Calculator says we aren’t entitled to universal credit

[Jakesmum11]

Hiya,

My partner is self employed and last year his profit was £13600 before tax and NI, my earnings were 8600 (part time). We have 1 child. The online calculator says we aren’t entitled to universal credits (we don’t or have never claimed any benefit before). Just wondering if this sounds right? I don’t want to go to the hassle of an interview etc for them to say we won’t get anything. Lady on the phone thinks we might be but could’nt say!

If your partners business isn't viable enough to support you all then surely they need to either improve its profitability or get alternative or additional employment which will support you rather than just automatically expecting to be entitled to benefits?

Is that supposed to be helpful sall?

Op that doesn't sound right to me, give them a call and see what they say.

So your combined income is around £22k? Sounds about right that you probably won’t be entitled to anything.

Do you have huge childcare costs?

I work in benefits and frankly all the calculations are absolutely crap, the very rarely (if ever) produce a correct result. I would suggest applying anyway and see if you’re entitled.

You should give them a call. But there are new rules re amount of hours worked and self-employment. Guidelines are something along the lines of your business needs to make equivalent of minimum wage for a 40 hour week to qualify. And the second wage earner needs to work a certain amount of hours to qualify and this depends on the age of your child.

Is it possible that you aren’t in a UC area so can’t claim it yet, which is why the calculator is telling you that you arent eligible? Try entitledto.co.uk which can check and tell you if you are eligible for anything else.

You should be entitled to Child Tax Credits under the old system, so you should get some Universal Credit in the new system.

Just apply, but if you want to double check, your best bet is to visit or contact Citizens Advice and they’ll do the calculation for you.

Do you rent btw?

Does that go for regular employment as well then sall? Not everyone is able to walk into high paying jobs you know!

I would've thought that on those earnings you'd at least get working tax credits which would be part of universal credit.

I’d be getting to see someone in person rather than using an online calculator; they’re never brilliant. Good luck OP.

Maybe you won’t get UC but can claim tax credits? X

I think I read that your dh will have an assumed income of nmw for purposes of universal credit calculations. So (now) £7.83 per hour for (say) 40 hrs per week x however many weeks per year. I’d assume 46.4 weeks.
That gives a deemed income of approx 14.5k per year that they’d use as a self employed full time worker.

I’ve used guesstimates but I’m sure I’ve seen it somewhere

Maybe visit CAB OR JCP?

The universal credit income assumption is based on minimum wage at 35 hours a week. Assuming the OP’s husband is over 25, that’s £7.83/hour. So he would be expected to be earning £14,250 a year before tax. He’s not that far off, and I guess as his business grows, he’ll meet that.