To be so worried about Universal Credit?

[BoldComicSans]

I've had a letter telling me I'm being changed to online Universal Credit.

I've set my account up but it's forced me to give every detail again and is asking me to upload evidence of everything!

It also says I now need to book an appointment at the job centre. I've been on it for about 2 years now so they already have all my details and all my evidence.

I am now panicking because my monthly payment is due next week. And they mess up payments already and often forget to pay my childcare element.

If they do not pay my childcare help next week I then cannot use my childminder. This then means I cannot get to work. Im so worried that such a frustrating system can lose me my childcare and my full time job.

They advertise is as helping parents work, but it feels like the opposite.

I feel sick with anxiety at the thought of what is more than likely to come next week. Plus I can only go to the job centre on my lunch hour which means there are no appointments free for weeks.

i reckon more employers are going to have to choose.

a. pay a decent living wage.

or

b. put up with your employees having to take time off work to go to these appointments.

Tbh I can't see that happening anytime soon.

What? You already get universal credit and now you have to claim online universal credit? What’s the difference? And I’m sure I looked into this and it said that if you already work you wouldn’t be expected to go in somewhere for an interview. What’s going on with this nonsense scheme?

As soon as you get an appointment at the job centre to verify your income you can ask for an advance payment. Usually gets paid the same day. You have to pay it back over a 12 month period though

We’re in the same boat OP. My DP works Monday to Friday 9-6 so can’t make any appointments during the week.
Apparently they now do Saturday appointments. Looks like my local joncentre are FINALLY realising the people who work weekdays cannot make their appointments! It needs to be open 7 days a week to accommodate people who can only make weekend appointments.

My main worry is that both of our passports expired this year and I’ve only just remembered! Neither of us drive so don’t have driving licences. Our appointment is next Saturday so wtf do we do about ID?? Surely when we signed up 3 years ago we proved who we were back then.

You can only get an advanced payment as a new claimant..
I'm still paying mine back.

I'm guessing the job centre appointment is to tell me about my claimant commitment as an online claimant.

But yes I am already claiming it but am being switched to being an online claimant, so have to give all the information and evidence again.

I leave the house at 7.30am and don't get home until 6.30pm but am expected to attend a job centre appointment within a time scale or I get sanctioned. I work 40 hours a week.

funinthesun18, they accept out of date passports, if you still look like the photo.

My DD wasn't being paid her Carers element and they messed up something else, so they gave her a same day 'loan', which as said, has to be paid back.

This whole system is just a punishment for being poor.

funinthesun18, they accept out of date passports, if you still look like the photo.

Oh, phew! I’m glad about that.

What a load of nonsense this system is. You work 40 hours yet still have to go in for an appointment?! So you have to go and tell your employer your sorry story and take unpaid time off to deal with it (does everywhere do weekend appointments?) and what if you don’t have a passport or a drivers license? Is photo ID necessary?

Well today will make it even harder to be able to please my employer. I don't be going in today as I have a house of puke.

It's times like this when I hate being a single parent. so fed up.

What a pain op. Take the chance today to call the gingerbread helpline (it’s free) and they can give you more advice. I’m sorry to hear about all this rubbish for you.

I’ve been advised by housing benefit that we will be switched over soon and to start “saving a small amount each month to cover a deficit time period”

Er.....save what exactly? Buttons?

I really hope I'm paid correctly this week.
I have £10 in the bank for petrol as it's been on red for a few days.

The children usually eat at the childminder, but now I've them to feed for the day and have run out of toilet roll from my eldest being sick and other things.

But then Universal Credit often puts people in dilemmas like this. Forcing parents to choose between petrol for the car or toilet roll and food.

In future use flannels when the knid are sick - you can you them straight into the washer and save on expensive bog roll.

Also, just put a fiver of petrol in your car (it will be enough) and a fiver for food - you'll n]be fine until payday!

They accept debit cards, mobile phone contracts and other things as ID.

Horrible, horrible system! At work, we've seen requests for food bank vouchers skyrocket, and countless people in tears! 😥

The loo roll wasn't used to clear up. It was used for lots of toilet visits. We don't own flannels but that would help with cleaning bodies. The poor sod ended up in the shower at 5am as it was all down his legs and just everywhere.

He's now hungry and complaining he doesn't like water so must be feeling better. I've told him no food until later and then he might have some toast.

I don't think there should be a change I payment date when switching to Uc online as long as you take your evidence in on time. Everyone will be switching . Some job centres are open on Saturdays.

@BoldComicSans im sorry you are all unwell and going through this stress and hope things are better soon

Thank you. No more sickness since this morning but he now has a high temperature. Was hoping he'd make a full recovery and be back in school tomorrow.

I've been in my job for under 2 years so I do worry when I take time off

Hi ya, sorry your son has been so poorly. I hope he’s feeling a little better this eve?
I’m too in a real state about the idea of universal credit. I’ve been reading up about it and it sounds awful. But I’m so confused - what on earth do you have to attend meetings for if you are working?! What is the purpose? I’m currently looking for work but part time to be available for my kids (another single mum) am I going to be penalised for this? ie if I find part time work are they going to be hounding me to do more hours?!
Feeling slightly panicked. Can anyone shed some light for me? Many thanx x

@BoldComicSans

If your child is over 5 then you are expected to work 30 hours or you have to attend the job centre.

I don't have to because I work over this but because they have switched my claim to 'online' I now need to attend a job centre appointment.

Hi ok going through similar now. Told them I am not working now and they updated the system but didn't change the pay. So now I am 700 out of pocket... and if I'm lucky my payment in January will change.... can't pay my rent this month now...

Oh shit I didn't know that! Christ I'm already having panic attacks about UC. If I up my hours my shift patterns mean I'll have to work 10 days straight some weeks and I just can't do that physically.

I've been seriously thinking of giving my children to ex. He doesn't want them but I can't see any alternative.

Your next payment will be fine it will still go through the live service
I have just moved over myself, reported my childcare online after getting the letter and didn't get paid it, when I rang the full service it was because the live service were still processing my claim. It will be fine.