Universal Credit Question

[Bluejayway91]

Hey all,

I've been doing some calculations with my husband regarding monies for when our baby is born and when I go back to work.

We both earn 18.5 k a year, rent privately at £625 a month and with bills (not including food) our outgoings are over £900 a month. We also trying to save at least 5k before baby comes in December.

We're saving this amount as my work only offer statutory maternity pay. I would love a whole year off with LO, but may have to go back after 9 months. However, neither of us drive, so the money may have to go on lessons for my husband/ everything that comes with buying/running a car. We shall see if he can make contributions to the savings pot and also have lessons before LO comes.

We understand that belts will need to be tightened, but now we've looked at childcare. We don't have any family nearby, so LO will have to go to nursery 4 days a week when I return to work.

Having looked at the average childcare for our area, all my wages will be going on bills and childcare, which is a little scary, with no spare money.

So, my MIL gave some advise regarding universal credit in replacement of child tax credit. Doing a calculator online it looks like we can claim, but I'll need to phone them to see.

My question is, when do we make a claim? When I'm on maternity or when I go back to work?

Sorry for the long ramble, I'm a FTM and really worried about money and the like.

It's worth putting in a claim when the baby is born as you might be entitled to something.

Which online calculator did you use? I'd recommend the turn2us one as it breaks everything down for you and you can go back and edit it to see how different scenarios work out. If you put your UC claim in from when mat leave starts you may be entitled to a bit of the housing benefit element to get help with rent, update when baby is born and get the child tax element and update when you return to work for the childcare support element. Universal credit covers all that on the one claim and only child benefit is separate. You can put all this in the calculator by estimating dates, childcare costs, earnings etc to get a better idea of what you're entitled to.

@WutheringShites86, that's the one I used last night and thought it was great. Also, your username is awesome.

With the housing benefit aspect, sounds like a silly question, but does you landlord become informed that you're claiming? I'm worried he'll evict if we do, even though we've been perfect tenants and never paid rent late in 4 years.

Haha, thank you! No the landlord doesn't need to know because any housing element you might get would be directly paid to you so they won't know any difference in terms of where the money comes from. You have to actually go out of your way to get it paid directly to the landlord when that is what people prefer.

Excellent! That's a relief. I know how landlords can be about HB.

I've redone the calculations and it seems that we'll be eligible, which is great.

I'll see what I can claim when baby's born and go from there.

I imagine it's a lot of hoop jumping and that to be approved and receive payment? My husband claimed job seekers many years ago, and it really took a toll on him.

@WutheringShites86

Haha, thank you! No the landlord doesn't need to know because any housing element you might get would be directly paid to you so they won't know any difference in terms of where the money comes from. You have to actually go out of your way to get it paid directly to the landlord when that is what people prefer.

I have tenants and recently got a call from benefits people saying that they were approved for UC and did I want the housing element paid to me directly or to them..

@NeverTalksToStrangers hmmm that seems unusual based on my experience, I wonder if that was because the tenants wanted it paid directly to you?

@NeverTalksToStrangers
gosh I have never heard of this! Must mention it on NRLA forum to find out if its ever happened to anybody else -
For me op - if you make sure you pay rent on time - why should I worry? The only time some LL might think about it (& eviction is a long & nasty business, for both sides. Which should only be started if the situation is really out of hand - it is expensive for LL -as is getting new tenants, remember the LL has to pay for the new tenancy now so that should put arbitrary evictions) is if you get in arrears.
be a good tenant take care of the property, pay the rent & be reasonable about essential access - no probs. & keep the lines of communication open - I have given tenant my email even though I have an agent.

Official guidance on the gov.uk page still says they dont tell private landlords, last updated may 2020

@NeverTalksToStrangers the good thing is is that we're on really good terms with the landlord.

We have each other's numbers even though we have an estate agent and if there's ever an issue with the house, it's sorted right away.

I dunno, he could be totally fine about it, but I'm a very anxious person and love to catastrophise, especially now.

Ironically, the UC would be for childcare only, as rent would already be taken care of by mine and my husband's wages, so there would be no need for housing benefit.

Not sure if the screenshot is showing?

@WutheringShites86 That's fab. Thanks for finding that.

@Bluejayway91 no problem, best of luck!

I went on it whilst on maternity about 6 months in. Wish I went on it sooner tbh.

My partner then got about £1300 a month. I was on £600-700 maternity a month and UC would give me around £280 a month.

Why driving lessons for him? Why not you? Realistically if you are the one doing all the running about with baby it makes more sense for you to drive.

@blacktop I did try to learn to drive a couple of years ago, but stopped as I was involved in a crash. I've not had the confidence to restart.

I'm city-based, so can take public transport/walk - my husband is learning to drive so that we can visit friends and family who are spread around the country.

The main benefit for driving is he can drive to work instead of taking the bus.

Aww I'm sorry, that's a shame your confidence has taken a knock :(

@SpillTheTeaa That's good to know that you go something during maternity. Sounds very similar to what we'll be getting when I'm on maternity as well.

You will probably get slightly more as think they upped the allowance due to coronavirus.