AIBU to claim Universal Credit (or even entitled to)?

[ByRoseLeader]

Any advice please…..I am a single parent who has always worked full time, I’ve never claimed Universal Credit except for gaps between temp work (max a couple of months in total, quite a few years ago). Having used the benefit calculator it shows I would currently be entitled were I not to have savings exceeding the limit (hence I have not claimed). Current circumstances are I am in the process of buying a shared ownership property which will leave me wiped out…..as it’s part buy/part rent I would still be entitled & to be honest it will really make ends hard to meet. With my new circumstances AIBU to claim or would I actually be entitled to given they are checking banks etc? I don’t want to submit a claim & then be told I shouldn’t have for any reason.

You would be able to claim and that would include help with the rent part.

Once you've bought, just put in the claim with your new (lower) savings figures. It's there to help you so you might as well claim it.

Well if you can why wouldn’t you? Still it’s crazy and lucky you can if you have the money for part buy

Once you’ve bought you won’t have savings, so what does it matter if they are checking banks? If you are entitled then claim, you will get help with the rent part.

As long as your savings don't exceed 16,000 you can claim. If you can claim then you absolutely should.

Ok, thank you. I wasn’t sure if they would deem me as having put myself in that situation or if checking they see the funds being transferred from my ISA to my current account & back out again for the deposit. I also wasn’t sure whether there was a time limit so possibly wait 6 months (as hard as it would be) and then claim

They do currently, but they won’t after paying my deposit, which is what I’m unclear about

Claim whatever you can. Support is there, so take it!

They will check all of your bank accounts. You cannot claim until after you have paid the deposit. You can't hide money away that you are saving for a deposit as that would be fraud and you will get caught. Once you are ready to apply you will have to wait 1- 2 months before receiving any benefit. UC depends on savings and income. For ever £250 you go over £6000 in savings you lose some entitlement. Also over a certain threshold for every £1 you earn you lose 55p.

As far as I know if you have a genuine reason to spend a chunk of money ie deposit when buying a flat then that's fine.

Use one of the calculators and out in the figures as though you've already done it, ie rent and mortgage etc and see what it says. Then you'll know.

The only thing you might want to check is with regard to the service charge on the property. Find out what that is and if you can claim towards that.

Others here may know the rules surrounding that.

thank you, I wasn’t going to claim until after I paid my deposit. At the 1-2 months I’ll lose nothing lol (it will be my entire savings).

it was more a case of them saying I put myself in that situation. A bit like you hear people make themselves unemployed & not fully understanding the rules. Could I justify a claim if I’ve paid a fairly hefty deposit (in the eyes of DWP)?

I think you'll be ok. It would be different if it was a deposit for a second home! They would be suspicious of someone who transfers a large sum of money to a relative and then claims they are under the savings threshold. What you are doing isn't wrong in anyway. When you apply be honest about your situation at the time. I wouldn't necessarily advertise the fact you've just bought a house though! I believe they can help with some service fees as part of the housing element too.