Universal credit and fluctuating savings

[OUB1974]

I am on quite a low income at the moment (c.£1k per month) and my husband is looking for work.

Our outgoings are around £1400 per month, but as I was made redundant last year, we have some savings and we are not eligible for universal credit.

Obviously we need to spend our savings on living expenses, so at some point soon, they will drop below the limit to apply for universal credit.

Does anyone know what happens then? Do we apply for it as soon as our savings go below the £16k mark? What happens if they go down but then up again. Do they check every month?

I'm hoping dh will find a job soon but it's hard at the moment. He's applied for loads over the last 6 months but not been successful and now his jobseekers has run out. I'm just not sure what will happen if we apply for benefits but our savings fluctuate. We also need a bit of furniture for our new home but I'm worried that if we do this and apply for UC then they will expect us not to have bought new things. Does anyone know how it works?

Thank you.

Yes you can apply when they drop below 16k. You would then need to update them if the savings fluctuate. For savings over 6k, Uc will deduct £4.35 for every £250 over 6k. It is your responsibility to let them know if savings fluctuate.

Regarding buying furniture, it is perfectly reasonable to replace furniture without getting into trouble with the DWP. If you spent it on a top of the range brand new car then yes that might be suspicious but reasonable spending is fine.