Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

tax credits to universal credits

36 replies

Speckledfrog5 · 20/02/2018 22:23

I am currently claiming tax credits but will soon be moving out and paying rent. I want to swap to universal credits as it will help me out so much more. There is the rule that you can claim both, would I still be able to apply for uc and they will automatically swap me around? I know this seems silly but I really don't want to get into trouble. Thank you

OP posts:

Leatherboundanddown · 20/02/2018 22:25

Why on earth would you WANT to claim uc over tc?

Original poster

Speckledfrog5 · 20/02/2018 22:33

As I am entitled to more help and help with rent

OP posts:

Leatherboundanddown · 20/02/2018 22:44

Are you absolutely sure? What are your circumstances?

Original poster

Speckledfrog5 · 20/02/2018 22:50

Single working mother living with parents soon to be moving out, work 28 hours a week, daughter is at nursery 2 & 1/2 days. Looking to rent however my tax credits are likely to go down a lot the next tax year as I only earned half a year this year due to unpaid maternity, so I won't be able to afford the house. Have done a uc calculation and it says i am better off and will get help

OP posts:

Babyroobs · 20/02/2018 22:51

You cannot claim universal credits and tax credits ! Uc replaces tax credits. Needing to claim Uc to get help with the rent may be necessary but you wouldn't continue to get tax credits , they will stop and you then have to wait 5 weeks to get your first UC payment. There are a lot of problems with UC, some people find they are better off and others a re a lot worse off than on legacy benefits.

Leatherboundanddown · 20/02/2018 22:53

How old is your daughter? Do you earn more than min wage per hour at work? Are you paid monthly?

Are you aware that you have to wait 5 weeks with no money when you first apply for uc?

Why is it that you would not qualify for housing benefit if you rented?

Viviennemary · 20/02/2018 22:54

From what I've read most people are worse of on universal credit. And I don't think you can choose which one you want to be on. AFAIK it's either universal credit or tax credits depending on your area.

Original poster

Speckledfrog5 · 20/02/2018 22:59

My daughter is 1 year old I earn more that minimum and paid monthly, I am in a position where it would be possible for me to wait the 5 weeks. I have looked into my area and its says I can apply for uc if it suits my circumstances more. It's it really that bad I have done the calculation and it has given me childcare cost child cost and rent cost and sum total which looks great

OP posts:

Becca19962014 · 20/02/2018 23:05

Where did you do the calculation? The calculators are notorious for getting amounts wrong and suggesting you'll get more.

JingleJangleBell · 20/02/2018 23:07

I've been looking at the figures for tax credits versus UC and for some UC does pay more, mainly people in employment benefit the most from what I've read.

According to entitled.com I could claim £50 a week more on UC than tax credits

Original poster

Speckledfrog5 · 20/02/2018 23:11

I used policy in practice

Me aswell I'm around £ 100 better off

OP posts:

Becca19962014 · 20/02/2018 23:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Babyroobs · 20/02/2018 23:16

There will be no pressure on UC for op to look for more hours - she has a one year old, there would be no pressure to look for work at all, well maybe just attend a work focussed interview. if you are already working 28 hours a week there will be no pressure to look for more hours until your child starts secondary school !

Becca19962014 · 20/02/2018 23:17

I missed that, thanks for the correction and apologies op.

beachbodyunready · 20/02/2018 23:21

If you're working you are almost certainly going to be worse off under universal credit as opposed to tax credits and housing benefit. Under UC maintenance payments are taken into account whilst the old benefits ignored them, and due to thresholds a working single parent will on average be £20 per week worse off under UC.

Another factor is that with UC you will have to demonstrate the steps you're taking every week to increase your hours or get a better paid job - the idea is get you off benefits entirely.

GlitterGlue · 20/02/2018 23:23

No she won't be required to look for more work, with a very young child she's not even required to work. www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-your-family-quick-guide/universal-credit-further-information-for-families

Maybe speak to someone like CAB to run a benefits check?

GlitterGlue · 20/02/2018 23:24

Child maintenance payments are not taken into account.

Original poster

Speckledfrog5 · 20/02/2018 23:32

I am just so confused now, the calculation said I would be better off with uc and I would get help with rent and in some form still get what I get with tax credits. I think I do need to talk to someone for advice and a check

OP posts:

beachbodyunready · 20/02/2018 23:41

Maintenance payments are taken into account, I work in local government in a UC full service area and there is a real difference to the way that if is calculated including taking maintenance into account.

Btw the council is giving out food bank tokens as soon as the uc claim has been made because it's known that it will take weeks and weeks to sort out.

Babyroobs · 20/02/2018 23:41

Lots of people are better off on UC. There is a lot of wrong information being given here so best to speak to experts like CAB who could do a 'better off' calculation for you.

Cakedoesntjudge · 20/02/2018 23:42

Just in case it changes anything for you - you can request your tax credits to be based on an estimate of the following years' income instead. I did that when I went back to work so that it wouldn't be based on what I'd been paid on maternity leave.

You do have to be pretty sure of the estimate that way though.

Babyroobs · 20/02/2018 23:44

Yes but op has already said she can cover the 5 week wait so hopefully won't need food bank tokens.
I regularly read a facebook UC help page and no-one on there has ever said that their maintainance payments were taken into account on UC.

Original poster

Speckledfrog5 · 20/02/2018 23:51

Cakedoesntjudge this is the position I am in expect I wasn't eligible for maternity pay or statutory maternity pay so I had to go onto befits resulting to only earning for 6 months this past tax year, I am going to inform them that my estimate will be double this year due to being at work all year. Did you find your tax credits went down a lot?

OP posts:

Original poster

Speckledfrog5 · 20/02/2018 23:59

Thank you very much babyroobs you have been very helpful.

I am very fortunate to have my parents and won't be in a position where me and my daughter will be without. If I need to wait 5 weeks I will have enough money for my board and childcare and necessities.

OP posts:

Leatherboundanddown · 21/02/2018 00:07

But you can't claim the uc for rent until you have moved into a different property though so it wouldn't be board then. Have you got deposit etc.?

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread