Universal credit vs WTC/CTC

[wintersontheway]

Hi all, was wondering... I keep seeing and hearing things about the change over to UC what actually is it? This is me and how will I be effected??
2x children
Recently divorced- I receive 25% single occupancy on my council tax.
I receive £117 pw ctc/wtc combined.
I don't get other benefits
I work 30hrs a week

Xx

Because you are already getting tax credits, you won't be affected unless/until your circumstances change significantly. You can continue claiming tax credits. If your circumstances change, call tax credits helpline and they will tell you if you need to switch to universal credit instead.

Anyone in your situation not claiming tax credits already would not be able to make a new claim, they would have to claim universal credit instead.

(This is assuming you're in a full service area.)

There is helpful info on this online, eg Citizens Advice and entitledto.

Thank you , I went in that entitled to website and that says I should get £16 off my rent a week but when I became a single tenant citizens advice helped me submit my ctc forms etc as I didn't have a clue what I was doing and I was awarded £2.86 a week off my rent and then I got a 1% pay rise 6 months later and I notified them and they said it would stop. It all gets a bit confusing.
Thank you for your help

As above you wont need to switch until you have a relevant change of circumstances and the managed migration keeps being put back. On UC your amount would be made up of personal, child and rent elements , then they would disregard the first £198 from your wages and then every pound after that would reduce your Uc award by 63p in the pound. Some people are better off on UC and some worse. Council tax reduction stays separate from UC as does Child benefit. Child maintainence aren't counted either.

I have lost out considerably as I was getting wtc/ ctc weekly. The fact it's paid in arrears and monthly is crippling at the moment- I have had an eviction notice and was given £96 a month from UC.

UC don't deem you disabled for four months unless you have special circumstances eg terminal illness/ chemo. I provided evidence and it's still not been put on.

My payment is due in two days and I still don't know what I am going to be getting.

Fed up.

wannabe - If you were on ESA prior to going onto UC then the extra element for being unable to work should be added on straight away. you may need to quote regulation 19 Transitional rules to them to get this added - Uc have to write to ESA who then confirm your ESA group and when your ESA ended. If you weren't on ESA prior to UC then the 13 weeks wait is exactly the same as it has always been on ESA, it is an assessment period.

Even with a terminal diagnosis? Sorry I was mislead then....

If you are terminally ill with a prognosis of less than 6 months ( although this is just a guide) then you can get the LCWRA element added automatically. You would need your health care professional to supply a DS1500 report which would need to be sent to UC.

If having cancer treatment but not with a six months prognosis then the LCWRA element will be added without needing any kind of assessment but the 13 week wait will still apply. The LCWRA element ( an extra £328 per month) is paid from the fourth UC assessment period if its a new Uc claim.

Thanks @Babyroobs x

Sorry last question @Babyroobs is it backdated if you have to wait for the fourth uc assessment period?

It will only start being paid from the forth assessment period unless you are considered terminally ill and then it should be paid form whenever you send the DS1500 form in.

Thank you for the advice.