Tax Credits - Universal Credit?

dungie203

Does anyone have an approximate date when existing WTC claimants will start to be moved to UC? I had not give it much thought before but thanks to the good people on this forum i now know that as im self employed i will not be getting any UC as all self employed people will be classed as 35 hours x NMW. As i currently earn less than NMW this means i need to really think about my options.

Reading a timetable for rollout online it says from this year but then reading something recently in the media it says there are big delays?

Thanks:)

[Deleted User]

I wish it was clearer how the roll out was working, I'm a carer for two children with special needs (one an adult now) and I have no idea when Universal Credit will apply to the area I am living in.

dungie203

From what i can gather it seems when it first applies in an area it is just for new JSA claimants only, i may be wrong though buts thats how i read it.

What worries me is i expect it to be around 2 years before we are near earning the NMW so any working tax credit is what is basically feeding us and housing benefit less bedroom tax is keeping a roof over our heads.

Im a little concerned we will put everything into this business and work hard to then get a letter through the post meaning we lose all benefits before we are earning enough to live on.

wellynever

UC the story so far,

I'm in touch with someone who works on UC and quite a number of councils,
At the moment there is no such thing as UC well not as the Government would make out,

The only people who are on or will be on UC are the single person who will be claiming JSA for the very first time, the reason for this is that there is no computer system in place and everything has to be done by hand,

Now to break it down, only first time JSA are being added atm, as for time scale anyone who claims WTC or ESA or any other benefit are looking at 2020 and later ( unless a miracle happens before then )

Local Councils are going mad atm as some of them are moving over to UC just after the new year, they are having to phone and write letters to people who might be affected and this includes people claiming WTC and ESA + DLA telling them they need to make sure they have a bank account, when asked about why they are doing this it's a script they have to use,

Talking to council why are you contacting people on WTC, ESA, DLA, well anyone that is not new to JSA again it's a script,

So i ask when will these people be moved over to UC answer we cannot cope with the new JSA as there is no computer system, i asked for a rough idea and was told 2020 and if i was to call again in 2020 you may as well add another 40 years to that.

System

No idea when i'll get moved as i'm on tax credits, but bf has just had to apply and been told he has to wait 6 weeks for first payment? Is that normal? Thankfully he has no housing costs and has money saved from wages but i imagine some people wouldn't have that luxury. Fingers crossed he'll get back to his temp job next month. I seriously worry how this system is going to cope with more complicated cases. I get the disability element as i cannot work full time but my understanding is UC means you have to be looking for full time hours?

neilvw

According to the Government, this is where we are with Universal Credit.

UC is live in 558 Jobcentres, and will have reached all 700-odd by April 2016 on current plans. This started with new claims by single people who would otherwise claim JSA, but is being progressively expanded to new claims by couples and families.

That is the "live service". The "digital service", covering all types of households and with full online functionality, rolls out from May 2016 and is currently being trialled in three Jobcentres.

By the middle of 2018 it will no longer be possible to make a claim to any of the legacy benefits (JSA [IB], ESA [IR], IS, WTC, CTC, HB) anywhere in Great Britain.

The managed migration of existing claims of legacy benefits to UC will begin in 2018 and be largely complete by 2019 (sounds ambitious!) with everything being moved over, including ESA and tax credits, by April 2021.

http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/public-accounts-committee/universal-credit-recall/written/25999.html

neilvw

xXMessedUpXx wrote: »

No idea when i'll get moved as i'm on tax credits, but bf has just had to apply and been told he has to wait 6 weeks for first payment? Is that normal? Thankfully he has no housing costs and has money saved from wages but i imagine some people wouldn't have that luxury. Fingers crossed he'll get back to his temp job next month. I seriously worry how this system is going to cope with more complicated cases. I get the disability element as i cannot work full time but my understanding is UC means you have to be looking for full time hours?

No, you won't be expected to work full time or seek full-time work if you are not able.

andrewmp

neilvw wrote: »

According to the Government, this is where we are with Universal Credit.

UC is live in 558 Jobcentres, and will have reached all 700-odd by April 2016 on current plans. This started with new claims by single people who would otherwise claim JSA, but is being progressively expanded to new claims by couples and families.

That is the "live service". The "digital service", covering all types of households and with full online functionality, rolls out from May 2016 and is currently being trialled in three Jobcentres.

By the middle of 2018 it will no longer be possible to make a claim to any of the legacy benefits (JSA [IB], ESA [IR], IS, WTC, CTC, HB) anywhere in Great Britain.

The managed migration of existing claims of legacy benefits to UC will begin in 2018 and be largely complete by 2019 (sounds ambitious!) with everything being moved over, including ESA and tax credits, by April 2021.

http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/public-accounts-committee/universal-credit-recall/written/25999.html

6 more years of CTC then! :beer:

dktreesea

By the time it gets to 2018, let alone 2021, a lot of people worrying about UC now will have had their children grown and left the nest, so just their own direct benefits to worry about.

andrewmp

dktreesea wrote: »

By the time it gets to 2018, let alone 2021, a lot of people worrying about UC now will have had their children grown and left the nest, so just their own direct benefits to worry about.

I've got another 15 years at least!

nannytone_2

andrewmp wrote: »

I've got another 15 years at least!

so plenty of time to sort yourself out and not to have to rely on benefits