Universal credit

Coz
Coz Posts: 120 Forumite
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in Benefits & tax credits
If a single mum was to work 9 hours a week at £8.25 an hour, which works out at £74.25 a week and they recieved £136.90 a week universal credit, instead of working tax credit and child tax credit, would part of that universal credit be classed as job seekers allowance and would they be forced to work more hours?

Comments

  • Alice_Holt
    Alice_Holt Posts: 5,946 Forumite
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    Most likely.

    https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Universal-Credit/Claimant-Commitment-Conditionality


    "All work-related requirements

    This is the full conditionality group, if you are in this group you will be required to look for and be available for work. You will usually be expected to look for full-time work of 35 hours a week but this can be less in certain circumstances, for example if you have caring responsibilities or have physical or mental health problems."
    Alice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.
  • Coz
    Coz Posts: 120 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Thanks. So if they were already receiving Child Tax Credit and then they started working 9 hours a week, could they not just carry on receiving the £64 a week child tax credit and refuse the rest of it?
  • sangie595
    sangie595 Posts: 6,092 Forumite
    Why wouldn't you work as many hours as you could so that you aren't dependant on any benefit? Nine hours a week isn't an awful lot. Why can't you work more hours?
  • Coz
    Coz Posts: 120 Forumite
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    sangie595 wrote: »
    Why wouldn't you work as many hours as you could so that you aren't dependant on any benefit? Nine hours a week isn't an awful lot. Why can't you work more hours?

    That is the plan. This is like a stepping stone. Been in full time education for the past 3 years alongside working in nurseries unpaid (worked over 1000 hours unpaid) and only claimed child tax credit for the past 2 years, Finished college last month, but did not claim job seekers allowance and been volunteering at a place where I would love to work full time, which is a possibility at some point this year. However, there is a chance of me working 9 hours a week there from September. Obviously I have to inform tax credits of my change in circumstances, but if they change me onto Universal Credit and force me to find 35 hours, I will lose this opportunity of working there.

    I'm not asking to get paid for doing nothing, I've worked plenty of hours for nothing and I'm not even claiming for all the benefits I'm entitled to now.
  • Alice_Holt
    Alice_Holt Posts: 5,946 Forumite
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    Coz wrote: »
    ..... there is a chance of me working 9 hours a week there from September. Obviously I have to inform tax credits of my change in circumstances, but if they change me onto Universal Credit

    This is unlikely to be a change of circumstance that would force you onto UC, even in a full service area.

    See:
    https://www.welfare-benefits-unit.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-triggers-a-claim-for-Universal-Credit-in-a-full-service-area.pdf
    Alice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.
  • Coz
    Coz Posts: 120 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Thank you, Alice.
  • Coz
    Coz Posts: 120 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Alice_Holt wrote: »
    This is unlikely to be a change of circumstance that would force you onto UC, even in a full service area.

    See:
    https://www.welfare-benefits-unit.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-triggers-a-claim-for-Universal-Credit-in-a-full-service-area.pdf

    So if I will stay on child tax credit, would I not get working tax credit aswell unless I was working 16 hours a week?
  • Alice_Holt
    Alice_Holt Posts: 5,946 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Coz wrote: »
    So if I will stay on child tax credit, would I not get working tax credit as well unless I was working 16 hours a week?

    That's right. You need to be working 16 hours to claim WTC.
    Alice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.
  • Coz
    Coz Posts: 120 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Alice_Holt wrote: »
    That's right. You need to be working 16 hours to claim WTC.

    I know they have done away with the 16 hours rule for Universal Credit, but just wondered if they had done away with it altogether now.
    Thank you for your advice. I will also phone tax credits and ask them.
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