Cleaning clients aren't paying her. What should she do for money til the grant comes?

[pinkrocker]

I know this is a strange situation, and some people are paying their cleaners even if they're not coming into their houses. Only one of my friend's clients has offered to pay, that's £24 a week, but the rest won't or haven't offered to pay. That's not the query we have though.
The govt will pay her some kind of one off grant in June won't they, as she's self employed? She's wondering what she's meant to do for money til then.
She's cut all her direct debits down by contacting the gas/electric providers, she's asked for a payment break on her rent which she got. I think she's asked for a reduction in council tax too, but they said she had to wait for further instructions.
She gets housing benefit and child tax credit and working tax credit still (we want to check if that's still right, while we're on lockdown?) and she may get child maintenance, but we think that might be paused by the dad for a bit.
She has a 11 yr old and is a single mum.
I'm honestly clueless, from what I've read on Martin Lewis' website etc, it just says to wait for the grant? Is that right?
Or should we be applying for UC?
(I say we as she helps keep me sane and I help her with her tax return, doing online stuff, setting her up with email etc, she's a good friend and I want to help)
We'd be grateful for any advice. Thanks.

I believe she can apply for UC?

The grant from the government will be based on her previous 5 years tax returns. If they are not very high she might be better off applying for universal credit.

Thank you!
We got through the form and she was unsure of a few things so we left it. Can you have any money saved at all? Her mum left her some money but it's in her pension fund, she doesn't know if that would be classed as savings by UC?

They won't be very high, she usually doesn't earn enough to pay a lot of tax.

www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-what-to-do-if-youre-self-employed-and-getting-less-work-or-no-work
This might help?

You can have up to about 6,000 in your savings account I think? What do you mean when you say pension fund?

@TARSCOUT thank you v much. Had a look and that does suggest UC is the way forwards.
Just need to find out if her pension bit is counted as savings or not. It's with LV, that's all I know.

@JasonPollack her mum left her some money when she died and it's tied up (for want of a better word) as a pension for when she retires. That's what she calls it, but if it's in an investment fund even if you can't get at it, that's classed as savings isn't it?

Apply for UC, they should give a one off payment of around £300 that day. This will be taken of subsequent payments.
I think you can have up to £6000 savings before they affect benifits.

If she’s already on tax credits, you need to check how much she’s getting compared uc as once she changes, she can’t go back. I doubt that she’d get much more if at all on uc compared to what she gets now.

Ah right, I think where we are (NE) UC haven't been rolled out yet, we still get individual tax credits etc paid, not in one monthly lump sum which is how UC is paid, is that right?
I'll see if there's a calculator for comparing both.
@Wewearpinkonwednesdays I think the investment/pension fund is about £30k but she can't get at it to dip into (as far as I know). It is locked up, I think?
I have a feeling she'd not get UC because of that, happy to be wrong though.
(I should find out what this investment actually is before I ask daft questions on here shouldn't I ! )

She shouldn't worry about her savings. As she's getting housing benefit, she must be under the threshold. UC is the same limit of £16,000. (She'll get a reduced rate if savings are over £6,000.)

Thank you, I'll mention this to her.
Much obliged to all for the advice.

How old is she?

Pensions savings won't count if they're not accessible, and pensions are not accessible until age 55 except in specific cases (eg having to stop work for medical reasons). Even then they may not count the pension pot if she hasn't already started to access it.

However, if it's just an investment fund not in a pension then it may be counted as savings.

She's 54. She's waiting for the person who set it up for her to get back to her to tell her exactly what it is, thank you @Palavah.

Try the site entitledto you fill in the details what she get currently as in working tax/ child tax and any earnings she is receiving and that will tell you what she will be entitled to

As already said if she starts a claim for universal credit her wtc will stop. And she can't go back to them.

Savings limit is £5k.

Thanks all!

I'm in the north east and as far as I know any change to a claim for tax credits triggers a move to universal credit, it's happened to me and a few friends. As a single parent of 2 in rented accommodation and in work I have found uc to be very good

I'm in the same position of I was still being paid I would have continued to pay my cleaner. I am not working at the moment, still awaiting the furlogh process. So currently have had zero income for a month! I have applied for job seekers. (UC I cant apply for. ) My current income from next week will be just over £50 a week. I have no idea how I'll manage on that but lots of people arw, I feel sorry for my cleaner but she needs to see what she's entitled too. She will only get the self employed money too depending on her business structure bid she's set her self up as self employed then she will get it , if she's set herself up as a ltd company and takes a dividend instead of a salary she won't. Difficult times for lots of people

Thanks @maddy68 she's definitely self employed! I think she'll just need to sit tight til June and the business grant from the govt.
Thank you as well @lanbro.