UC is totally going to screw me over isn't it?

[youarenotkiddingme]

I work FT term time only. It's a 30 hour per week contract and salaried.

I currently get DLA for my DS, CTC and WTC. I think I'm entitled to about 50p a week HB but due to how difficult the system was I stopped claiming years ago when I was entitled to more.

I also can choose to extend my working day by 0.5 hours and claim this. This is obviously only on days I work so some months (January/June etc) I'll earn more overtime than other months (April/August etc). This is because it's term time.

Also because my ds is disabled I can take a days parental leave at a time of required and occasionally do this for hospital appointments at the further afield hospital. For appointments at our local hospital my employers allow me the time off (a few hours) and I do the overtime unpaid to the amount of time off I've had.

My OT doesn't take me above the TC threshold so it works well for me atm.

However - from all the scary stories I read online once I switch to UC this will mean I will often have to reapply for UC because some months I'll earn more (9-10 hours overtime) and some months I'll earn less (unpaid leave)

Am I right in thinking this? Would there be a better way for me to manage my income to avoid this?

I'm wondering if I add up all the possible days OT and divide my number of weeks per year if I could ask my employer to change my contract? However this means any leave will be unpaid and I think this will cause the same problems?

Oh wise ones - please help!

I work 30 hrs pw term time only and my wages are averaged over the year and paid monthly so 39 weeks pay divided by 12. Mine don't fluctuate though - any extra time work is claimed as flexitime.

You wouldn’t need to reapply for UC each time you have a change in earnings. Providing you pay NI the system will automatically pick up your earnings every month/week (depending on when you are paid) via HMRC and allocate it to your UC account.

Yeah my pay is salaried over 12 months.

But it's that some months I do an extra 9 hours and some months none.

Some months I lose pay as take parental leave.

From what I understand you have to reclaim UC and so don't get payments for up to 6 weeks for every change in circumstance?

If this is the case then I need to consider a way around this as currently CTC doesn't change as under threshold.

It’s incorrect you don’t get paid for 6 weeks each time you do a change in circumstances, your earnings automatically check each time your NI is used for payments

X posts.

Ok that doesn't sound too bad. I don't expect my payments to remain static as my wages fluctuate. But I could t afford to keep going without payments.

I was basing my panic on the 4 week and 5 week rule of being paid.

I stopped claiming HB when I was entitled because they wouldn't divide my childcare over 12 months average and I was under/overpaid monthly (due to childcare being term time)

Under UC you can claim childcare costs (depending on your circumstances). The most common reason payments are delayed is because not all information is given from the person claiming.

In the first instance it takes 6 weeks for your first Uc payment to come through- first 7 days are a cooling off period, 4 weeks for your details to be assessed (identity, childcare costs, housing etc) then 5 working days after that for the first payment to come through.

Can you not ask to do flexitime? Bank some hours and use them when you have hospital visits?

That's not a bad idea re flexitime. If needs be I can broach it. Not sure schools do that though due to needs of the business.

I don't have childcare. I just wanted to make sure I'd get monthly payments - every month! My wages cover rent/bills etc - but I do like to eat

I've also realised dla is not paid in UC.

So It'll be ctc and wtc (and CB?) in that payment.

That's not too bad. We'd manage on that budget short term whilst the switch happens.

UC does not replace your CB or DLA it replaces your WTC & CTC and HB if you were to claim. Are you paid 4 weekly or monthly. You are correct that you need to reclaim if you earn so much in one month that your UC is reduced to zero, however as long as you have some entitlement then payments are adjusted as a pp poster stated.

Child benefit is paid separately to UC.

Even earning more wont take me over the threshold I wouldn't think?
I'm paid monthly - does anyone know the monthly cut off (and is it before if after deductions?)

I don't claim HB (probably at cut off now). I do get wtc and ctc and disability element of ctc and single parent element too.

Everyone assessment period (the time over which income coming in is assessed) is different.

If your paid monthly you should be ok, the monthly cut off, as in amount, depends on the different elements that you are entitled to which would be yours, the child and child disability and housing. The only additional element that could make a difference is a carers element and that would depend on whether someone else claimed CA for your child. But it will be a long time before you are moved on to UC if your circumstances don’t change so perhaps you are worrying a bit prematurely.

Yes I'm probably worrying waaaayyyyy ahead of time. But I keep getting UC leaflets and invites to information sessions etc from my housing association. It's possibly because we've also just had our new rental amounts letter - so those who do get HB etc probably are on the switch category.