Universal credit question

[ChocIsNotSweet]

Sorry another concern of mine. If I am claiming as a couple do we both need to work a certain number of hours per week or is it a combined number like it is with working tax credits?
Thanks

What’s expected of the lead carer
If your youngest child is:
Under one You are not required to look for work in order to receive Universal Credit. If you choose to work, Universal Credit will support you by helping to cover your childcare costs.
Age one If you are not already working, you will be asked to attend interviews with your work coach to discuss plans for a future move into work. If you are already working, or choose to work, Universal Credit will help to cover your childcare costs.
Age 2 You will be expected to take active steps to prepare for work. This will involve agreeing a programme of activities tailored to your individual circumstances by your work coach and might include some training and work-focused interviews.
Age 3 or 4 You will be expected to take active steps to prepare for and be available for work in line with your caring responsibilities. This will involve agreeing a programme of activities tailored to your individual circumstances by your work coach and might include some training and work-focused interviews. You will need to undertake these activities for an agreed number of hours each week. If you are already working or choose to work, Universal Credit will help to cover your childcare costs.
Age 5 to 12 You will be expected to actively seek and be available for work in line with your caring responsibilities, for example during your child’s school hours. You should let your work coach know as soon as you accept a job offer, as you can claim support for your childcare costs for at least a month before you start work.
Age 13 and above You will normally be expected to look for full-time work. You should let your work coach know as soon as you accept a job offer, as you can claim support for your childcare costs for at least a month before you start work.

If you are part of a couple but are not the lead carer, you will be expected to do everything you can to find work straight away.

However, IIRC, you need to be earning between you your claimant commitment x NMW. So if you both had full CC that would be 2 x 35 hrs x NMW. But if one of you earned, say, double the NMW, then you could have one SAHP and one of you on 35 hrs x (2xNMW) and still meet your commitment.

Ok so I currently work part time and my dp works 30 hours per week. Would we both need to work 35 hours each to qualify?

It depends on whether you have children and what your hourly wage (equivalent if you are salaried) is.

£498.89 is the allowance for a couple over 25 years old.

If you were both working 35 hrs per week, you'd earn £525 per week, which is £27,300 per year,
so £2,275 per month before tax, etc., and £1810.93 after tax, etc.

If you don't need help with housing costs, you get an earnings disregard of £397.

£1810.93 - £397 = £1413.93.

Then they still deduct 63p for every £1 of the remainder from your benefit:

Deduction: £1413.93 x 0.63= £890.76

Total benefit:
£498.89 - £890.76= £-391.89

So as a couple without children, working full time on minimum wage, without rent assistance you wouldn't qualify for UC.

You can follow the same steps to look at your needs, but be aware that you'd have to sign up to looking for more work or different work to bring you both up to 35 hours of NMW work. However, if your work now pays over the NMW, you'll have to do some maths to work out what that equates to in terms of the NMW. You might find that your DP's 30 hrs actually equates to 33 hours of NMW, for example.

If you get help with rent, they use the LHA rates, or the social housing rate, but then you only get £192 disregarded from your wages.