To the think this Universal Credit rule is so so wrong!

[ilovewelshrarebit123]

I'm a single parent, one DD and I work 30 hours a week.

I didn't get my UC payment this month which was a complete shock. I get paid my salary on the 15th of every month, and as the 15th of August was over the weekend I got paid on the 14th.

After investigation which has taken over a week, UC say I've been paid twice in the assessment period (15th to 14th) so I get nothing. I was paid on the 15/8 and 14/9 but it isn't two payments in one month is it. It was just a day early because of the weekend.

I'm £600 down and i just can't get my head around this policy. They've said there is nothing that can be done and I won't be getting this payment. It will also happen in January due to Decembers pay date.

They suggested I cancel my UC claim, start another one so the assessment period is different. But then I have to start the claim again and wait the 6 week assessment period with no payments.

Please don't tell me not to 'rely' on UC, I have no choice and I work hard.

So that's it, I'm stuffed this month through no fault of my own and UC is a crock of shit! 😡

i know the ex friend was a making a mockery of it,they should of sorted the SE tax credits years ago

some are going to be shocked by the new requirments needed

saw a tiny bit of the News with John Macdonald saying it should be scrapped

this last week ive never seen UC in the News so much,if only everybody would rise above just like the poll tax (not saying riot)lol

UC deals with this by assuming a minimum amount of hrs

This one interests me because they don’t actually care how many hours you work.
You could work one hour and make £126 and be cool with UC or 20 hours and earn 100 and not be

Need, and that makes sense because anyone can pretend their knitting business takes 100 hours a week but earns £20 a week and the idea of the newer rules is to stop that con on other tax payers.

I understand that to a degree but why have no minimum hours if your intention is to have people working more.

Otherwise I could work for 3 minutes and claim.

There are minimum hours. 16 for single parents and 30 for couples I think.

OP I would contact your MP and get them to sort it out. My MP has been helpful with stuff like this.

There are no minimum hours George that’s the point. It’s minimum earnings.

George - you are thinking of tax credits.

There are hours that they expect you to work on UC as well though as part of the work commitments ? Lone parent with a child under 3 = no work commitments, child aged 3-5 is 16 hours, child aged 5-12 = 25 hours and 12+ = 35 hours. So isn't it minimum wage x these hours?

There’s a 38degrees ‘emergency’ petition available to sign (probably one of many) if you search on their website calling for a halt to the roll out of universal credits. Unlikely that it will work but could maybe prompt changes if enough people get onboard.

Also,just to add to this, that those who lose PIP, would then be switched over to UC and have to wait at least 12 months to be able to get sorted while having to deal with everything else, the whole thing is a shit storm

Yes it’s miniumum wage x those hours babyroobs. But if you earn money than minimum wage then you can work less hours.

Less not money!

so beyond - Pip is not part of UC ?

@Mrsm2812 Re: Self-Employment - Your DH would need to have a Gateway interview to determine whether he is considered gainfully self-employed and whether the MIF (minimum income floor) will be applied or whether he will qualify for a start up period. He will then have to self report his earnings online each month and may need to attend quarterly interviews to check his progress (if in start up period).

A start up period is a period of up to 12 months where actual income is used when calculating the UC award. This is generally granted when it is a new / recently started business, after the 12 months the appropriate MIF applies.

MIF stands for minimum income floor and is an assumed level of earnings based on the number of hours you would ordinarily be expected to work (this is the part that people refer to). The calculation is NMW x No of Hours expected to work - Tax / NI = MIF. The MIF (less the 63% taper) is used when calculating your UC award, unless your actual earnings are higher in which case they'll be used - if your actual earnings are lower they will still use the MIF figure.

With regards to yourself, depending on your DH earnings you may move into a "Light Touch / Not Working" Regime and depending how busy the Jobcentre is depends how often you're seen. If your DH earnings are very low, or he is not considered gainfully self-employed and all your children are 5+ then you'd both be required to look for work (you can nominate a "lead carer" and restrict them to max of 25hrs p/wk, but you would be required to actively seek employment).

With regards to savings, 16k+ = no entitlement to UC, under 6k = declare it but makes no difference, between 6k-16k = reduces UC by £4.35 for each £250 or part thereof over 6k.

Hope that helps...

You get a year transitional protection for savings if migrated from tax credits.

I know when unemployed people who have children who turn five can be forced into work to try and get them off benefits but I don’t think I fall into that category as we’re not on benefits as such. We have never been on income support or jobseekers. We receive a bit of child tax credits like I thought all people do and small amount of working tax but that’s it and it’s not much at all. We manage on DH’s income.

Erm, not everyone receives child tax credit. Child benefit yes. You do receive benefits if you get WTC and CTC.

We receive a bit of child tax credits like I thought all people do

No, only those under a certain income receive tax credits. Everyone else has to gain their income by employment.

I have not worked for the last few years but I don’t see why they would want to force me into work.

You are not been forced into work, but do you not think that morally you should work, rather than have the luxury of staying at home and have the Gvmt. top up your family income? A single parent wouldn't benefit like this!

What if you have a disabled child, are there any adjustments for not being able to work so many hours because your child can not access wrap around or holiday childcare this is our problem

It's absolutely hideous. It's designed to push people into work and off benefits. And if people are in work (like you!) it's a one way route to in work poverty. So sorry this happened, it's so unfair.

Mrsm2812 I don't know anyone who gets tax credits or working tax. Everyone who earns under £50k is entitled to child benefit, that's it.

In terms of school pick up, how do you think other working parents manage? Child minders? After school club? Staggering their working hours? It's doable.

Vickibee- if you have a disabled child then you will get an extra element on Uc, the disabled child element which can be either higher or lower depending on what rate of DLA they get. You can also get a carer element and you can get this even if you work and earn over the threshold ( £120 ) to claim carers allowance. There was no such equivalent on tax credits.