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Universal credit.

118 replies

megggggg · 16/04/2025 12:21

Can anyone tell me or maybe roughly tell me if me and my partner will get any help?
3 children, rent £675. Both work he gets about £2000 a month I get about £500.
we are struggling so much and don't find out for another week but I just want to know.

OP posts:
TheHerboriste · 16/04/2025 14:14

Why not work more?? Night shifts if necessary.

TaupeMember · 16/04/2025 14:18

You would defo get a fair bit on those figures. Apply online now, it really is very easy and they don't backdate so the sooner you apply the better.

Everyone should make sure they get what they're entitled to.

megggggg · 16/04/2025 14:37

TheHerboriste · 16/04/2025 14:14

Why not work more?? Night shifts if necessary.

my partner works night it's hard enough him looking after baby after he's been on nights so I can work. She only gets 15 hours free childcare. And when I can barely afford to make ends meet I certainly can not afford Childcare.

OP posts:
megggggg · 16/04/2025 14:38

TheHerboriste · 16/04/2025 14:14

Why not work more?? Night shifts if necessary.

Also my job is in a restaurant isn't always hours available

OP posts:
SkibidiSigma · 16/04/2025 14:41

TheHerboriste · 16/04/2025 14:14

Why not work more?? Night shifts if necessary.

Of course it's always that easy.....

megggggg · 16/04/2025 14:43

Cherrycola4 · 16/04/2025 14:04

We earn the same, one child, we get £0.

Oh no really. That's not good! :(

OP posts:
megggggg · 16/04/2025 14:45

TheLurpackYears · 16/04/2025 14:11

You would be entitled to claim and wouldn't need to increase your hours because your partner earns over the joint claim limit.

I don't think my hours would be a problem as of yet I'm the main carer of our 11 month old. It says online that it's not till there 3 they even prompt you to find work.

OP posts:
LakieLady · 16/04/2025 14:47

I've just done a back of a fag packet type calculation and reckon you should be entitled to at least a couple of hundred a month, a little more if your eldest was born before April 2017.

Your UC elements/allowances are

Couple £628.10
Child 1 £292.81
Child 2 £292.81
TOTAL £1213.72

If your youngest was born before 6/4/2017, add another £292.81 to that total. Then add either your actual monthly rent or, if you're in a private rental, the LHA rate for a 3-bed in your area, whichever is lower. Add that to the total above to give you your "maximum UC entitlement".

The first £411 of earnings will be disregarded, so £2,089 is the amount of your £2,500 income that will count. The "taper rate" is 55%, so the amount of "tapered earnings" that will be deducted from the "maximum UC entitlement" is £1148.95.

You should get almost all the rent, up to the LHA if that applies.

Disclaimer: I'm very tired and have been crunching numbers all morning, so won't be held responsible for accuracy!

If you're happy to disclose the ages of your children and the LHA rate, I'll run it through the specialist software that I use for work.

megggggg · 16/04/2025 14:52

LakieLady · 16/04/2025 14:47

I've just done a back of a fag packet type calculation and reckon you should be entitled to at least a couple of hundred a month, a little more if your eldest was born before April 2017.

Your UC elements/allowances are

Couple £628.10
Child 1 £292.81
Child 2 £292.81
TOTAL £1213.72

If your youngest was born before 6/4/2017, add another £292.81 to that total. Then add either your actual monthly rent or, if you're in a private rental, the LHA rate for a 3-bed in your area, whichever is lower. Add that to the total above to give you your "maximum UC entitlement".

The first £411 of earnings will be disregarded, so £2,089 is the amount of your £2,500 income that will count. The "taper rate" is 55%, so the amount of "tapered earnings" that will be deducted from the "maximum UC entitlement" is £1148.95.

You should get almost all the rent, up to the LHA if that applies.

Disclaimer: I'm very tired and have been crunching numbers all morning, so won't be held responsible for accuracy!

If you're happy to disclose the ages of your children and the LHA rate, I'll run it through the specialist software that I use for work.

Eldest was born 29/07/2015
middle 07/03/2019
youngest 14/05/2024

OP posts:
megggggg · 16/04/2025 14:54

LakieLady · 16/04/2025 14:47

I've just done a back of a fag packet type calculation and reckon you should be entitled to at least a couple of hundred a month, a little more if your eldest was born before April 2017.

Your UC elements/allowances are

Couple £628.10
Child 1 £292.81
Child 2 £292.81
TOTAL £1213.72

If your youngest was born before 6/4/2017, add another £292.81 to that total. Then add either your actual monthly rent or, if you're in a private rental, the LHA rate for a 3-bed in your area, whichever is lower. Add that to the total above to give you your "maximum UC entitlement".

The first £411 of earnings will be disregarded, so £2,089 is the amount of your £2,500 income that will count. The "taper rate" is 55%, so the amount of "tapered earnings" that will be deducted from the "maximum UC entitlement" is £1148.95.

You should get almost all the rent, up to the LHA if that applies.

Disclaimer: I'm very tired and have been crunching numbers all morning, so won't be held responsible for accuracy!

If you're happy to disclose the ages of your children and the LHA rate, I'll run it through the specialist software that I use for work.

LHA rate is 126.58 a week

OP posts:
Bromptotoo · 16/04/2025 15:17

Roughly where in the country is 3 bed LHA as low as that?

However even at that rate you'd get around £660.00

megggggg · 16/04/2025 15:32

Bromptotoo · 16/04/2025 15:17

Roughly where in the country is 3 bed LHA as low as that?

However even at that rate you'd get around £660.00

Edited

south Yorkshire

OP posts:
Bromptotoo · 16/04/2025 15:39

megggggg · 16/04/2025 15:32

south Yorkshire

Wow, just looked that up.

LakieLady · 16/04/2025 15:40

Bromptotoo · 16/04/2025 15:17

Roughly where in the country is 3 bed LHA as low as that?

However even at that rate you'd get around £660.00

Edited

Blimey, you're good! 😊

The benefit software gives £659.48, and the 52p difference can easily be explained away by different methods of doing the weekly rent to monthly amount.

The summary looks like this OP:

Standard allowance £628.10
Child allowances £631.81
Housing element £548.51

Maximum UC: £1808.42
Less tapered earnings £1148.94

UC payable £659.48

Get that claim started, OP! Some people find it helpful to start their UC claim halfway between paydays, so they get a top-up mid-month when things start to get tight.

megggggg · 16/04/2025 15:42

LakieLady · 16/04/2025 15:40

Blimey, you're good! 😊

The benefit software gives £659.48, and the 52p difference can easily be explained away by different methods of doing the weekly rent to monthly amount.

The summary looks like this OP:

Standard allowance £628.10
Child allowances £631.81
Housing element £548.51

Maximum UC: £1808.42
Less tapered earnings £1148.94

UC payable £659.48

Get that claim started, OP! Some people find it helpful to start their UC claim halfway between paydays, so they get a top-up mid-month when things start to get tight.

Wow, thankyou so much for your help! X

OP posts:
Bromptotoo · 16/04/2025 15:43

LakieLady · 16/04/2025 15:40

Blimey, you're good! 😊

The benefit software gives £659.48, and the 52p difference can easily be explained away by different methods of doing the weekly rent to monthly amount.

The summary looks like this OP:

Standard allowance £628.10
Child allowances £631.81
Housing element £548.51

Maximum UC: £1808.42
Less tapered earnings £1148.94

UC payable £659.48

Get that claim started, OP! Some people find it helpful to start their UC claim halfway between paydays, so they get a top-up mid-month when things start to get tight.

It's QBC that's good...

LakieLady · 16/04/2025 15:55

Bromptotoo · 16/04/2025 15:43

It's QBC that's good...

QBC is a genius bit of kit!

I'm probably going to retire later this year, and I'll really miss it.

Cherrycola4 · 16/04/2025 16:13

megggggg · 16/04/2025 14:43

Oh no really. That's not good! :(

Maybe because our mortgage is low, about £500 a month? No savings or other income.

IVFmumoftwo · 16/04/2025 17:10

TheHerboriste · 16/04/2025 14:14

Why not work more?? Night shifts if necessary.

Why? There would be less time for family time. Sometimes it is better to just claim the top up.

gamerchick · 16/04/2025 17:28

IVFmumoftwo · 16/04/2025 17:10

Why? There would be less time for family time. Sometimes it is better to just claim the top up.

People on here would prefer it if people never slept so they didn't claim anything.

Munnygirl · 16/04/2025 17:30

IVFmumoftwo · 16/04/2025 17:10

Why? There would be less time for family time. Sometimes it is better to just claim the top up.

???

TheHerboriste · 16/04/2025 17:31

IVFmumoftwo · 16/04/2025 17:10

Why? There would be less time for family time. Sometimes it is better to just claim the top up.

Yeah, just have the taxpayers continually fork out. Why do budgeting or prudent family planning?

Perfect28 · 16/04/2025 17:37

Why don't you just apply and see? What have you got to lose?

Munnygirl · 16/04/2025 17:38

IVFmumoftwo · 16/04/2025 17:10

Why? There would be less time for family time. Sometimes it is better to just claim the top up.

So what about the taxpayers who have to work long hours to ensure that YOU have e family time why they don’t?What an unbelievable attitude to have. OP this comment is not directed at you.

IVFmumoftwo · 16/04/2025 17:40

TheHerboriste · 16/04/2025 17:31

Yeah, just have the taxpayers continually fork out. Why do budgeting or prudent family planning?

You will be paying for the childcare OP needs to recover from the Nightshift so won't be saving the tax payer anything.