Universal Credit - better off?

[Lougle]

Hi, I'm wondering whether DH and I should switch to UC.

DH works full time, £23k per year.
3 children, all born before 04/2016
1 child gets enhanced care PIP
1 child gets middle rate care DLA
I get carer's allowance.

The entitled 2 calculator says we'd be better off on UC and if we switch, we wouldn't have to pay for DD1's post-16 transport (£1400 pa). But I'm not massively trusting and I know that once you switch you can't switch back (we had a real battle to get TC reinstated when someone made 4 fraudulent claims for UC in DH's name, 10 weeks waiting to get it resolved, and we had to have manually paid TCs for some time until they got us back on to the system).

Thanks in advance for any advice!

If you have a local CAB or welfare rights in your area, they should be able to hep work this out for you?

I think it all depends how much better off you would be.
UC avoids the risk of overpayments like with tax credits.

I'm worried that the calculators might be inaccurate. @Babyroobs I know you're well up on UC. Could you give me a ballpark please?

Do you rent? If so, is it a council/housing association house or private? How much is DH’s income per month after tax, NI, pension contributions?

Thanks @LargeLegoHaul

We rent - council - £516 p/m
DH earns £1570.72 p/m

Hopefully my maths is correct.

Standard element. £525.72
1st child. £290
2nd child. £244.58
3rd child. £244.58
Disability element child 1 £414.88
Disability element child 2. £132.89
Carer element you. £168.81
Carer element DH. £168.81
Housing element. £516
Total = £2706.27

Earnings. £1570.72
Carer’s allowance. £302.03
Work allowance. £344

Earnings minus work allowance
£1570.72 - £344 = £1226.72

Deduction
Earnings x 0.55 =
£1226.72 x 0.55 = £674.70

Total allowed - earnings deductions - CA = total UC per month
£2706.27 - £674.70 - £302.03 = £1,729.54

I make the monthly UC amount £1729.55 per month.
Total Uc made up of couples element, 3 x childrens elements, 1 x higher disabled child element, 1 x lower disabled child element, rent element and 2 x carers elements - you claim for one child each assuming you both provide 35 hours care. Total of all these elements comes to £2706.27
Then with deductions for husbands earnings and carers allowance, it leaves £1729.55 Uc to be paid. Deductions for husbands earnings is £674.69, deduction for carers allowance is averaged at £302.03. Carers allowance, PIP, DLA, child benefit all continue to be paid separately on top of this.
You can always also use the citizens advice help to claim service, they will do the calculation for you to check you will be better off on UC.

Sorry you beat me to it. At least we came to the same figure bar a penny !

Yes, I think your maths is better than mine! I think you’re right with your earnings deduction and it’s mine that’s wrong.

Thank you both. We would be much better off then, I think, as we currently get £287 per week for Tax Credits which is roughly £1243.

That's aside from having to find £453 per term for transport.

I know timing is everything. If we applied on, say, the 20th of the month, we'd avoid any double counting that might come from Bank holidays at the end of a month, wouldn't we? Our payment date would be 27th of the month. Whereas if we applied on the 24th of the month, we could end up with being paid twice in one month because DH gets paid early if there's a bank holiday.

Or would we be better to stagger it, so that we get paid half-way through the month?

I know I sound nuerotic but it was just so stressful when we had to wait weeks for any income because of the fraudulent claim. I can't cope with that again!

If DH is paid twice within the same assessment period because of bank holiday/weekends the second wage can be attributed to the next assessment period as it would have been if he wasn’t paid early.

I agree you’ll be better off. Also extra things such as discounted broadband.

Technically could she not claim housing costs and receive the higher work allowance?

Why would she do that? The higher work allowance wouldn’t outway receiving the housing element so the total UC award would be less.

The difference between the work allowances saves £126 in deductions, I think, but I'd lose £516 in rent.

As far as I know if you are in remted accommodation you have to declare that, otherwise it is not accurate- you do have housing costs. I agree with the calculations depending on how many bedrooms you have so whether might have bedroom tax. If you do have extra bedrooms do you need them for medical equipment or children disturbed in the night so cant share a bedroom?

I’m so stupid. I know this! Why did I even think it. What is happening to my brain! In my defence I am waiting for the GP to call back as I’m exhausted.

@Bagzzz we have 3 girls in a 3-bed house, so no bedroom tax.