To wonder why the Government hasn't advised people affected financially by Coronavirus to claim UC ?

[Patchworkpatty]

Just that really.. Universal Credit is far from perfect (especially for the sick and disabled) but the one place it seems to work really well is for those people who are employed/self employed and UC tops up their wages.

As it's done on RTPI (real time payment information) it sees how much you are ACTUALLY paid month to month and adjusts it accordingly.

It is especially helpful to people who claim rent. I was absolutely gobsmacked to find out that I was entitled to it. I earn £37500 which is a decent wage and only have one child left in FTE but was still entitled to £220 pm.. because my rent is £975. I am not sure if it's as generous if you pay a mortgage but it's worth checking on a benefits calculator like turn2us.org to see how much you would be entitled to if employed/self employed and have no income/reduced for a few weeks.

Even though they have changed ssp to pay immediately.. it's only 90% ..
why have t the government told people there is this top up available which also allows an 'advance' to help those struggling with the time it takes to process and pay the amount due. ?

Probably because it's affected so few people. I believe 87 cases in the uk, in a population of 66 million. Tiny number.

Because if it gets to the point where 1 in 5 people get it the system will meltdown. Add to that the fact that the government want less people on benefits not more. Also you wouldn't get anything for atleast 5 weeks

5 weeks waiting time, face to face interviews, not being available to work, benefits periods which will not work for some because of pay periods. I can think of dozens of reasons why UC and ESA will not work for a two week isolation period.

Mayhapitis this is all about planning for the worst case scenario isn't it ? I thought the government were meant to put us all in a position to mitigate an epidemic which , according to the CMO is 'probable' ... and the system for 'top up' is minimal.
If it doesn't happen then it's not needed but people NEED this information...
Register on line.
Take your ID in to verify your details and rent. That's it.
No visits to Jobcentre after this.
No need to notify if wages go down - it all happens automatically. Unlike tax credits that only adjust yearly.
Minimal input from job centre staff after initial interview.

Stressedout10 that's not accurate. Once registered you can claim an advance to mitigate the wait.. which is repaid over 12 months.

UC is completely crap for the sick and unemployed, but very good and straightforward for those employed with varying incomes especially if in a zero hours contract and the business closes temporarily or you don't get your regular hours.

People get top ups on 37k?😱
Where does it stop? I've been here for a decade and I still don't understand the benefits here because you hear so many conflicting stories. And I can't really claim anyway, but still.

You couldn’t take your ID. You are in quarantine. You could take it at the end of the two weeks, providing that you’re well, but you could go back to work then...

And I can’t imagine they’d allow you to advance your 5 week wait if you would only be entitled for two weeks, as they could well struggle to recover it...

Yes, I was also surprised but it's all to do with fixed outgoings. I live in a fairly expensive area and our rent is £975 .. which is considered average for the area.
If I lived in an area with a cheaper private average rent then I definitely wouldn't get anything. Once my child goes to uni I still won't be entitled to anything (despite still having to pay the same rent to keep a home for her in the 5 months of Uni holidays) .. and expected to contribute to her maintenance at Uni.. and loss of child benefit .

So I agree none of it makes sense and I had no idea I was entitled until someone suggested I do a calculation. ..
So whilst there is a lot of 'planning for the worst' and SSP being extended to first day of sickness instead of third... I'm wondering why they haven't explained that this payment is available to people who COULD be affected. ?

AnchorDownDeepDown I wasn't really talking about people in quarantine. The government have already made changes to mitigate for this by extending the SSP rules to first day of illness with quarantine being accepted as 'sickness'.

I am talking about people affected by schools closing and not being able to work due to childcare or businesses not having the hours for people on zero hours contracts because of a turn down in business.

I'm not sure if it's different for a first claim but my son gets a little bit of child tax credit and when his work went down to 4 day weeks they wouldn't change his tax credits and HB until he was down £2000 with his wages

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall
That's the exact point.
Tax Credits is clunky and worked out over a tax year. You have to fill in forms when things change. The change has to be substantial.. UC is completely different. It's synchronised with the HMRC payroll system in 'Real Time'. So the salary gets reported to DWP a week or so before payday and the adjustments made up or down depending upon how your income has changed that month. Earn more - get less, Earn less - get more.

Have two payday in one month and you're screwed

You get topped up on £37k a year? No wonder our country is screwed. I don't blame you for claiming it, I object to it being on the table.

I think the government were working on some kind of emergency fund that could be claimed from day 1.

What would really annoy me is is having to pay for people who are ignoring advice, travelling to places they know they'd be at risk and then refusing to self-isolate.

If this is self-inflicted they shouldn't be entitled to a penny and if they're knowingly putting others at risk they should be fined. Maybe those fines could be put towards providing emergency financial relief to those who really next it!

(Clearly there would be so many issues trying to administrate and reinforce any of this but that would be the ideal anyway!)

So because you're renting you get £220 a month even though you earn twice as much as me. And because I'm not renting and I'm a widow I get fuck all.

Pleased it's working out for you.

SSP is shit - I earn 25k and if I have to have SSP my weekly wage will be £94.25, won't cover the mortgage. Yet not entitled to any UC, are you a single parent OP? Did you earn similar in the previous tax year? I really think it's baffling on that salary that you can claim UC

My son is on just over 24k, he privately rents and lives with his gf and baby and they are entitled to nothing, not a penny my sons dreading it if he gets this virus, I know I'd step in to help otherwise taking any time off would financially cripple them.

Hi @Patchworkpatty we're moving this over to the Coronavirus topic.

You get topped up on £37k a year? No wonder our country is screwed. I don't blame you for claiming it, I object to it being on the table.

It seems to be specifically for the high rent though. We earn a combined income of about 5k less than op, have one DC and aren't entitled to anything. On the other hand we pay less than £350 a month for our mortgage.

Hi GroliffetheDragon
You are absolutely right. Housing costs are only really taken into account for rent and if you are in a high rent area like London and S.E the rents are extortionate in the private sector and social housing rarer than hens teeth. Therefore the amount of UC payable will vary from area to area. Mortgages aren't taken into account except if you are actually without any employment and then it's only 'interest' and quite a long wait to qualify.
This is because there is no 'material gain' from rent. It only houses the claimant . Whereas mortgage payments go towards the claimants ownership of a property that will usually be sold for profit at some point.

QforCucumber
Yes I am a single parent as I am separated from DH. Hopefully not for ever but he has MH problems that it is not fair to inflict on DC..
If your income is £94 a week and you have at least one child you WILL be entitled to UC.. obviously, if you have a partner who earns substantially more then maybe not. It's always best to do your own calculation. The Turn2us.org website was the one I used.
I am aware that if I was paying a mortgage (I wish I was but will never get in the housing ladder now..) so am now condemned to private rental for the rest of my life. No security and pay twice the average mortgage at £995 per month.

Because it will utterly shaft most people.

Five wait wait, or going into debt, for the first payment that they may piss around with if your payday falls on different days. I'd rather avoid that.

@Patchworkpatty we would still not qualify, I earn 25k DH earns 26k. We have a mortgage of £750 a month and a ds. If I have to take 4 or even 8 weeks at SSP our income is still over the threshold for UC. That what I find so baffling. It's not as simple as the govt not telling people to claim, as so many people are not eligible.

Opticaldelusion
I would swap being a renter for a homeowner everyday of the week. The only person that 'gains' from renting is the landlord. .. would gladly give up my UC for a mortgage any day.

I just used that calculator, (turn2us.org). If my annual income is in excess of £8,666 then I'd get no UC irrespective of my partner's income. But then I don't rent.

QforCucumber I do agree with you. My post was really aimed at people who are renting.. especially in the private sector. because I didn't think I was entitled for one minute. and could have claimed 6 months before I found out by pure chance.. but I do think that they could change the rules as they have with SSP and make mortgage interest at the very least , payable from day one to those who would struggle to look after DC if schools closed (or as I suspect WHEN schools close around the Easter Holidays... ) and one wage goes down to SSP rate.