Universal credit managed migration thread

[ChristmasCatBells]

Anyone else waiting for a migration notice this year?
Looks like they are planning to move people on tax credits only onto universal credit this year but haven't released any detailed timetables about areas.
Thought it might be useful to share experiences and information on here for those affected.

I've missed the migration date which was due at beginning of Dec as I've been going through a MH crisis the last 3+ months and have been unable to deal with anything.

I've now not received any tax credits for December.

I was thinking of contacting the migration help line tomorrow but unsure if its been left too late and no return back from this.

Does anyone have any advice?

Not specifically but I know Martyn Lewis MSE has a page of advice for those financially disadvantaged by MH issues. I think all govt depts have a special team trained to help.

Hope you're recovering now.

I’m getting myself into a panic about all this. Haven’t received a migration notice yet. We currently get £138 tax credits a week. Dh works full time. Ds is on high rate dla and I’m on the highest rates of pip (both elements) long term / indefinitely. Am I going to have an assessment for work under UC? I can’t work due to my own health needs and caring for Ds (aged 11 in specialist school and frequently out of school for various reasons) and haven’t worked in 13 years. Under tax credits I didn’t / don’t need to provide anything to say this, is UC different? I’ve done a turn2us benefit calculator and it seems we’re entitled to the same more or less as under tax credits (and obviously I won’t move to UC before the migration notice so we get the transistional protection) but I don’t really understand how it all works.

Well you don't have to have a work capability assessment but it may benefit you to have one as if you were awarded LCWRA you would get a significant amount of extra money on your Uc claim each month. If you currently claim ESA and are in the support group then you wouldn't need an assessment unless you were due a review anyway. If you don't want to go through the Work capability assessment you could just claim UC carers element for your DS, or you can go through the work capability assessment and potentially get more then the carers element if you were awarded LCWRA and your dh could claim the carers element for your ds or you as long as he provides 35 hours of care to one of you. It could greatly benefit you to be assessed. If you just go down the route of being put down on the Uc claim as your son's carer they would not make you look for any type of work. same if you were awarded LCWRA because of your own disabilities.

Thank you for replying. I just don’t understand any of that- what is lcwra? I’ll google it. At the moment we just get a set amount of tax credits and there’s no expectation for me to look for work or be assessed to work. I don’t get employment support allowance or anything like that at all.

Sorry my name change went back to my original name. It’s me pigeonqueen.

If you have a work capability assessment on Universal credit there are three possible outcomes. You can be awarded LCWRA ( Limited capability for work and work related activity ) - meaning they consider you to not be able to do any kind of work or work related activity. If awarded this then you would get an extra element on the Uc claim of an extra £390. Or you can be awarded LCW ( Limited capability for work) - this means they consider you to not be able to work currently but can do some work search activities or prepare to go back to work . Thirdly they find you fit for work. For LCW there is no extra money, so if awarded this you would be better off claiming carers element instead for your son. Being in receipt of PIP will not qualify you for LCW/ LCWRA, you need to go through the assessment process which can take some months, but would definitely be worth doing if you think there is a good chance of you being awarded LCWRA.

Ok thank you. So if they assess and decide I can work (I can’t but just incase, I don’t trust these things!) where would that leave me? Would we be worse off - would I be forced to attend interviews and so on?

I would suggest when you move over to UC you do the following.
You put yourself down as carer for your son, your dh puts himself down as a carer for you. this will automatically get you 2 carers elements on the claim - assuming you both care for the person for 35 hours a week. This will mean both you and dh have no work commitments and wouldn't be called in for any interviews/ work search appointments.
You declare your health condition when you make the claim. You will need to hand in sick notes and wait to be assessed. If you are awarded LCWRA ( likely) then the carers element for you will be replaced by the LCWRA element which is significantly higher ( you can't get both ). The LCWRA element is not paid for the first 3 months of your claim , it can take a few months to get assessed .If you don't get awarded LCWRA then you just carry on claiming carers element for your ds and that will exempt you from any work commitments. . Your dh can claim Carers element for you ( as long as doing 35 hours caring a week ) even though he works as you get PIP daily living.

Thank you so much, that’s so helpful. Really appreciated.

So my work coach appointment was pretty much sorted straight away for 11th January yet my husband still hasn't heard anything from them regarding an appointment. He's self employed so I know he'll have to go at some point... just wondering if it's usual to take this long?

Hi everyone I just applied for universal credit. It said I will have to look for extra work, I thought it goes on your income and not hours. Anyone know whst the minimum income is please? I work 26 hours and have a child over 13

@Imissthesummer I think you're in the position where you fall between two earnings thresholds.

If you're a single claimant with a child over 13 and the child has no additional needs then you're placed in the All Work Group with an expectation you will find sufficient work to earn to earn the monthly equivalent of full time at the National Living Wage. This is called the Conditionality Earnings Threshold and is set by law.

There's also a lower threshold, £677 per month for a single claimant (£1083 for a couple) above which you will not, in practice, be required to actively seek more work. You will though have appointments at the Job Centre from time to time. This lower figure, called the Administrative Earnings Threshold, is set by Ministers and changes from time to time. The present government are committed to raising it significantly.

Explanation here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-earnings scroll down to earnings and your responsibilities.

So I think that in practice you're OK as you are.

Have to move over from tax credits, if my partner earns 1400-1600 a month works full time , will I have to work? He is in retail so shifts all over the place very hard for me to find work around this with the children etc , both children over 6 years old but I’m like a stay at home wife and we like our set up it works for us. Thank you

Hi all.
Got our migration notice a few weeks back and will be making the transition very soon.

Me and my wife are foster carers (for 3 children at the moment) and we also have our own disabled child (18).
I do most of the stuff with our child as well as school runs etc for older Foster children and wife looks after 2 Yr old throughout the day.
Juggling all this around makes it very difficult for me to work more than I do.
Should I put myself as the carer for my disabled child (35hours p/w) and therefore, not be expected to look for more hours of work than I do now (6-9 p/w)?
My wife has received carers allowance for our child for last couple of years but I believe on UC I can nominate myself as carer, as long as I'm providing 35+ hours care.
Any advice would be so helpful.

Thank you

@Pudding212 I think the answer for you is similar to that I gave @Imissthesummer. You and your partner earn more than the (current) Administrative Earnings Threshold but less then if you were both earning NLW, albeit with your expected hours reduced to fit around school hours. I'd expect you to need to attend meetings at the Job Centre but not leaned on too heavily.

See https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/what-youll-need-to-do-on-universal-credit/claimant-commitment-what-group/ and look at the drop down for 'if you and your partner are Self Employed or Working'

Hi, did tax credits get back you with what you owe them? And if so, did they make you repay your payments you received from last April until Dec? The reason I ask is because I’m due to migrate next month & also don’t want to. Dh is getting a decent pay rise soon, so doubtful we’d be entitled to anything anyway, & I don’t want the stress for the sake of a few quid if we were still entitled.

I've just received my migration notice letter. Can anyone tell me please re the following. I get my tax credits paid weekly, but the payments will stop as soon as I make the UC claim. The UC claim can take up to 5 weeks. So what happens for me financially during those 5 weeks in without TC or UC?

Also, I get paid 25th of the month, but the December payment is always a week or so early. What date should I aim for for the UC? Is 15th a good bet? And would that mean I'd have to make the application on the 15th of the month? Thanks.

@Lonelyandupset tax credits will stop effective the day before you claim Universal Credit. HMRC will then finalise your claim and sort out any under/over payment.

If you will struggle with the wait you can ask for an advance of Universal Credit to tide you over. That will be repayable but you can take up to two years to pay it back.

Advice is usually to time your claim so that the end of the Monthly Assessment Period does no coincide with your salary pay day remembering that banking day shift can mean you're paid maybe as many as five days earlier. If you're paid early at Xmas 15th should be OK.

Thanks for the quick response. I noticed this on my UC today. So hopefully it stays like this lol

You cannot have a different person claiming UC carers element for the same child that your wife is claiming carers allowance for.

So I have had some health issues over new year and after contacting doctor on Tuesday, have been fast tracked, due to my age, for scans and testing. Been in today for biopsies and examination and have to have further scans. I should be ok to keep my appointment at job center next week, but if I am unable due to appointments/not fully well, who do I contact as it's a new claim? Do I phone universal credit? Leave a note in my journal? I'm hoping to still attend as I know I'm going to have to at some point, just if I need to rearrange?

Best to leave a message on journal as soon as possible, if no one answers then give them a call.

Ok, will do. Who do I message? Agent/work coach/universal credit? Just seems a few options?

Is it an ID appointment? I would just message agent if so.