To wonder if we're the only people with a positive universal credit experience?

[Myusernameismud]

Just that really. When we first claimed it was hell, we were a test case in our area and nobody seemed to know what they were doing. It took 8 weeks for our first payment, which was awful obviously but our landlord and local authority were very understanding and made it as easy as possible for us (we were allowed to pay £5 a week rent until our first payment came through, and no council tax. Obviously, when our backdated payment finally came through we paid off arrears)

But since then, it's been a breeze. DH and I have both changed jobs, had differences in income and therefore differences in monthly UC payments. We've moved house, and the children have changed schools but throughout it all, our payments have been reliable. We don't have to inform them if our monthly wage goes up or down it's all done through HMRC.

I can't speak for how well it works if you're self employed, both unemployed or a single parent, because I haven't experienced that. I've been unemployed with DH in work, and there was no requirement for me to look for work unless I wanted to due to his earnings, which takes the pressure off significantly.

So AIBU to think that if you're a low to middle earner, UC works well? The rollout has been horrendous, yes, and that needs fixing. But once it's all settled, it's by far a better system than tax credits ever was.

I'm ready for a lot of negativity, because that seems to be the norm, but I'd be interested to hear from anyone else with a positive thing to say about it. For the record, I'm a Labour voter and die hard socialist, so it pains me to be completely on board with it. But there we go.

I had a baby 9 weeks ago, but I won't claim tax credits for her because it'll kickstart UC for me.

I'm in a situation where I have to miss out entirely on tax credits for her because I can't survive with no income for 5 weeks.
I already live hand-to-mouth as it is.

Although I think UC would be better for me in the long run, I just can't bear to think about what I'm going to do when I do have to move onto it.

It's been OK for us in some ways. We both work part time. I have fixed hours, DP works variable hours and the payment adjusts automatically. However, we are worse off than on tax credits and we are stuck basically unable to work anymore. We have a baby and wouldn't be able to afford childcare costs upfront. Also despite them paying 85% of the cost (supposedly) when you're already losing 63p out of every £ it's not worth working extra for pennies

My DD works 40hrs a week and was transferred to UC in October last year after being advised by her Housing Association that it was the only way she would qualify for a reduction in her rent and Council Tax.
Not once has she she had the same amount every month.
In December her salary was split into 2 payments by her employers one half way through the month and the second one on the normal payday on 30th of the month,the Company do this so employees have money for the xmas period.
UC classed the mid month payment as extra salary and cut her monthly payment to less than half of what she was expecting,they wouldn't agree that the 2 x payments where the same as a normal months income for my DD she lost out on a huge amount of her expected income for that month and has only just caught up with the rent arrears she ended up owing.
She has also been asked if she can do any extra work to increase her income she has texts every day from UC about this.
I wish she had stayed as she was life was so much easier for her she is like a lot of single mums and works hard for her family and treated dreadfully.

If she's working 40 hours a week and is a single parent, they shouldn't be texting to ask her to look for more work. DH works 40 hours and even when u wasn't working at all, I was never required to look for work.

pepper123123 Have you been told that whilst you are waiting for UC to be processed you can claim sum from them to help you over the period,my DD found out about this too late she could have claimed about £500/600 to help her over the processing period,I'm not sure if it is a benefit that has to be repaid at a monthly rate (prob must be)

I found transferring to UC pretty easy although when researching online it was a grey area of whether I'd qualify for it or not so as my circumstances changed and finances dwindled I was worried I'd end up screwed. It worked out well but the 5 weeks wait for first payment was a struggle. My circumstances will change in June so UC might go to shit for me then but will see.

nobody seemed to know what they were doing. It took 8 weeks for our first payment, which was awful obviously
You were fortunate enough to have money and a patient landlord.

I think it has worked for some depending on the type of claim, but mostly there seems to be more bad stories than good. A lot of people have had very long waits for payment which has had a knock on effect for bills and bank charges wracking up as they go overdrawn etc.
There was a drama online last week as Amber Rudd tweeted a case study of a young man who had been helped by UC – him talking to the camera about how helpful it was for getting him into work as a personal trainer etc – but it turns out he was an actor and had been in several big adverts, one with Mo Salah!! The response was that UC still helped him get into training regardless but a lot of people thought it was a set up. Seems they’re struggling to find many straight forward of case studies of people who sing its praises!

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/29/dwp-forced-deny-star-universal-credit-advert-paid-actor-instagram/

So you are just a guinea pig for them op? It just seems so heartless. Am glad that you are coping ok on UC.

@Pepper123123 do you currently claim TC either working or child. If so adding a child will not trigger a move to UC.

I'm dreading being moved to UC as I don't get paid my wages on the same day every month and I've heard this causes no end of problems with UC.

It's good to hear that it can go Ok. Dreading the change over from tax credit where as DH is self employed. That seems to be easier with tax credits I think.

I got an advance to see me through the transition....it was pretty quick. The trouble is that it then comes out of your monthly amount. Are people not getting advances any more?

I'm hoping to get transitional protection when I have to move over as otherwise I will be about £250 a month worse off. That's a lot of money to me. It's because I have a mortgage not rent and my DS gets DLA but not at the highest rate. The work allowance was increased recently I think but only after being savagely cut to begin with.

and that was our only saving grace. We got by on child benefit (I still received it weekly), freezer raids at my mum and sisters house, and the fact that I'm a neurotic food shopper who always has plenty of stuff in the cupboard.

Those are some pretty big mitigating services that made it possible for UC to work for you. Now aren't you also in debt/rent arrears? A lot of people are being evicted on UC due to rent arrears.

And it doesn't make work pay because as pointed out, you have to pay childcare upfront and lost 63p/£1.

@cupofcake we didn't have any money, that's the thing. A decent landlord, yes. But no spare cash. We managed somehow, and got an advance in week 6 of 8, but it was hell.

@MyDcAreMarvel we were essentially Guinea pigs, yep. Not anymore because it's rolled out to our area now obviously. Everyone was very apologetic about it, and the people who dealt with us at the jobcentre were genuinely bending over backwards to help, but even they didn't know about advance payments etc. We managed to get a budgeting advance towards the end of our 8 week wait, but only because the JC adviser told us to say it was for a new cooker as ours had broken. So we could get an advance for a cooker, but not for living expenses which is ludicrous. We had to pay it back obviously, but they only took about 15 a month.

BitchQueen90 it really all depends on when your qualifying period is. So ours is 13th of one month to 12th of the next. Whatever we've earned in that period decides what our UC payment is. DH gets paid on the last Friday of every month, which is obviously a different day every month. But because it always falls in the same qualifying period, it doesn't affect it. I get paid on 24th of every month, so again not a problem.

Playing devils advocate here op you were ok because you’re landlord let you pay £5 a week rent till you were sorted. If that hadn’t been the case what would have happened?

Taima I mean it works for us now. The initial stages didn't at all.

How does it not make work pay? If we didn't work, we would be getting £1660ish a month. We both work, so keep our full wages £2250 for DH plus £410 for me) 37% of our £1660 universal credit payment on top. That's just under £3000 a month. Significantly better off than not working at all.

If you read my OP, I have said the problems are with the rollout and initial waiting time. What I mean is that once it is all complete, and everything has stabilised, it is a better, easier, fairer system.

@Drcoconut if they migrate you before 2022, youll get transitional protection.

And no Taima we're not in rent arrears or debt because when we received our first payment, it was backdated so we paid a lot of it off.

OP unless I'm missing something your figures don't add up. By my very rough calculations, with those wages if your max uc is £1660 you should only be getting around £100 a month

We get 130, give or take a few quid. My wages change monthly so its different every month. So our total monthly income is 2782, admittedly that's not really 'just under 3000' but again we are still significantly better off than if we weren't working!

Our exact UC figure is 1681.32

Well no wonder UC is “working for you” if you receive that little. Why were you raiding family freezers if your wages are so high. Your post don’t make much sense tbh.

Single parent in rented accommodation, went onto UC after the breakdown of my marriage. I waited 4 weeks, payment has never been an issue, am self employed and PAYE from elsewhere so goes up and down but never been an issue. Advisors have been great on the few times I've seen them.

Wow, that's a bit harsh. We're hardly rolling in it now, and I think you'll find I explained some time ago that we weren't always in the financial situation we are now. DH was out of work for a long time following redundancy (from a job he'd only been in 3 years so next to no redundancy pay). It was shortly after that we got married. Our income has only been that high since August last year. Up until that point, my wages were £800 a month and DH wasn't earning at all.