To ask if your UC payment is significantly more than on the old benefits?

[DtPeabodysLoosePants]

I've just changed over to UC. Single mum, 3 children, private tenant, not currently working although I will be once I've done a course (hopefully!) and I've been dreading this change over after all the horrible stories. I originally received tax credits, housing benefit and income support.

Well, I got my first statement today and I'm significantly better off by more than £300. I'm convinced it must be wrong.

Has anyone else found this happen when changing to UC?

Some people are better off and some are worse off.

Put your details into the calculator on the 'entitled to' website and it will give you a pretty accurate calculation of what you should be getting.

Remember your UC payment will include your housing payment.

The payment includes the housing element, so you have to pay your rent directly to your landlord.
Did you factor that in?

Yes, I've calculated in everything. HB used to be £370 a month; UC housing element is £677 a month.

That's nice for you. Hopefully your course will go well and uc will support you back into work.

That's good. It's nice to hear something positive happening. Good luck with the rest of your course.

I'm wondering about this too. We currently get tax credits (no HB) , and would get 3 times more per month on UC according to benefits calculator. Can this be right?? Am scared to switch over in case it doesn't work out for us. My partner works FT, but his yearly salary is split into 10 monthly installments. Not sure if he'd havebto spend 37 hours a week looking for temp work in the summer?

Thank you, I'm really looking forward to the course and being back out there. I'm ready for a new direction and challenge. I've asked my claim worker to check that all is correct. I'm used to things being tight and I have to plan my finances carefully.
Life wasn't supposed to be like this. I was married and had a good job then the shit hit the fan. The future is looking promising though

@InTheFamilyTree if your dh earns the equivalent of 35x the minimum wage a week then he shouldn't be asked to look for extra work.

I would expect someone in your position to have roughly the same entitlement under UC as legacy benefits.
It sounds like either your UC is being underpaid or your HB was underpaid.
Whats your rent?

A bit yes. Not by much. But a bit. (£27 a month). Some people are worse off some are better off and the system doesn’t work for everyone but just be glad you’re one of the lucky ones

My rent is £875 but they can't pay all of it as that's more than the LA allowance.

I was lucky to be given a contact at the job centre who helped me with the change over process and was able to answer all my questions and provide reassurance. It's seemed straight forward so far but I'm not holding my breath.

Ours is significantly less.

I am better off on UC. Work part time as a nurse, have 4 children

"My rent is £875 but they can't pay all of it as that's more than the LA allowance."

If your now getting the full LA allowance for the number of bedrooms your entitled to then its likely to be correct......

Which leads me to think your previous HB might have been underpaid. I'd be temped to have a benefit advisor check it over for you

Tax credits use your previous year's income to work out what you should get so if you earned more last year then UC might well be more. If you are on a degree level course then they should be deducting student finance though. (housing benefit would also do this but tax credits wouldn't). I too would be tempted to get someone to look over your previous HB award.

That doesn't sound right at all. There should be no difference between your housing benefit and housing element of UC. Unless there's something you haven't mentioned (like you have a lodger or there are other adults living with you, or you have other income?)

You are likely to be benefit capped which would have come off your housing benefit.

Have UC applied the benefit cap?

I've been bombarded with texts from UC today about this. They had not put the benefit cap on so it's a good job I queried it. I've now been told that there's an overpayment and that I need to organise paying it back. I can only do that though once I receive my first payment. It's no wonder people get into a mess with the system as it's confusing and the texts telling you to log into your account are very annoying.
I should still be slightly better off though so once it's all sorted it should be fine. Stressful though!

That's very unfair. Pay them back 1p a week

It's joke when you have to take an advance to get by until your first payment and then THEY make a mistake and get arsey with you! Luckily I'm aware of the overpayment before I actually get any money and therefore will return it straight away. It must be a nightmare for vulnerable people and you can see how easy it is to end up with loads of deductions each month due to errors and therefore end up with next to nothing to live on.