To wonder if there is a Universal Credit tsunami round the corner?

[ArsenicSoup]

I'm sure it was announced at Tory conference that the switch-over was being brought forward to February.

Now I can't find reference to it anywhere. Which is odd. Have they quietly dropped the idea? Or are they scarambling to be (half) ready in time?

The local CAB are advertising for volunteer advisers. I qualified nearly ten years ago while a SAHM and worked paid and unpaid in that area for a while. Work is slow (generally, so I have some spare time) and I can't sleep (tonight) and it's annoying me - are the CAB gearing up for chaos? Do they need the help? Is the coalition really going to push this through?

adsy I was a teenager of a single parent working f/t. Lucky old mum used to come home to homework not done, the house a state and my wrists slashed on many occasions. She had to deal with me being bullied on top of juggling work and it nearly broke us all, I never achieved a thing because I had little support.

If I am there to support my DC's (who possibly have SN, the jurys out) through school and their exams then they have a better chance of succeeding. Me working f/t on a low wage and paying a few quid more tax when they're teens will be pointless if their education goes to waste and we are at CAMHS twice a week. Better for me to work p/t so I can support them so they can do the very best they can, that will save the country more money than a tenner more tax from me. I set a good example by working and studying but I will not abandon them for f/t work when they need me most. I'll get them to Uni then I'll increase my hours.

I do wish this idea that people work PT (and get by on PT wages) just for a giggle, would go away. There is almost always a very good reason for it.

Sorry you feel you have to explain your life meglet.

Can't see it linked here already (sorry if I missed it) but this link gov.uk has links to leaflet explaining your claim, what is expected etc. Has info sheets for families and single claimants. Dated November 12 this year.

Looking at the family guide it suggests family claims will be introduced from Autumn this year?

This makes an interesting read. It's the family Q&A (gov.uk site)
I'll shut up now!

Peepants or anyone am confused as it says in that guide that if you are pregnant, a carer or unfit for work you cannot claim UC?

I noticed that too - was wondering if they are going with the 'easy' cases first?

Oh I see so that list is just the first group of families that will be moved on to UC?

Yes, this is just the first group of claimants they will deal with on UC. Anyone who is excluded on this list will still be able to claim existing benefits if they are entitled.

reading that link, if you earn over £330 a month you can't claim UC???
If that's right then I'm stuffed financially.

I just did the "entitled to" calculator as circumstances have recently changed for the worse and apparently i can claim CTC of £109 per week (work full time 2 kids). It has a section for "entitlement under universal credit" which is £0 per week?

How can i be £430 odd quid per month worse off under the new system? I cant see any explanation online at all and its both confusing and worrying. Can anyone help explain this or does no one really understand the new system yet?

£109 per week loss is huge!

That is huge Hamiltoes. I'm not sure there is an explanation as such, if it's correct. When the "entitlement under UC" section on the entitled to calculator appeared (about 8/9 months ago?) there was a thread on which a lot of posters went and did a comparison calculation. Lots of them were reporting large potential drops in income. It seems to be intergarl to the policy.

Might be worth getting it double-checked though.

integral^

Haniltoes are you sure it doesn't mean as you are getting money from tax credits your UC entitlement is £0.

Thanks for info arsenic, not sure how i'd be able to double check though.

SoonToBe i have my fingers crossed that you're right and thats maybe it, it does sound more logical!

has anyone linked to the UC calculator yet?

reading that link, if you earn over £330 a month you can't claim UC???

That is purely about who is eligible to be in the first group of claimants. Anyone earning over this amount will still be entitled to existing benefits.

Hamiltoes - Single parents working full time are generally going to lose under UC. However, the figure you've got seems wrong. Gingerbread suggested that such parents will lose about 2% of their income in total. I'm sure you aren't earning in excess of £20k per month!

just done mine and am a little confused

says weekly altogether i will get £457 and then at the top says if im on benefit when UC comes in i will recieve less so they will give me transitional of £170 a month as they cant make me worse of

is this included in the £457 split weekly so approx £43 a week on top or is it £457 all in, it doesnt say and i cant seem to get my figures to tally

hmm further figure crunching and think it may be on top as current benefit including ct is approx £489 but if thats the case i would be getting a few pounds over what im getting now,totally confused

and im sure i have confused anybody that has read my last two posts

No - I think i'm half with you christmas

Tax ccredit payments do fluctuate in-year don't they? (Over-payments, underpayments, any chnages affect things and then itis allbalanced out at the end of the year) So a small discrepancy might be explained by that? Tax credit actual payments being affected by 'events' and UC payments still being wholly theoretical and untarnished IYSWIM?

thanks

hope my area is the last to roll out,but as ive said on many of these threads all their time scales have failed and they have cut back on their figures about how many have been put on it all the time

i really hope their is a massive cock up and it gets scrapped,while on the calculator i still found it pretty confusing when comparing in and out of work figures,you would think they could make it more user friendly

And this was supposed to be a 'simplified' system.

you would think with all the money they spend on consultants etc and with all our technology avalable they could muddle something that is fit for purpose

I'm really worried about UC. It's so complicated. Worse the only place someone can get help with benefits where I live is the jobcentre as both CAB and the council don't help with applying or appealing benefits anymore due to cuts and loss of services. CAB do a benefit check but won't help someone do a form or appeal under any circumstances now, so a person who can't manage is sent to the jobcentre where they are told to get a job as other benefits are nothing to do with them (my experience).

My council still get my LHA wrong every year, dread to imagine what they would do with UC!!

How accurate is that calculator, does anyone know?
Only I've been stressing my head off about it but I've just put my info in and it works out almost exactly the same.

I'm an LP working PT living in a rented house, no disablilities.
Does that sound right? Because I was convinced I'd be a lot worse off.
Am I just in a lucky group?