Universal credit and self employed

[elliejjtiny]

We are one of the last few families still on tax credits but we will have to move to universal credit sooner or later. Dh has been self employed for 9 years since he had a break down and I am a carer to our children who are disabled. Dh earns about 5k a year but it's not evenly spaced out and he gets 2-3k in September most years and the rest in small amounts here and there. That works out ok on tax credits because they work on his yearly income but I've heard that universal credits calculate income per month so I am assuming we will end up with less money overall. We don't get any housing benefit or council tax benefit at the moment but I don't think we would get the housing element of universal credit because we rent from a family member. Can someone please explain how this will work for us?

Husband would have to attend an appointment at the JC to determine if he is gainfully self employed (GSE). I can't say what the outcome might be but it is a very low income and he could be found not gainfully self employed which would mean he would have to attend regular appointments and look for employed work either to supplement self-employed work or to replace it. If he is treated as GSE then he would get a year to build the business up to the equivalent of 35 hrs x minimum wage per month profit. ( Currently £1410). This is the Minimum Income Floor (MIF). After a year If he reported profit of less than £1410 per month then the MIF would be treated as his income. If he reported above the MIF the higher figure would be used.

The good news is that as you will get no help with housing costs you have a higher work allowance so more of your income whether employed or self-employed will be disregarded.

Your commitments would depend on the age of the children, whether you are the main carer and what benefits they receive (DLA, PIP etc).

Thankyou. We have 3 children on dla/pip and 2 not. Youngest is 9. I thought that if we have more than 1 child on dla/pip then both myself and dh could be classed as carers even if dh was working as well. He doesn't get carers allowance as he doesn't do 35 hours a week caring but he does help a lot and I would struggle massively without him, especially as I can't drive due to medical issues and dh gets the dc to school and college.

Yes you can both say that you are carers for different children. If that is all confirmed neither of you would have to be available for work. If your husband carries on with his self-employed work he would have to report his earnings monthly through his online account. It would depend on when the children come off your account as to when things might change. As your youngest is 9 over the next 10 years there will be various changes as they gradually all become adults and are removed from your claim.

Thank you. Tbh if we ever get to the point where the children are able to come off my claim then I will happily go back to work.

Hiya Just want to ask as I am in same situation. Did u get universal credit and how did it go xx