£20 per week Universal credit changes

[FlatteredFool]

I've been worrying about the £20 a week extra stopping for a while although I can't say I noticed an increase in the amount I was given. Today I've looked at the breakdown of the benefit and discovered that the extra was taken off me anyway due to the benefit cap. If I didn't get child maintenance, not that he pays the right amount, then I'd be scraping by at best. The benefit cap takes £380 a month off. During the top up times it was £460. So the actual amount I get hasn't changed. How can the government say they are helping when they aren't at all?

The legacy benefits didn't get the temporary uplift.

Aren't the legacy benefits far more generous in the first place though?

@AutumnColours9

The legacy benefits didn't get the temporary uplift.

Aren't the legacy benefits far more generous in the first place though?

I would not say more generous yes, those on legacy benefits are £30-80 per week better off than those on the equivalent UC even with the uplift.

Didn’t those on TC get an extra 500 in lieu of £20 uplift?

www.gov.uk/guidance/new-one-off-500-payment-for-working-households-receiving-tax-credits

@BananaBlue Bly only for working tax credits.

The only reason they brought in the £20 a week uplift was because of the vast number having to claim for the first time due to the pandemic. Couldn't have them knowing how low the frozen level was before. That was the reason

Yes, agree with this, backed up by the amount of people who suddenly faced with trying to live on it thought the amount that you could have in savings was too low, because some couldn't claim at all due to their savings, apparently suddenly that was unfair.

And yes, WTC got an increase and that increase stopped earlier than the UC one, and we got a one off £500 instead.
The key is WTC though. Working.
The 20% I lost when I was furloughed, the 2 weeks I went with no wages at all and then the additional costs tacked on during the second lockdown (when I'd moved into a key worker position) amounted to more than £500, it went straight back into the local council's and my LL's pocket to pay some arrears off. Suppose I benefited by not having bailiffs at the door?

At the end of the day if people were paid an wage that can actually be lived on, there'd be no need for these top ups at all.

I’m not anti-benefit, I was just observing that some on legacy benefits also got an uplift.

I’d like to see wages meeting the cost of living too.

Until that happens I rather live in a more equal society instead of one where folk eat £27k of take out in a week (?) and those working but needing a food bank.

Huge inequality will eventually affect us all.

@AutumnColours9

The legacy benefits didn't get the temporary uplift.

Aren't the legacy benefits far more generous in the first place though?

No they are not, JSA, ESA ect is exactly the same, to the penny. I think the only people who might be better off on legacy are those that unfortunately qualify for the disability premium.

They were prevented from transferring to UC as they would be around £300 per month worse off (money they need to pay for carers and additional help they need). It took a court case to force the DWP to pay it on the transitional protection.

I've written to my (Tory) MP about this . We claimed UC for the first time in lockdown so we got whatever they said we got . The removal of this £20 a week is therefore a shock and is going to be very difficult for us.

Our son is 18 and autistic with learning f difficulties some are reliant on one income. My son's needs are complex so working for me isn't possible. I get Carers Allowance and my son gets PIP at the highest rate.

My husband's business is slowly recovering but isn't there yet. The DWP and extended the time period before they reinstate the Minimum Income Floor . If by that time my husband's business is not fully recovered he will be treated as earning £1100 or so a month . Our UC will drop to below our outgoings . That's rent, council tax, water, hearing etc.

At that point my husband either has to take a minimum income wage job (where ironically we'd be better off) or move out so that my income increases to a point where the bills can be paid.

Bloody nightmare.

@Maverickess And yes, WTC got an increase and that increase stopped earlier than the UC one, and we got a one off £500 instead
No it wasn’t a one off £500 that was just to cover April to October so it was exactly the same amount as UC.
The £20 a week was included in your working tax credit throughout the pandemic , you just earned too much to have a higher amount of wtc paid to you.

@Whiskyinajar

It is called the poverty trap. You cannot earn more than £120 because you claims carer's allowance. That's if you have the time and energy to also work.

They should extend the minimum income floor for a few years until the economy gets going again properly.

[quote MyDcAreMarvel]**@Maverickess* And yes, WTC got an increase and that increase stopped earlier than the UC one, and we got a one off £500 instead*
No it wasn’t a one off £500 that was just to cover April to October so it was exactly the same amount as UC.
The £20 a week was included in your working tax credit throughout the pandemic , you just earned too much to have a higher amount of wtc paid to you.[/quote]
Yes that's what I said?!

And yes, WTC got an increase the same as UC and that increase stopped earlier than the UC one, in April not November and we got a one off £500 instead. to cover from April till November^

How on earth do you know what I earned and therefore got paid from tax credits 🤷

I am a single working parent with a mortgage. Due to circumstances beyond my control (my health and my daughters needs) I am working 28hrs a week. I have no support locally for childcare and am earning just under £900 a month.
I get no reduction in council tax apart from single persons.
I get no support in school for free school meals because I earn too much.
The £20 made a big difference to our quality of life, fuel costs, food costs, NI increases all have had an impact. My electricity supplier has upped my monthly bill by £30 with no warning.
There is no flexibility in my budget, I eat snacks for tea so I can feed my daughter a balanced diet.
We are on the brink of not coping.

If I were to get a second job I would lose any advantage in loss of benefits and cost of childcare. Realistically I would need to get a new job that doubled my current income. That isn’t likely. I am stuck, and the judgement from others towards people on benefits as lazy wasters is totally unfair for many people in my position.

I'm a single parent too, but work full time. I know there are situations where someone needs to claim benefits for domestic violence/health issues etc.

I think working full time needs to be seen as the norm though, the government can't afford to subsidise part time workers as well as fund the nhs/schools etc

Anyone who is struggling please use the food banks. That's what they are there for, if you are not eating to feed your kids, you need to go today. You can check out Trussell trust.

www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/

Go on your local council website and they will also have links to local banks.

Anyone not struggling, please donate to your local food bank. I know Ocado have vouchers you can buy with the online shopping and they will double it and give fresh food to food banks.

@Maverickess How on earth do you know what I earned and therefore got paid from tax credits 🤷 your post read like you only received the £500 one off payment. Wtc and UC claimants were allocated exactly the same amount. There was a lot of confusion for wtc claimants thinking they were only allocated the £500 and were not allocated the £20 a week also , I was just explaining that, it wasn’t a criticism.

@PolarSmile if I worked full time I’d pay more on wrap around care than I’d earn for hours worked after deductions.
Whilst many jobs are so low paid working an additional 8 hours would make absolutely zero difference to my disposable income.

That also takes into account losing 67p in the pound from UC so possibly would actually be worse off. And that’s the trap many are stuck in.

I honestly feel for those that are reliant on the extra £20 per week and appreciate it’s a huge loss. I am perplexed as to why it’s being seen to be ‘taken away’ tho. It was never permanent, it was always temporary and it was repeated over and over in the press conferences etc.

How did people not know this was temporary? I’m not entitled to it, therefore pay little attention yet I was fully aware of the ‘temporary uplift to UC’?

I am honestly not trying to be hostile, I’m just completely confused as to why it’s come as such a shock to so many?

@JasonMomoasgirlfriend

Maybe you need to ensure the father pays the correct amount for the children he chose to have.

Really? And how would she do that?

It’s not a shock, I knew it was coming but in the time since it was implemented food prices have risen, NI has risen, council tax has risen. My fuel bills have increased by £30 a month for electricity alone. The economic situation has worsened since the uplift was brought in and nobody I know has been in the fortunate position of saving the uplift as it has been used to meet basic costs of living.

There is something fundamentally wrong with our wages/benefits in this country.
I earn less now than I did 30 years ago and in comparable role but public sector.
How can that be? Most jobs I see advertised are £9.50 per hour, that's not a wage to raise a family on (even if there are 2 of you earning that).
I don't know how people manage, I only do because my children are old enough for university so I only have to support them during their holidays.

@Pippa12

I honestly feel for those that are reliant on the extra £20 per week and appreciate it’s a huge loss. I am perplexed as to why it’s being seen to be ‘taken away’ tho. It was never permanent, it was always temporary and it was repeated over and over in the press conferences etc.

How did people not know this was temporary? I’m not entitled to it, therefore pay little attention yet I was fully aware of the ‘temporary uplift to UC’?

I am honestly not trying to be hostile, I’m just completely confused as to why it’s come as such a shock to so many?

I don't think people are shocked. I think they were hoping common sense and decency would prevail and they would keep the "uplift". Benefits have been frozen for the last 10 years.

It is about £70 per week. It is criminally low. If it hadn't been frozen for so long it would be about £20 more.

The country is on its knees tho, we are robbing Peter to pay Paul. Surely to keep the uplift the taxes would just have to rise elsewhere. I’m not disputing the country is in a state, but it’s horrendous times ahead for those working, claiming benefits or a mixture of both.

There is plenty of money.

I think maintenance should be tsken into account Its wrong that two single parents get the same benefits when one might get a substantial amount from their ex. Not on.