Universal Credit...does this seem right?

[ItsNotChristmasInOctober]

DP and I are currently out of work (temporarily).

I've applied for UC online, we've both been to meetings etc.

DP has not been out of work for 12 years. Were both 30.

Anyway, I've been offered a full time position. Dream job. Good (for me!) pay! My take home pay is £1500 roughly. DP is entitled to Contribution based JSA which is roughly £320pm. I've put some numbers into entitled to and turn2us and they both say we're entitled to an extra £570pm.

This sounds like a lot to me. We have 2 DC's. I'm not complaining. DP will find work in a few weeks. I'm just not sure if the calculation is right.

Not sure what my AIBU is to he honest but I'd appreciate any advice from somebody who has claimed UC or with knowledge of it!

UC credit is great if you're in a couple with children and work. If you're a single parent, disabled or don't have children it's not so great. We get a lot more from UC than we did under tax credits and housing benefit.

Your statement each month will break down how much you get and what it's for, how much from your wages is deducted too. So you'll have the peace of mind that it's correct.

Does that include child benefit. As that's about 140 a month.
For 2 children the allowance is 508 and standard allowance is 317 plus any housing costs u may be eligible for.

There will be a part explaining what you are allowed to earn before deduction. And then it 63p in every 1£

Does this reflect the breakdown on entitled?

Do you pay rent? If you're renting and your rent is quite high, it's not inconceivable.

Standard allowance for a couple is £503, @Soberfutures!

Yes I only knew what a single parent allowance was. Sorry for confusion.

I thought universal credit replaced JSA?

I'm in a group called "universal credit survival" and the admin there are brilliant and work out your entitlement for you, and from what I understand, you're much better off on the new universal credit system if you work.

There used to be two types of JSA, @FemaleEcho: contribution-based and income-related.

Income related has been replaced by UC, contribution-based has been replaced by "new-style JSA" despite it not being new at all!

@lakielady Standard allowance for a couple where one member is aged 25 or over is £498.89.

@ItsNotChristmasInOctober We would need much more information to give an accurate estimation of your entitlement (eg do you rent from a private landlord/social landlord or do you own your house? Do you have capital or savings? When were your children born? Is your partner expecting final earnings which would fall during the first assessment period?) There are so many variables that it isn't really possible to answer.

@NotQuiteUsual That doesn't make sense to me. I'm sure single parents are the ones that need more financial help?

All I can say is that a relative recently used those sites to work out her entitlement for her and 2 kids + £9.50ph PT job. She took the job based on those figures. When she actually got the job and started to be paid, the figures were very different. When she first signed onto UC, she was told that she would receive her full UC entitlement for 1 month to see her into a new job and would replace other schemes they used to have to see you into work. So that month, she would be paid UC as an unemployed single mother of 2 with X housing costs + her wages. They even said to her that would help because employers usually mess up the first months wages in various ways. The amount of UC she received was three hundred pounds less than what she expected from her original calculations and her appeal simply reminded her that it was an estimate but also said she is receiving that money in various other parts of their breakdown. Regardless,the money she receives is £300 than what she expected and she has less money than when she started working.

Oh and they wont acknowledge anything about the extra month reward for finding work.

@Soberfutures yes, it includes CB and I'm aware of the 63p per £ thing. Just seems like a lot to me!

@LakieLady yes, we pay rent. But even so, my wages will cover the full rent.

@FemaleEcho DP's JSA is not taken into consideration. He has paid over and above the threshold to be entitled to JSA for 6 months regardless of my income.

@Catkin8 we rent privately. We have about £3000 in savings which we are using to cover outgoings at the moment. We have 2 DS7 and DS4. No childcare costs until DP is back in work. We only applied for UC when DP's final pay came through.

We only expect to use it in the very short term. Were just surprised we were offered so much more than what is essential.

For what it's worth, I know many struggle on UC. This is why I'm wondering whether I've calculated it correctly (I'm positive I have).

The point of my post wasnt that she is more hard done by, if you meant that aimed at me, just that the site isnt as straightforward or accurate as it seems.

@ChilledBee We would be fine if we didn't get any UC and I'm sorry your relative has got the short straw.

From what I can work out online, UC only really works well for those already in work. Fortunately enough we have a bit saved to get us through for now.

I always assumed the reason people hated UC was because it was a monthly payment.

I know it's a new system and it really disadvantages those without financial backup.

I'm sorry if my post has offended anybody.

@ChilledBee She is hard done by though! She took a position assuming that her benefits would be topped up to a certain amount.

She was then told her income wouldn't be taken into consideration for the first month or whatever.

Bloody hell.

It's shit.

No not at all. For me with story, it was how they behaved like salesmen. Gave her a loan of nearly 1k upfront when she signed up. Really easy form compared to old system. She honestly thought it was better than IS/JSA. Only now in hindsight..

Sorry we cross posted. I meant I wasnt offended. This UC thing is just bizarre

entitled too etc are not accurate, try this one. grab a coffee, pen and paper its quite easy to work out www.uceplus.co.uk/how-much-will-my-payment-be.html if you join universal credit essentials fb page you can upload a pic of what you have worked out and someone will confirm if its correct

JSA doesn't exist anymore, so you can't input a JSA calculation into a universal credit calculator. You won't get both

@imamum21 Thank you, I'll have a look at that after I take my boys to see the fireworks tonight.

@readyforchangenow both calculations didn't include the 'new style' JSA DP is entitled to. That's probably why I think it's a lot. When in work he is a higher rate tax payer.

The new style jsa is 73 every week (but paid fortnightly) I think it replaces contribution based JSA. This meaning that it will be all he would be entitled to, such as no free prescriptions etc. Best to check with someone that knows. All you can do is apply and see what they say.

@FemaleEcho that's the vibe I've got so far. However, what about single parents that have no support?

How does the system work if you need to pay upfront for childcare fees? Travel costs? Decent clothes for work?

I'm not asking you in particular!

DP and I have always worked around childcare which is great. If I or DP was a single parent and expected to take the next job available, what help is there!?

I know I may come across as naive but if it wasn't for me and DP having some savings, we'd be fucked.

For what it's worth, the job I've accepted is working with the homeless to help get them back into a home and into work.

I've been applying for jobs for weeks on end. Every position has required me to give 3 to 7 years background, even for positions paying minimum wage.

It's fucking shit. The whole system is shit.

I'm sorry, I know I'm going on and on.

It's taken me weeks to get a job. If I were homeless I'd have no chance! If I were a single parent I'd have no chance!

Sorry.

I really do feel for those that struggle. It's not fair at all and sometimes I feel like a complete cunt for accepting a position when I know somebody out there needs it more than me.

It depends what your rent is and the Local housing allowance for your area for the number of bedrooms you are entitled to.

Also did it take into account that the contributions based JSA would be deducted from the UC pound for pound ( well averaged).

Yes that sounds right to me. You're probably getting almost all of the child element for 2 kids. You won't be getting the working element or housing element due to your wage. So yeah that sounds right.

If it were tax credits, on a wage of £1500 a month with 2 kids, you'd get child tax credit for both so it makes sense you get child element on UC. Your DH's contribution based JSA is eliminated as income because it's contribution based, he essentially earned the right to JSA for 6 months