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! 😡

We get lrm and Mrc but don’t get careers because we both earn over the threshold. We get tax credits as well. I work school hours so i am home for pick up and drop off and Ds is self employed and does term time only so he is home on the holidays. It works well for us but I am not sure how this would work for uc.

Poor old Mrsm has become the focus and thanks for giving us some example. No we don't all get tax credits etc. I have never had a penny of anything like that. I dont' even as a single parent get child benefit these days. I work full time and have had to use after and before school clubs or advertise fora l ocal old lady etc to take children to and from school or they come back alone once older. This is the world in which many people operate who are the majority of voters and who whether Labour or Tory are very much behind these benefit changes.

Mrsm2812 with all due respect you should be cancelling your tax credits now, not waiting until UC comes in.

@Xenia

Why don’t you get child benefit? Because you earn too much? In that case you don’t need it.

Vickibee- You would get the carers element on UC even though you don't claim carers allowance. So you would get couples element, childrens element( s), disabled child element and carers element ,and also rent element if you rent. Your joint wages will reduce that total amount ( which will be quite high because of the extra elements). You will also get a work allowance ( am amount they disregard before your wages reduce your Uc amount).

Vickibee- Just to add ( so that you are prepared), UC is not great for the self employed.

Re capital limits how are people expected to save for a deposit for a home etc if they are penalised?
My dh is a decorator so in fairly high demand, he has to turn work awAy so he can have hols off to look after Ds who is 12 and asd. We tried a nanny last summer but she was 10 per hour, used dla to pay for her he could earn tonnes more. When you have a kid who can’t access mainstream childcare your options are limited

Vickibee- Uc will help with childcare costs, you have to pay it then claim it back.People cannot save past 16k or they would not be eligible for UC. Anything between 6-16k reduces your Uc amount.

Sorry just seen that you can't access mainstream childcare. I think they would help with the cost of a nanny if ofsted registered.

Mrsm2812 UC is instead of tax credits eventually you will be moved onto UC and no longer be able to claim wtc or ctc.

HOpe, yes although actually technically this year it's because the youngest are now at university so I don't qualify on either ground and, yes, I am lucky to earn too much to get any child benefit.

vicki, on property deposits one option is to do what I did, my child did, my parents did etc since about the 1930s - which is buy before you have children. My grandfather was 49 when he had my father. My parents were over 30 and 10 years married when they had me so had both worked full time, my mother for a decade whilst married and putting off babies to afford to buy etc.

@MyDcAreMarvel Ah yes, sorry forgot about transitional protection for savings. Also now thinking it's £4.25...?

IMO, this is the most difficult thing about UC - as there are so many "buts" and "what ifs" due to transitional protections and exceptions and so on it makes it really difficult to give an answer that is 100% accurate. There was a PP who mentioned returning to education - I know roughly how the UC claim would pan out but to give anywhere near an accurate answer I'd need essentially the whole picture!

And @Mrsm2812 I don't know what you've replied as the responses have now been withdrawn but I wasn't picking on you or anything - it just seemed like you'd asked a few times and hadn't had an answer.

For those who can't access mainstream childcare, I just wanted to mention that my local council fund what is essentially a one to one carer for working parents who need childcare. It isn't advetised. Even my kids local school didn't know about it.

In my area it is called dcatch funding. It is on the local council website. It may be worth trying to find out if something similar operates in your area. I appreciate this still won't be enough for many children to access mainstream childcare, but it may help other parents like me.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/single-mums-reveal-true-horror-13472913?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

I'm a bit confused by that article. We pay our wraparound care in advance but I'm sure my tax credits pay us in arrears. Surely it's the same as tax credits?

www.itv.com/news/2018-10-26/esther-mcvey-dwp-not-indifferent-to-those-suffering-universal-credit-hardship/

Hi! I'm sorry what's happened to you guys! I'm in a situation, where I've been threatened by homelessness and serious financial issues due to Universal credit. I applied in the middle of September, 2018. I'm a single mom, I have an 8 yr old son. His dad is not very supportive unfortunately. I was working as a self employed cleaner previously until I decided I'd give a go studying again. Luckily I've been accepted in Uni, studying architectural degree. I couldn't carry on my work due to the amount of attendings in uni, therefore I had to give up my job, believing I could easily find another one, more suitable around us. I went to job centre in September 2018, applied for UC, then within 4 weeks I've been turned down due to failing habitual residence test, according to them I'm not in the UK for more then 5 years. It's not true, as I live here since 2007 and I have enough working history to be qualified, also my son was born in here, his dad is English citizen.I decided to appeal against the decision, as it's wrong. It's January now and I still haven't heard anything from them since... 4 month. Obviously I contacted them a few times but according to them, there's no deadline for decision making. I'm in rent arrears of 4 months, I've received a penalty from council tax of £500 also because I wasn't aware it's not included to UC, therefore had to claim it separate but was too late. Had to ask citizens advice for legal help, but there's not much they can do, apart from sending me to food banks. As a part time student, I only could apply for a limited amount of maintenance loan(£3000 for the whole year) which I should pay for travelling to Uni (120 miles of drive each time, 3 times a week) and other equipment etc. When I asked for Mandatory before the appeal, the lady from UC said the reason I've failed is because I'm a student and not because I'm Hungarian. Searching for jobs since which wasn't successful so far... it is tough coping with this altogether with a child but it's still pushing me forward why I should study harder,so one day I won't have to rely for this benefit system. In the meantime, we just gotta live day by day...

As a student you should be exempt from council tax

This is so terrifying OP for everyone on UC, what are the government fucking thinking

Thanks, although I wasn't aware of that, nobody told me in job centre. UC is totally different system than Jobseekers allowance was.

That is the stupidest policy I've ever hesrd
YADNBU.

@soontobehomeless838 Speak to your university about crisis funds and childcare funds. Most offer these and although there is limited funding they will assess you based on the evidence you can provide of income and expenditure.

Thank you for your advice, I have spoke with them already and received help also, which was only enough for a couple weeks worth of food, electricity and fuel for travelling. Thanks again for your reply, I really a appreciate it!

@soontobehomeless838
Students are entitled to UC if they have a child, challenge the decision.
www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-students#part-time-study

@chickhonhoneybabe I have in October, still no decision yet. Apparently if my claim will be successful, they will take the maintenance Grant I've received into account as well. They're not supposed to, as it's for covering studying related expenses, but I'm sure they will! Thanks for your reply tho.