I'm so sorry this is long and probably boring to most.
Hating this mass Universal credit application, UC is not going to help anyone during this pandemic. You'll be lucky to afford basics. For lack of a better outlet I'll just moan here 🙏
Here's the figures : standard adult allowance approx £248 per person, approx £252 per child born before 2017, a limit of 2 thereafter.
This is the calculation used : you can earn as part of couple or a single person a max of £297 per month thereafter every £100 you earn you lose £63 in entitlement.
Lets put this to a real life possibility. You are self employed but your partner is a paramedic. He earns £21k (starting band) in your self employment you earned £21k, giving you a total income of £3500. Now you've got £1750 coming in and you have 3 children (2 born before 2017 1 born after) so you will be entitled to £1000 universal credit (no rent calculated for as too variable and will not affect the outcome) that's £498 for you and your partner and £502 for 2 of the 3 kids. Then we apply their calculation of entitlement.
£1750 - 298 = £1452
£1452 ÷100 = 14.52
14.52 x £63 =£914.76
1000 - 914.76 = £85.24
£85.24 a month towards your household bills.
If all 3 children were born before 2017 you get £337.24
If you are a couple no kids you will get zilch.
The benefits cap works in a way that an average family of 4 or 5 with an adult working will receive no more than £2000 per month in both wages and universal credits. It's NOT a safety net it's a torture device to force "lazy benefits scroungers" out to work because that's what all benefits claimants are. It calculates work bonuses as earnings, student loans as earnings. It removes the ability to save (no savings over 6k single or couple) it removes the ability to seek education. It's only purpose is to ensure those on it move on to employment.
It's easy enough to calculate your entitlement, after applying they offer an advance - that is a full entitlement no wages taken into consideration therefore apply the following :
Wage - 297 =wage2
Wage2 ÷ 100 =wage3
Wage3 X 63 = total deductions
Advance amount - Total deductions =
I'd love to hear if anyone is already feeling shafted....