Worried sick over Universal Credit, can anyone advise?

BBBNH

paddedjohn if only... it would make my life alot easier, but my mum works shifts, full time and it differs every week. it wouldn't be fair or even possible for her to do that.

i'm guessing i'll just have to say i'm earning mimimum wage and have my benefits cut, as it doesn't look possible to get another job whilst she's at nursery. unless i can figure out something i can do from home on a self employed basis.

is it illegal to say i'm earning minimum wage if i'm not? if it is then obviously i can't do that, but i thought lying about earning more than you really do would be fair enough, just not the other way around.

Pedent

There are several things that you aren't taking account of:

BBBNH wrote: »

i'm guessing i'll just have to say i'm earning mimimum wage and have my benefits cut, as it doesn't look possible to get another job whilst she's at nursery. unless i can figure out something i can do from home on a self employed basis.

You won't be migrated to Universal Credit until some time between October 2013 and the end of 2017. That means that you have some time to increase your income before that happens. As your daughter is currently 3, she will have started school before you're migrated to Universal Credit, and so you'll have the opportunity to do that by working extra hours, either in employment or self-employment.

BBBNH wrote: »

is it illegal to say i'm earning minimum wage if i'm not? if it is then obviously i can't do that, but i thought lying about earning more than you really do would be fair enough, just not the other way around.

Even when you are migrated to Universal Credit, there'll be no reason to lie about your income. Here's how it will probably work:

You'll be invited to a Gateway Interview, at which you'll demonstrate that you're in gainful self-employment that takes up at least half of your working week (18 hours for those able to work full time, less for those unable to work full time due to caring responsibilities or disabilities).

They'll decide how many hours they think it's reasonable to expect you to work based on your circumstances, and multiply that by the minimum wage to calculate your personal Minimum Income Floor (MIF). According to http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/uc-draft-regs-2012-memorandum.pdf, as the lead carer for a school-age child, you won't be expected to work full time, but it doesn't say how much less than full time you'll be expected to work:

The conditionality regime recognises the limits that some claimants who are able to work have on the amount they can be expected to work, for example if they are the lead carer for a school-age child or have a physical impairment.

You'll declare your income accurately. If your income is below your MIF, then you'll have a choice.

You could join the "all work-related requirements" group, which would mean that your claim wouldn't be reduced due to the MIF but you would have to satisfy work search and work availability requirements, which could make it difficult for you to continue your self-employment.

Or you could demonstrate that you intend to develop your self-employment to reach your MIF, and in the meantime have your award calculated based on your MIF rather than your actual income. Financially this could be very difficult because of the fall in your income, but you wouldn't need to lie about your income to do this.

You have some time. What you need is a plan to either get your self-employment paying you more like minimum wage, or to supplement it with some part-time work when your daughter starts school.

BBBNH

Pedent, i can't tell you how helpful you have been, i appreciate it. Will have a proper look over everything you've written in the morning.

toffeecoated

Universal credit is just a pipedream. They have no idea how it will work. In theory they pay a lump sum monthly (yes monthly) this is supposed to cover everything including rent. But it will be a disaster. Families will be forced to split up because they will get more money living apart. There will be even higher demand for social housing. People have been pushed too far. A revolution is coming.

shop-to-drop

You don't seem to be very optimistic about your business supporting you in the near future. You should look into getting another job. I work about the same number of hours as you n Tesco and earn double what you do + staff discount which to me is another £60 each month tax free. You could also work extra hours on an overtime basis around your mothers shifts and when baby is with the other parent. Seems a shame not to be able to work in the field you want to be but if it isn't profitable it's a no brainer. Do others make a living doing this time of work? If so under what circumstances? In the meantime you could try to get yourself into a better position to be able to earn a good living from this type of business in the future.

princessdon

toffeecoated wrote: »

Universal credit is just a pipedream. They have no idea how it will work. In theory they pay a lump sum monthly (yes monthly) this is supposed to cover everything including rent. But it will be a disaster. Families will be forced to split up because they will get more money living apart. There will be even higher demand for social housing. People have been pushed too far. A revolution is coming.

Really - families will deny their children a stable househoIld, have children pretending to friends and school that mammy and dammy don't like each other etc?

All for a few quid a week.

Do you believe this?

PasturesNew

I don't know what your line of business is "in a room over a shop...." but guessing hairdressing, nail technician, or tattoo artist.... you should be setting up a website for your business and selling related products online, something you can do while still at home/any time and it will market your "in a room....." business activities too so you'd gain more customers.

toffeecoated

princessdon wrote: »

Really - families will deny their children a stable househoIld, have children pretending to friends and school that mammy and dammy don't like each other etc?

All for a few quid a week.

Do you believe this?

Yes i do believe it. I know people who have already done it. Most people don't understand the hardship this government will cause. A couple living in a three bedroom flat with two young children will be assessed as having a spare room, the children will be expected to share a room. They will have to pay 14% of the total rent. If one of the parents works the wage he/she earns will be deducted from what these bloodsuckers say they need to live on and benefits will top it up. There will be no point working unless they can earn £35,000+. But if they split up and each get a two bedroom flat and claim for one child each they will get considerably more. We are not talking about just a few quid. Universal credit will cause more unemployment, add to the housing shortage and split families.

Kay.Samuels

Toffeecoated I used to live next door to half of a family that did this. They had two boys and two girls. The boys lived with dad in one house (next door to me) the girls lived with mum in a different house. Very odd to me, all the money in the world wouldn't separate me from my son, I don't know how either parent could do it emotionally, all for a bit of state benefit!

princessdon

toffeecoated wrote: »

Yes i do believe it. I know people who have already done it. Most people don't understand the hardship this government will cause. A couple living in a three bedroom flat with two young children will be assessed as having a spare room, the children will be expected to share a room. They will have to pay 14% of the total rent. If one of the parents works the wage he/she earns will be deducted from what these bloodsuckers say they need to live on and benefits will top it up. There will be no point working unless they can earn £35,000+. But if they split up and each get a two bedroom flat and claim for one child each they will get considerably more. We are not talking about just a few quid. Universal credit will cause more unemployment, add to the housing shortage and split families.

I don't think many would separate two siblings, tear a family apart, face a sanction of 26 weeks benefits for giving up work, so they don't have to pay £14 pw. Plus BOTH houses would then have to find the £14pw from their benefits.

If you see them as bloodsuckers - then avoid them, do what I do which is earn your own money then you never have to deal with them.

Anyone who relies on public funding has to be prepared for cuts.