Universal credit information

storytime

I work in a library and we have been informed that we will have to help people complete Universal Credit application forms online. It starts in October. My daughter who is a single mum on benefits doesn't know anything about it but the few bits we have gleaned from the Internet shows she will be losing a lot of money.Does anyone know anymore? Will we be inundated with form fillers at the library? If it is such a major shake up why isn't there more publicity?

zagfles

Why do you think she'll lose a lot of money? Don't believe everything you read on the internet, there's been a lot of utter rubbish written by "Tories eat babies" type dimwits who basically start from the premise it's an excuse to make massive cuts in welfare. It isn't. A single mum on benefits (not working) without significant savings/other income will generally get about the same as now. If she's working low hours/low pay she'll probably be better off. Some people will be worse off, eg some self employed and those with unearned income (pensions etc), savings etc, but there is transitional protection.

It's been discussed here loads, search the archives.

storytime

We did an online calculator and she was £200 per month less. Is it also true it will be paid monthly and that housing benefit will be paid to her to pay landlord ?

benefitbaby

Yes it is paid monthly in most cases, yes the housing element is paid to the claimant to meet rent costs... a lot is going to change.

See http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/f55.htm for an in-depth overview

zagfles

Are you including council tax benefit and child benefit? Neither are being incorporated into UC. What are her exact circumstances? What online calculator did you use? Basically all the elements of UC are the same as JSA/IS, CTC and HB so someone out of work should get the same, the main difference is in the tapers and disregards, which only apply if she has other income.

ArtoDeeto

storytime wrote: »

Is it also true it will be paid monthly and that housing benefit will be paid to her to pay landlord ?

Yes that is what will happen.

chelle_bell

There has been lots of publicity!?!?!

I'm suprised that you and your daughter dont know anything about this, welfare reform has been in the news and papers for about 2 years.

Majority of people claiming benefits will be effected by this. Infact even low paid workers will face the brunt too.

Is there no way your daughter could put baby in nursery and work? Is there any options to go to college/uni and use a nursery in the complex. What about maintenance payments from the baby's dad?

Its a very bad time to be an unemployed single mother and although I sympathise with the situation, there are far too many single - unemployed mothers and realistically something had to change. Its all about getting ahead of the game. Studying while being unemployed, doing some volunteer work, ect.

BigAunty

storytime wrote: »

Is it also true ...that housing benefit will be paid to her to pay landlord ?

Is she a social housing tenant? I understand that paying tenants directly will be a new thing for them soon.

In the private sector, it is the norm for Local Housing Allowance claimants to receive their HB directly and to pass it on to their landlords, unless the council believe they have a vulnerability which affects them, such as learning disabilities or addiction. The explicit reason behind this switch to paying private tenants directly rather than their landlords was to aid their employability, making them take personal responsibility for basic budgeting.

I think the switch to monthly UC is also to introduce the employment mentality or culture into benefits since most pay is paid in a single sum on a monthly basis.

There has been heaps of info in the news about UC which has been discussed for some years now in the public domain.

GMbabies

storytime wrote: »

I work in a library and we have been informed that we will have to help people complete Universal Credit application forms online. It starts in October. My daughter who is a single mum on benefits doesn't know anything about it but the few bits we have gleaned from the Internet shows she will be losing a lot of money.Does anyone know anymore? Will we be inundated with form fillers at the library? If it is such a major shake up why isn't there more publicity?

They keep it as quiet as possible so that life of mums like the one you mentioned will be caught out and by the time they realises it, nothing can be changed.

Think about this, the guverment is saying they need to save money and what do they do? They are trying to introduce benefit cards which will cost more money than save anyway.

The politicians got increase in their expense allowance, asking for pay rise some £30K. Just have a look at what kind of people are making new policy for yourself. A world apart and they have no idea the life of people like you and me.
http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2013/02/10/torys-ball-in-this-together-secrets-of-extravagant-400-a-head-bash-thrown-by-toff-david-cameron/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BlackTriangleCampaign+%28Black+Triangle+Campaign%29

BigAunty

GMbabies wrote: »

They keep it as quiet as possible so that life of mums like the one you mentioned will be caught out and by the time they realises it, nothing can be changed.

There is no conspiracy of silence when it comes to Benefit changes.

The govt are proud of UC and have long trumpeted it as a way of simplying the benefit system and making work pay - they have not remotely hidden this policy.

It's been in progress now for some years, it will take quite a few years to roll out completely and, as with many benefit changes, they don't come in overnight but their implementation is always scheduled for some time in the future.

There is quite often transitional protection in place. For example, those affected by the housing benefit reductions (caps, changes to the age of the 1 bedroom rate for single people, etc) had fairly long transitional protection tied with their LHA anniversary dates. There is transitional protection in place for UC.

The only people who aren't aware of it are people that are in a coma or people who don't watch or read the news.

Benefit claimants who have an aversion to the news and think the budget that the govt set out once or twice a year has nothing to do with them often still receive notification in advance as the relevant organisations - HMRC, DWP or local council - will contact all recipients to flag up future changes.

Some benefit claimants are so cushioned from economic reality through long term receipt of benefits that they simply don't anticipate any changes to their status - the money has been dropping into their bank account regularly for years and so changes are a big shock to them.

I think people now think it is quaint that once upon a time, lone parents could once remain on Income Support until their youngest child turned 16!

joanne79

Hi I was talking with my sister earlier who when moved down here was classed as a vulnerable adult. I'm just wondering if there will be such a thing with the universal credit ? Isn't that asking for trouble? I mean if you have an addict of any sort who is paid there universal credit are they really going to go and pay there rent themselves ?? Or will it be used to fund addiction? It could lead to A LOT of problems....was just wondering that was all