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Original poster

When is the best time to apply for UC?

55 replies

Pisces90 · 19/03/2020 13:53

I will need to move onto UC this year. Still on legacy benefits.

Can any that is on it recommend the best time to apply?

Some say it's better to leave it until you are forced but i would quite like to get it out the way.

Any advice would be great thanks!

P.S. I know there will be a mountain of other threads on this subject but it's hard going through them all looking for specific advice.

OP posts:
lubeybooby · 19/03/2020 14:06

I thankfully don't need it any more but I'd honestly leave it as long as you can. They are going to be very overstretched now for months and things were shit enough as it is

SpoonBlender · 19/03/2020 14:28

Apply at least 8 weeks before you'll need it, maybe 12. It takes forever.

AnotherEmma · 19/03/2020 14:33

I'm an adviser with knowledge of benefits as well as other topics.

Impossible to answer your question without more info.

You could try asking the help to claim service (web chat and phone)
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/helptoclaim/

Or you could share more info here if you're comfortable doing that. I would need to know

  • what benefits you're on atm
  • are you doing paid work and if so how much do you earn and when do you get paid
  • who's in your household ie partner (if so same question as above) and children (if so what ages)

Lastly why do you say you need to move on UC this year?

Original poster
Pisces90 · 19/03/2020 15:36

I am on income support and child tax credit.
I am unemployed right now.
Single parent one child household.
I will need to move onto UC because my child is turning 5.

To the poster that said it takes forever, i thought it was 5 weeks?

OP posts:
AnotherEmma · 19/03/2020 16:05

Do you rent and get Housing Benefit?

niceredjumper · 19/03/2020 16:22

HI AnotherEmma. Could I ask you a quick question? Just lost my job due to Coronavirus and need to apply for UC. I have no partner but is my son's income included in household income when applying?

Sorry to hijack thread op but I'm desperate

AnotherEmma · 19/03/2020 16:35

Hi niceredjumper.
Sorry you've lost your job. Firstly you might be eligible for new-style JSA, this depends on your National Insurance contributions (it's not means-tested). If you have already stopped working you should claim immediately, if not you should claim the day after your last day at work.
www.gov.uk/how-to-claim-new-style-jsa

The answer to your question about UC depends on whether you rent or have a mortgage. If you rent you will get the housing element of UC and your son would normally be expected to make a "housing cost contribution" so there would be a deduction for that.

I advise you to do a benefit check using one of the online calculators such as Entitledto or Turn2Us.

niceredjumper · 19/03/2020 16:46

Thanks AnotherEmma. I've worked for the last 40 years so hopefully I'll get some help.Never claimed anything before so I'm a bit lost.

Thanks for taking the time to reply

Original poster
Pisces90 · 19/03/2020 17:56

Yes i rent and get housing benefit. Sorry if this sounds rude but i thought that would be obvious? I have already stated i am unemployed in a single parent household.

Just looking to see who else is in my situation and when did they decide to make the move onto UC? Before they were due to or not?

OP posts:
AnotherEmma · 19/03/2020 18:08

It might be obvious but as a thorough adviser I always check and don't assume! It is possible (though unlikely) that the situation might have been different.

All I was going to say is that as you are getting Housing Benefit, you will get a 2 week "run on" which means that your Housing Benefit will be paid for 2 weeks after you've applied for UC. I believe you have to claim it on a Monday though! Since that's the day that HB is paid. You would need to claim UC online and make the job centre appt for a Monday.

When does your child turn 5? Whether it's worth applying in advance or waiting until the last minute depends on whether you'll be better off on UC or not. For that you'd need to do a benefit calculation - you could use an online tool like Entitledto or ask Citizens Advice.

This might be obvious Wink but just in case you don't already know, on income support you're not required to look for work but on UC you will be.

Original poster
Pisces90 · 19/03/2020 23:18

Lets say my circumstances are the same. Why would i be worse off on UC? This is why i am asking when is a good time to apply because i have read about natural migrations and managed migrations.

I currently have to go into the Job Centre every 3 months for prepare to work chats. Will going onto UC require me to go in as frequent as someone on JSA?

OP posts:
AnotherEmma · 20/03/2020 07:39

"Why would i be worse off on UC?"
UC is calculated differently from legacy benefits. Some people are better off, some are worse off, and some are about the same. In your particular case if I had to guess I'd say it will probably be about the same (but if I was advising you I'd do a calculation to check). It would be different if you and/or your child were disabled and claiming PIP (adult) and/or DLA (child).

AnotherEmma · 20/03/2020 07:46

"Will going onto UC require me to go in as frequent as someone on JSA?"
I expect so yes. See below, you will be in "group 4" (all work related requirements) and if your child is in school you'll probably be expected to try and get work for 25h/w.
www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Claimant-commitment-Universal-Credit

SoloMummy · 20/03/2020 08:16

Uc pays less than tax credits. You need to only move to uc when moved and keep the legacy amount paid.
If you move voluntarily you will lose out big time.

AnotherEmma · 20/03/2020 08:18

Not necessarily.

AnotherEmma · 20/03/2020 08:20

Working parents with childcare costs are sometimes better off on UC for example.

Original poster
Pisces90 · 20/03/2020 14:25

Can you please elaborate on how i will lose out big time?

OP posts:
AnotherEmma · 20/03/2020 14:29

I doubt very much that she can because it's nonsense!

flirtygirl · 20/03/2020 15:53

Do not move to UC until you are made to move. What you are proposing is mad and stupid. You will lose any statutory protection to higher amounts if applicable.

Wait until the managed migration. This can be years away depending on your area and situation, as it keeps being delayed by the government.

Also if you are currently in receipt of Child tax credit then you can still claim working tax credit if you get a job, this is a privileged position to be in.

Why on earth would you give that up for the shit show that is universal credit?

flirtygirl · 20/03/2020 15:55

AnotherEmma that comment is not nonsense. Some people are better off on universal credit but not many. And like you said usually working parents/couple. The op is not one of these, is she?

AnotherEmma · 20/03/2020 15:56

"Wait until the managed migration. This can be years away depending on your area and situation"

Either you haven't read the OP's posts or you haven't got a clue (or both).

OP's child is turning 5 this year which means that her income support will stop. So managed migration is not relevant. This will be a natural migration triggered by a change in circumstances.

flirtygirl · 20/03/2020 15:59

Anyway op read up on managed migration. Read up on how much most single parents have lost and the difficulties around paying for childcare upfront to claim it back. Read about the 5 week wait and the problems that no-one has solved with payment dates in the 8/9 years of UC rollout. The fact that it is not even on the back of prescriptions for over 8 years.

If you still want to change to UC, especially in a time of job losses due to a recession due to a pandemic, which will cause increased pressure on the UC claim system, then hats off to you.

Maxineputyourredshoeson · 20/03/2020 16:00

I made the move across to UC because as part of my illnesses I have generalised anxiety disorder and the not knowing when I would be moved was causing issues for me.

I applied after I received my tax credits (got it on the Monday, applied on Wednesday).

Was seen very quickly for ID checks etc. After ID checks applied for the advance. That was in our account very quickly.

When I did a calculation it worked out (correctly) that we would be approx £160 a month better off and because of that we haven’t lost any money a month with our advance.

Our payment was 5wks and 1 day after we applied.

For us it was incredibly straight forward and we have had no problems since moving over.

flirtygirl · 20/03/2020 16:01

Yes her change of circumstances may trigger it but op was suggesting not to wait and to do it early.

I'm making a point to all others who read this and are thinking about changing early.