Claiming Universal Credit...advice please.

[NeverGuessWho]

I have looked on websites but can’t find this information.

In approximately two months, maybe less, I will be moving out of the family home. My DH and I are separating, and our DCs will split their time between our two homes.

I have calculated my entitlement to benefits, but can’t find out when I should put my claim in.

Does anyone know long it takes to process a claim?

If I wait till I move in to my new address, I will be in dire straights.

I don’t have a moving date yet.

Can anyone advise?

Thank you.

Before anyone flames me - I do work full time, I’m just on a low wage.

Unfortunately, it's 5 weeks from claim to payment and that's assuming you can attend a job center appointment within a week or 2.
You need to put the claim in when you are paying the new costs. Eg if you moved in on the 1st March, the earliest you can submit you claim re circs change is the 1st March. I tried to do mine the month before so I didn't have to wait but it didn't work as it reimburses you for what you've spent rather prempts what you need.

You can, however, get up to 800 pounds advance which is an interest free loan which is repaid out of your received UC for 10 or 12 months. While this seems great to some, I would recommend only asking for what you need rather than the full 800 as loosing nearly 100 pound out of your monthly uc to pay it back can sting.
Hope this help and good luck

I would be careful.about when you claim. Obviously you want to claim asap when you move - but if the date is near your pay day, and if your pay day may move slightly each month (e.g. getting paid earlier because of weekends or Christmas) it might be better to wait a few days so you don't end up with 2 pay days in 1 assessment period (which wpuld result in a big reduction of UC).

I hope this makes sense.

Is the family home rented or mortgaged?

You can put your claim in as soon as you have your tenancy agreement which shows the date you are liable for rent.

You make your claim on line and it usually takes 3-5 days for your ID appointment so if you are liable for rent anywhere in the 4 week assessment period you will receive the housing element.

For example you make your claim today 6/2 this is the start of your assessment period.
You are liable for rent on the 20/2 this is within your assessment period which ends 27/2.
Your UC award will be paid on the 5/3 and it will include the housing allowence.

If you made the claim today but did not provide your tenancy until the 28/2 one day after your assessment period ends you would not receive any rent payment until the 2nd April.

Does that make sense OP?

Surely though you can put your claim for UC in with a forward date for your tenancy

Then also do your claim for local council tax reduction with a forwarding date ready to move in

So as soon as you know the date, start the claim

Thanks everyone - there’s some great advice on here. I’ll have to read it all again tonight.

1 thing is that rent is paid in arrears so if you claim today as @PityParty4one says you would only get 1 weeks rent ie from the 20th to the 27th paid on 5/3. You would not get any other rent money until 5/4 which would only be 1 calendar months worth of rent.
Also if you get an advance it can be up to your normal monthly payment including any rent but barring any childcare element. Not the above quoted £800.
Have you got your deposit and 1st 2 months rent if not you will need the advance.
You can if you're separated but waiting to move out start a claim now and add your rent to the claim when you move in.
Hope this helps good luck

Certainly make sure you put in claim with council for tax reduction as soon you you know you’ll be moving, that way you get tax relief from day one. You’ll need to also tell them you’re moving in but do the tax reduction first and foremost as they’ll figure it out you’re the new tenant

If you are now separated but living under the same roof, you can claim now.

I echo claiming from a point that would mean at any point in those 4 weeks that you can guarantee that you will only be paid once, as if your pay date moves this can reduce your uc payment.

Really @SoloMummy?

I haven’t signed anything to state that we’ve separated. Would I need to do that?

Re tenancy date - my dad is buying a property that hasn’t gone through yet, which complicates things somewhat.

Another to say that if you're paid monthly, make the UC claim well away from your usual payday. (And consider that pre-Christmas pay may come early).

If you're paid weekly, 2- or 4-weekly, it doesn't matter, you'll get stiffed in some months anyway.

Re tenancy date - my dad is buying a property that hasn’t gone through yet, which complicates things somewhat

Indeed it complicates your tenancy as UC will want to know if it’s a contrived tenancy and they will ask if your landlord is related to you, this will complicate things.

Indeed it complicates your tenancy as UC will want to know if it’s a contrived tenancy and they will ask if your landlord is related to you, this will complicate things.

This.
I thought you couldn't claim hb if the landlord is related to you?

Join the Facebook group universal credit essentials. Very helpful

You can if the property isn't bought for the purpose of renting to family. So if he had a property, let it for years to unrelated tenants and now wanted to let to OP, it might be ok, but if he is now buying specifically to let to OP, this is very unlikely to be accepted by UC.

Housing benefit rules are different from UC housing element rules, often more stringent. I would strongly advise op to gain information on this from citizen advise before moving into a tenancy through a relative

You will need to consider whether the children are loving with you or your ex as I don't think you can include them in your claim if they only live with you part time.

Why can you not get UC if landlord is related to you, the rent is still due isn't is?

As long as the family member lives elsewhere and there is a tenancy agreement you can claim housing from UC.

Zurina

It’s not a case if you can’t claim, the question is asked if the landlord is related and then they will ask further questions to see whether a contrived rental. As op stated was the house purchased just to rent to relative and not a real tenancy, it is scrutinised carefully

OP, unless your DF is a landlord with a track record of letting properties, it's very unlikely that you will be satisfy the DWP that this is a "genuine commercial arrangement" and they are highly likely to refuse to cover the rent. Imo, the purchase of a property for you to rent is almost certain to be considered a "contrived tenancy" and they will then refuse to pay.

If he's already a BTL landlord, you have a chance, but I'd still give it a 50/50 chance of succeeding, at best. They could well consider the recent purchase of a property as an indication that your tenancy is a contrived one, despite him being in the renting game. My advice (benefits adviser) would be to look for a private rent elsewhere.

With regard to timing your claim, the "monthly assessment period" (MAP) will start on the day you make your claim, and end one month later. Someone starting a claim today will have a MAP that starts on the 7th of the month and ends on the 6th of March, and this pattern will apply for the duration of the claim.

This is where you need to be canny with tenancy start dates. They don't pro rata, so if, using the example above, you had a tenancy start date of 4th March, you would be entitled to housing costs for the whole of the MAP, even though you had no liability to pay rent for most of it.

And you can't start a claim until you actually move out, until that time you will be treated as a couple and any claim will be a joint one, with your husband's income taken into account.

Ideally, you don't want your MAP to start/finish close to your pay date if you are in work and paid monthly, for the reason PPs have mentioned.

If you get an advance payment, it will be repaid over 12 months and you need to factor this in to your budgetting.

If, by any chance, you get the daily living element of PIP, you won't go onto UC at all, but will have to claim under the old system (housing benefit, tax credits and JSA/ESA or income support), but the "contrived tenancy" thing will still be an issue.

It would be far, far better if your "D"H moved out. It would simplify things no end.

Good luck.

op stated was the house purchased just to rent to relative and not a real tenancy

I don't want to derail this thread, but I don't understand how that makes it not a real tenancy, regardless of it being bought to rent to family, it has still been bought and presumably has a mortgage on it, so if a relative is a tenant and they are paying you the rent for that, it is a tenancy surely? I am a bit thick at times though.

Sorry, reread and makes sense now

If you have a mortgage on your current property its seen as an asset, you wont get anything until that has been sold/hes bought you out.

@brummiesue - I'm not sure that's correct. I have a mortgage on my house and get UC. There is also a loan available for the mortgage interest.