credit than they were before. But I don't know when this £26,000 cap is coming in. And if it's connected to UC. And even if it includes Housing Benefit. No wonder people are anxious when they don't even know how it will affect them.

That's the real issue - noone knows how it'll affect them individually so it's very, very hard to plan ahead in any meaningful sense. There doesn't seem to be a definitive single information source anywhere that can answer fairly basic questions about UC.

Thanks for clarifying, Sock. My friend has two DC close in age and she was hitting a wall describing her son's needs due to his autism. I have advised her to talk about disturbance to her DD instead. Fingers crossed.

People should draw up a list and ask Mumsnet to get somebody to answer the questions.

Tell her to talk about any personal care issues that need to be dealt with at night and times he is awake at night. Touch on the privacy whilst having unavoidable night time care but really go to town on the impact on any child expected to share.

A letter from doc and school and anyone who has experience of her dc either telling them about night time disturbance or seeing it such as a Carer or a friend who may have stayed over.

Also she will need to fill out a DHF incomings and outgoings form put it togather with all the letters and inc a letter from her even if she's saying the same stuff as the others and hand deliver it or signed for post.

She needs to do it ASAP.

viv they have acknowledged that some people will be worse off and the cap starts next month and is being done via HB so to get you below the 500 pw your housing assistance is being lowered.

Yes, sleep and toileting are issues so that will apply. Very helpful, thank you

Sock so you clock on for a job and off between jobs. So you count all you wages as uc hours. What's wrong with that?

People should draw up a list and ask Mumsnet to get somebody to answer the questions.

great idea - how do we do this?

Internet isn't a luxury when you don't HAVE a local library - closest one to me is a bus journey away in the town centre, which costs me £11 to get the DC's there at the weekend. Then you have the problem of all 3 DC's needing to do their homework to be SUBMITTED ONLINE. Three computers. You are only allowed to book one per family in 30 minute slots. If my 15yo DD in Y10 needs to do a full project and submit it online, it's going to take far more than the 30 minute slot. And then you have two DS's waiting to do their English & Maths online. DS1 also has to do Science, and History.

The H/wk is given out on a Friday and due in on a Monday. How the Hell do you work that one?!