Universal Credit WTF?

[CoolCarrie]

Just watching a young woman who had to wait 6 fucking weeks to get her money, so lost her child's nursery place and her job!

It's a fucking disgrace and hopefully May's own side will rebel

Faith

Im not affected by UC Im in a state pension household. I have no DC But im concerned by how many people it is affecting and it really worries me to see the problems its causing.

Did anyone see Question Time on Thursday. Chief of Next was on there saying ppl should be paid in advance not arrears. Which is completely different from his attitude on a previous appearance on QT. I think he (like many employers will) has realised that a lot of UC claimants (some who may work for Next) are probably going to have to take time off to go down to the JC to sort out UC bureaucratic mess in work time which will be shop/office hours. Or they will have to call the call centre in work hours and hang on the phone waiting. Some of these workers will be the Christmas temps which are still being taken on in many diff shops. IMO i think many employers will now be starting to realize it may affect business. How many retailers are going to want the UC claimants working for them to keep taking time off to sort stuff out, in the run up to Christmas?! The busiest time of the year.

It was always naive to make the number cheap to call from a landline. If you are working you are making those calls in your lunch break from your mobile and many people cant afford both a mobile and a landline.

The problem is that people love these benefit changes.
I've had discussions with people who think that because they earn 60000+ a year and they don't get tax credits, no one should.
In the last few years our tax credits have halved and halved again whilst earning minimum wage.
The 2 child rule traps women, I've got 3 children on our joint claim and 1 that was born after the cut off. If I left my partner I'd have to start a new claim so only get money for 2 children. It's hard enough to bring up 2 children on minimum wage + tax credits, never mind 4.

What's also gobsmacking is that the government have played down, again and again, figures on people accessing foodbanks due to their savage cuts.

But now they're using food banks to prop up their engineered 6w+ wait. People are now told officially to access them if they run out of food, rather than coming to them.

If that ain't a slap to the face...

Sproglets if you have a dc born after April 1st this year do you get tax credits for them?

'Sproglets if you have a dc born after April 1st this year do you get tax credits for them?'

From the sounds of it, her 4th one was, so she still gets them for the other 3, but it's a joint claim, so if she split with her partner it would be a new claim and she'd only get it for 2 children.

That's right expat I have 3 born before the cut off and 1 born 7 days after it.
The thing that scares me is if something happens to my partner, we can't afford life insurance I would be completely screwed.

Helena I watch question time every week and you're right that was a complete turnaround by CEO of next, I agree employers are FINALLY seeing it will affect them too - they didn't give a shit when it wouldn't though. What UC STILL doesn't address is employers paying really crap wages and taxpayers having to subsidise those wages because they are NOT enough to live on nowhere close to!

Faith I have to agree with Helena that you're not getting it. There SHOULDN'T be fines issued in the first place, the last thing the sick, disabled, even 'just' poor need is MORE financial stress. Coroners already believe there's at least 80 suicides a month due to this farce, how many of the heart attacks, strokes etc are directly related too? It is LITERALLY killing people and THEY DON'T CARE

Im not affected by UC Im in a state pension household. I have no DC But im concerned by how many people it is affecting and it really worries me to see the problems its causing.

If only the whole world was full of HelenaDoves

Yep love Helena she's been very vocal on many of the UC threads even though it's 'not her problem' we need more like that.

Eligibility for help with NHS costs is very complex and lots of people are getting fined.

If you're on UC you're entitled to help if -

• your net earnings were £435 or less in your last Universal Credit assessment period.
• OR you get a child element AND your net earnings were £935 or less in your last Universal Credit assessment period.
• OR you or your partner have limited capability for work or limited capability for work related activity AND your net earnings were £935 or less in your last Universal Credit assessment period.

If you are part of a couple, the net earning threshold applies to your combined net earnings. You will need to have met the eligibility criteria in the last completed Universal Credit assessment period before your health costs arose.

And yes, you should tick the JSA box if there is no UC box.

If you're on TC you may be entitled to help. If so you should be automatically sent an NHS Tax Credit Exemption Certificate. If it's a new claim/change of circs and you haven't received your certificate yet you can show your TC award letter as proof. You qualify if your annual family income for tax credit purposes is £15,276 or less -

• AND you get Child Tax Credit
• OR you get Working Tax Credit with a disability element

(or both) If you get only Working Tax Credit with no disability element you are not automatically entitled to help with health costs.

Other benefits
You ARE entitled to help if you or your partner get:

• Income Support
• Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Pension Credit Guarantee Credit

You ARE NOT automatically entitled to help if you get:

• Contribution-based or ‘New style’ Jobseeker’s Allowance,
• Contribution-based or ‘New style’ Employment and Support Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment
• Incapacity Benefit
• Pension Credit Savings Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Reduction

... but you might qualify for help under the low income scheme. This is not automatic, you have to apply for it.

So yeah, lots of people are getting fined because they (or their dentist or pharmacist) have misunderstood the rules.

Im hoping and praying i pass my esa reassessment medical i had on thursday. Im terrified of universal credit

"What do a government privately educated and from wealthy backgrounds know about the day to day struggle that is life?"
⏫
This

Thankyou Helena xxx

Graphista I thought there would be a sudden turnaround from employers hence this thread i started over two months ago

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3001033-to-think-that-some-employERS-will-get-pissed-off-with-Universal-Credit-too

I would be affected if something happened to DH He has ischemic heart disease and emphysema.

I saw a news story where a 5 year old was searching through a bin for food. We are nearly in 2018

You're a psychic Helena

We need a collaborative protest because it DOES affect everyone

Just imagine how many retailers are going to be pissed off with their staff having to take time off to sort this shit out in the run up to Christmas The busiest time.

Yep a Christmas rollout was such a jolly good idea

(MN can we please have an eye roll smiley)

I'm actually hoping that will mean that many Tory donors (mainly retailers) will complain and the Christmas rollout will be paused.

UC IN PRINCIPLE is a good idea, BUT put anything in Tory hands and they fuck it up!

So many people will miss out on free prescription as the difference from TC to UC is £338 a month!

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/universal-credit-clause-threatens-further-scandal-for-governments-welfare-reform_uk_59e86541e4b08f9f9edce2df

Cannot believe that in 2017 in the supposed fifth richest Country in the world people are put in a position where they have to think about giving their children up.

Utterly fucking disgusting and this useless high end government should hand their heads in shame! I hope there is an uprising !!!!

Ian Duncan Smith devised UC he wanted it monthly and not to be paid until the 6 weeks were up so making sure not to overpay claimants.

For him waiting 6 weeks for wages just wouldn’t be a problem

Which just goes to show how out of touch he is

UC will also start effecting landlords

When landlords stop receiving rent due to UC not being paid, and this will take longer than 6 weeks in many cases

Landlords will be out of pocket

UC will also stop if you get paid five times in one month, due to being weekly paid but UC is worked out on a monthly basis. But doesn’t allow for weekly pay...

Which is the first month in 2018 with 5 pay days if you are weekly paid?

www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles

Check out number 8

This is wrong on so many levels

I don’t claim any benefits, not even child benefit but even I know this will leave people facing destitution come February

But maybe the courts will be up in arms about the numbers of NoSP

Phone in from emotional landlord on LBC A tenant hasnt recieved any monies for six months.

And tried to end things by turning on all the gas rings IN A FLAT This could have blown up a block There has been enough tragedy with Grenfell!!!

Landlord sounds like a decent one.

www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/the-hell-of-universal-credit-by-a-landlord/

God, that’s awful. 6 weeks is bad. But 6 months? That’s barbaric