Can I ask about UC ?

[HoneyCherio]

Just received a letter asking me to claim UC from tax credits. If you have already moved, what the process was like?
I have 3 months to claim.
Should I claim sooner rather than later?
Do they want to see a lot of paperwork?
Do I meet with someone in person or is it all done online/phone?

One of us claiming is employed the other self employed.

I will be grateful for any replies to these questions.

Not done it myself but I've helped any number of people to do it.

When you claim is down to you bearing in mind things like when you're paid at work, holidays etc. It's paid monthly with each month in your claim being called an Assessment Period. The 'gotcha', for those paid calendar monthly, is having your AP end very close to the day your salary is paid so that when you're paid early you get two salaries in one AP.

The first AP begins the day you claim and it ends a month later ie if you claim today, 18 May, your first AP will end on 17 June and you'll get the money a week after that, around 24 June.

Not much paperwork. If you're renting privately they'll need proof of rent, ideally the tenancy agreement. Possibly savings too. You may need to go to the Jobcentre depending on your circumstances.

I think, for most people, it's far smoother and seamless than they fear.

The bug bear is the five week wait for payment. An advance is available but you have to spend the next n months paying that off.

Do it mid month, mine is on 29th and its a complete nightmare as previous commenter described! I had to appeal for March/April as Feb & March wages went into one period. Thankfully I was successful but it would have been so much easier if the dates were different!

There are a number of extra checks for self employed people on UC so bear that in mind that the self employed person will need an extra interview etc at the job centre to check they are gainfully self employed - they may need to see invoices, accounts / profits etc.

Can you claim UC while on maternity leave?

Thank you this is all really helpful.

It's the self employment that I am concerned most about as even though it's a full time job, it's not the main source of income.

Do we get any time to grow the business further or will the self employed claimant be asked to look for employment?

You fill in a form online, but might need to go in for meetings.

• DH & I both had to go in to confirm ID, this can apparently be done online, but didn't work for up.

• DH also had a second meeting about being self employed, had to take tax returns and show it was gainful and ongoing employment.

• DH also has to report his income every month, and is subject to an income floor. To prepare for this he changed some of his expenses to monthly instead of annual, so he's just over the amount every month instead of higher some and lower some.

Have a look at some online calculators to work out what you'll get, if it's more then apply sooner, if its less, wait until towards the end of your time window.

You also need to time it so the employed persons pay doesn't fall right at the beginning/end of the assessment period, otherwise if payday moves for weekends or Bank Holidays, you end up with two pays in one period.

I didn't have to go in anywhere and it was straightforward. But there is just me. As far as i know you get some time to prove that self employment is viable. I've found that UC is less generous that tax credits though even with transitional protection 😭.

Self employment means that ultimately, probably after a year, you will be subject to the minimum income floor:

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/jargon-buster/minimum-income-floor

This is my first post so not sure if I'm posting in the right place. But any help ot advice is welcomed!
I was receiving universal credit for myself and my daughter. We moved in with my partner (daughters dad) in April so done a joint UC claim, he is self employed but works for a company and works 5 days a week. Today he had his appointment to verify his self employment and show proof etc all that was fine.
My daughter is 2 and I'm 19 weeks pregnant with our second child. Payment was overdue by 2 weeks, my partner had to fill out an income form on his journal and then uc statement came back saying we are entitled to £0 without taking into consideration that my partner has to pay rent, council tax, electric, petrol, other bills from his wage.. I now have no money whatsoever.. after my partner pays all his bills and everything from his pay, what he has left over is not enough to support us all and do weekly food shopping and get things that our 2 year old needs. I have no incoming money at all now. What can I do? I'm so stressed out, I have my own bills to pay. Where do I stand?

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How much does your boyfriend earn? If he earns over the threshold then you won't be entitled to uc.

Is he paid a wage through PAYE?

It's an absolute PITA for self employed people. The SE person will need to prove they are gainfully SE and the submit monthly accounts, and be subject to a minimum income floor (basically be making the same or more than they would earning NMW in an employed job). Make a profit? Get less UC. Make a loss, or less than the MIF? They'll treat you as if you did make the MIF. You do get up to a year's grace from the MIF if migrating from tax credits though. But I would stay on TC as long as you can.

I'm finding it all a total pain in the arse.
I'm not working, or rather, not in paid employment. I do lots of voluntary stuff.
Got advised child tax credits were going and I must apply for UC.
I've now got a summons to a meeting with a job coach (?)
I don't want another job. I'm happy doing what I'm doing. I applied because I was told to.
I suspect my application will get booted.

@TeabySea the general principle in UC is that unless you have a reason not to you should be seeking/taking work for which you are paid.

Is there a reason such as a health condition or caring for a disabled person that means you cannot take paid work?

Do you have young children or a partner who is working?

@Bromptotoo partner is self employed* and has also been summoned to meet with a job coach. I do work, but just don't get paid for it.
When we were claiming CTC that was all OK, so I don't understand why we have to go and do this? Our circumstances haven't changed. We were eligible before. To me, this feels like moving goalposts.
As I said, I only applied because HMRC told me I had to as CTC was being replaced with UC.

*We have a friend who has been SE for a decade and had been (over thr last 2 years) caring for their terminally ill spouse, and receiving carers allowance. As soon as they informed that spouse had died (3 weeks or so ago) they were told they had to meet with a job coach as they were supposed to apply for UC.
For whatever reason, the fact that they are SE doesn't seem to register as a 'proper' job.

@TeabySea from a government policy perspective there were a lot of people on Tax Credits sitting in one of its 'sweet spots' while saying they worked as self employed doing stuff like writing.

UC is designed to ensure claimants are always better off in work. Whether you are required to seek/take paid work will, I think, depend on your partner's SE earnings. In order to get people into work it's structured more like Job Seekers - unless you have ill health, caring etc responsibilities.

As ever, the people to speak to are Help to Claim

This is a fair point. Although it's a total PITA to have UC for SE people worked out monthly (I think it would be fairer to do it if not annually then twice a year or at most quarterly) I do know people who basically claimed their hobby was a business and thus claimed TC for things like being an artist (when they ran an etsy shop that had one sale a month).

DH had been SE for 18 years and can clearly evidence. Nothing on that front has changed. I understand they don't want to pay if you can afford not to have it bit I object to be being called to a "back to work" interview without discussing.
I'm not bothered if we don't qualify, as I know that under DHs self assessment that was always a potential outcome before, depending on his annual turnover. (In the past we have qualified for CTC under those rules)

Hopefully it'll weed out people claiming and not actully needing.

@TeabySea are you sure it was really a 'back to work' interview.

That said a condition for UC is that you agree a claimant commitment; what you have to do to receive UC. An interview to work out what your commitment, whether it's (jointly) earning enough, keep in touch or some sort of work search is circumstance dependent.

Bottom line is that if, jointly, you're seen as needing to earn more they're not going to pay you to volunteer instead.

Not saying whether I agree with that but it's certainly the policy intent.

It's an interview with a work coach and I had to submit a CV. Maybe it's just a standard thing.
I'll report back afterwards 🙂

^Went to the interview and explained I'd only applied as I was told to in lieu of CTC
The guy went through my CV and I explained I'm not looking for work, I do several days a week volunteering and am looking to set myself up in a self employed job (not jewellery making or easy selling, but too outing to post here).
He was fine and said that it should be possible to get some advice and guidance on the SI part.
I explained its a joint claim and DPs earning ls may take us beyond the threshold.

Got home to an email saying I need to commit to looking for work (can't remember if it said I have to take any job offered).

So essentially the goalposts have now moved. I don't know if I can be arsed with all the hoops to jump through.

DP has a meeting next week so we'll know then whether we meet the criteria or not.