To not understand Universal Credit or believe that we qualify?

[UCConfused]

So I read on another thread about applying for UC if you have less than £16k in savings.

We have basically no savings. So thought I'd read more and have done a few of the calculators.

Between us we earn a little over £40k - no childcare costs as I can WFH outside school hours.

We rent privately at £1100/month.

Use credit cards etc but no big debts. Bascially each month we're at zero. But we do manage a couple of holidays a year. France/Spain/Wales etc, nothing too glam, but we can pay for DDs extra curricular things and don't go without.

Apparently though we can claim around £400/month UC.

Which is music to my ears, especially the Help to Save scheme thing, as having savings is the dream.

But do I have this all wrong? I feel like a fraud filling the application!

You're not a fraud if you complete the forms absolutely truthfully and you end up being awarded some payment.

You're not a fraud if you complete the forms absolutely truthfully and they say you do not qualify for any payment.

Complete them, jump through the hoops, see what happens. Don't let anybody convince you you're doing anything wrong. Because you aren't, whether you're entitled or not; that's what the system is set up to do.

@RememberSelfCompassion that is exactly it. But a lot of people don’t have a choice unfortunately, wages are stagnant, 40k income would not buy anything in london and it’s notoriously hard to get social housing, especially in london or the whole of the south tbh! It’s the system that is broken. OP please do claim it, you are entitled, and a lot of people miss the point, they help you, to help yourself, so you no longer need help 😂 once you’ve saved a certain amount the UC entitlement tapers off... anything over £6000.

Just to say though, despite my low support on UC for my wage I would still encourage you to sign up.

It’s not fraud to fill out the forms with your correct data so just do it and see what happens.

I’ve just done the Turn2Us calculator. It says we could get £500 child tax credit. We actually get £250.

It says we could get £800 Universal Credit instead, but since the child tax credit calculation is wrong I’m going to take that with a pinch of salt.

I earn £21500 and my DH gets ESA for ill health. We have 2 DC and no childcare costs.

The screaming lady - might be worth checking with some sort of benefits advisor - I know for some goign to UC means a lower amount for some people it can actually pay more.

@TheScreamingLady

I’ve just done the Turn2Us calculator. It says we could get £500 child tax credit. We actually get £250.

It says we could get £800 Universal Credit instead, but since the child tax credit calculation is wrong I’m going to take that with a pinch of salt.

I earn £21500 and my DH gets ESA for ill health. We have 2 DC and no childcare costs.

You can’t compare TC with UC it works totally different. UC includes a rent element unlike TC.

I recently changed over onto UC and I’m better off. I would double check if I were you with an advisor.