Are there representives from DWP on here?

Alice_Holt

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Something of a generality, but it's rare for one benefit to be replaced by another which pays more..

Indeed. Hence the application of transitional protection:
https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Universal-Credit-transitional-protection/What-is-Universal-Credit-transitional-protection
Can be short-lived for UC since "If you have a significant change of circumstance which affects your Universal Credit claim you will lose your transitional protection amount immediately."

System

Is it worth me switching to UC then?

Mersey_2

Not voluntarily, no.


As Alice says Transitional Protection will be afforded to those moved over to UC. [Well all of the Regs & Statutory Instruments haven't been published and laid yet, but that's what we have been told will happen in most cases]

rockingbilly

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Something of a generality, but it's rare for one benefit to be replaced by another which pays more. I never worked on UC, but did read plenty about it. There were definitely changes made to it when it did seem that quite a lot of people would be better off on UC than other benefits.
There is certainly no official representation of DWP on the board, but there are a number of both current and past employees.

........otherwise there would be no point in bringing it out.
Of course there will be some winners but on the whole it is a very conditional benefit and the majority will lose out - as they have said - working full time is good for you and good for the country - why would people not want to be patriotic?

TELLIT01

rockingbilly wrote: »

........otherwise there would be no point in bringing it out.

The original declared purpose of UC was to bring all benefits together rather than having to close one claim and then make a new claim to another benefit. The theory is great but, as with many government initiatives, the implementation is terrible. The scope quickly reduced to all means tested benefits (Income Related in modern parlance). Even that means that a single person with entitlement to Contribution based benefits has to claim JSA or ESA until entitlement ceases, and then make a new claim to UC with all the attendant delays.

Mersey_2

True - Tellito1. Plus UC doesn't even include Council Tax Support which needs to be claimed separately from the local authority as well.

rockingbilly

Mersey wrote: »

True - Tellito1. Plus UC doesn't even include Council Tax Support which needs to be claimed separately from the local authority as well.

It couldn't even if the government wanted to. Each council have their own rules on Council Tax Support.

pebbles88

himynameisaaron wrote: »

Why do you say that? On UC it seems you earn more.

You don't 'earn' benefits.

Mersey_2

rockingbilly wrote: »

It couldn't even if the government wanted to. Each council have their own rules on Council Tax Support.

Of course they could have done if they'd wanted to (it just would have cost more).


After all, LHA housing benefit rates differ in every area too. Indeed many Councils still use one form for both HB & CTS claims, even though the former is now within UC.

rockingbilly

pebbles88 wrote: »

You don't 'earn' benefits.

Some people do in fact believe that receiving benefits is no different than receiving a wages payment.
In fact they use the fact that they get benefits as a source of income that they have the mind-set that it is used to support a credit card/loan/overdraft application and even a mortgage application!
They have got so used to it coming in that it just feels like a wage - a payment in compensation because you are sick or can't find a job.