Guide discussion: Universal credit

calcotti

rigbyn said:

 Is £ from grandparents not deprivation of capital provided it wouldnt have gone to the parent.

Obviously this isn't deprivation of capital. The parents cannot deprive themselves of capital they never had - it went from the grandparent to the child.

twzhhq

I saw in the guide it says:

Right now, all work-related tasks have been suspended from people's claimant commitments.

But I just received a notification in my UC account that I need to: "Tell us about your work search"

It's asking for 35 hours, details, and to take on jobs etc.

I'm on UC but have been spending my savings while looking for a job. I'm also looking for freelance clients (but I'm not a sole trader yet — I will be once I close one). 

It seems they want to pressure me to take a job that isn't aligned with my experience. I'm doing the search myself and don't need the help from the Job Centre. It's taking time, but I'm also OK to still be spending my savings in addition to the little I get from UC.

What do you suggest?

calcotti

twzhhq said:

I saw in the guide it says:

Right now, all work-related tasks have been suspended from people's claimant commitments.

But I just received a notification in my UC account that I need to: "Tell us about your work search"

It's asking for 35 hours, details, and to take on jobs etc.

I'm on UC but have been spending my savings while looking for a job. I'm also looking for freelance clients (but I'm not a sole trader yet — I will be once I close one). 

It seems they want to pressure me to take a job that isn't aligned with my experience. I'm doing the search myself and don't need the help from the Job Centre. It's taking time, but I'm also OK to still be spending my savings in addition to the little I get from UC.

What do you suggest?

Please start your own thread. It’s very confusing adding new questions to an old thread which is already 8 pages long.
EDIT - I see you now have.

Nessiepemble

My then partner, now husband suffered a debilitating illness that took 6 months to be diagnosed and after a year of recovery will never be able to do his old job or any other again. Due to my salary of 27k he was denied universal credit. He was also denied disability benefits. He was told he needed a face to face disability interview, which isn’t happening due to COVID. We cannot survive on my salary. His claim has been closed. We are at a loss as what to do now? 

poppy12345

Nessiepemble said:

My then partner, now husband suffered a debilitating illness that took 6 months to be diagnosed and after a year of recovery will never be able to do his old job or any other again. Due to my salary of 27k he was denied universal credit. He was also denied disability benefits. He was told he needed a face to face disability interview, which isn’t happening due to COVID. We cannot survive on my salary. His claim has been closed. We are at a loss as what to do now? 

You've posted on the end of a thread that's 8 pages long. Please start your own thread with your question because it's very confusing when asking  on someone else's thread.

Use this link to start your thread. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/post/discussion/benefits-tax-credits

Alice_Holt

Nessiepemble said:

My then partner, now husband suffered a debilitating illness that took 6 months to be diagnosed and after a year of recovery will never be able to do his old job or any other again. Due to my salary of 27k he was denied universal credit. He was also denied disability benefits. He was told he needed a face to face disability interview, which isn’t happening due to COVID. We cannot survive on my salary. His claim has been closed. We are at a loss as what to do now? 

    1)  Check if he is still able to claim New Style ESA (based on his last 2 tax years NI contributions),
           https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance

    2) What do you mean by " denied disability benefits" ?           Check eligibility for PIP -https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/before-claiming/check-you-are-eligible/
   Assessments are currently being held (mainly) by telephone 
    
    3) With a household income of £27k it is very unlikely that you will have any recourse to means-tested benefits (such as UC).  

When you start your own thread, please give more details, i.e do you have children, rent or mortgage, etc.  

lilymaylalesallen

I’m due to receive nearly £40,000 in inheritance and am on universal credits, I am a single working parent and pay childcare fees, national insurance and into my pensions on some months when my wages are over £900. I’m writing on here as am reading lots of different things about have to declare and some forums saying I don’t have to declare I’m really confused and getting worried and scared that I’m going to get in trouble with universal credit for having that large amount of money in the bank I am planning on gifting my child the £3000 a year which I am entitled to do plus paying off my debts I accumulated when I was younger which will bring my money down but not below £16,000. Please can I have some advise as am really getting worried. I didn’t also read this from information already on this website...... 
Another big difference is you can't get it if you - or your partner - have savings or capital over £16,000. And this is why I’m getting confused because the money I will be getting isnt savings or capital. 

Please help me!!!!! 

poppy12345

lilymaylalesallen said:

I’m due to receive nearly £40,000 in inheritance and am on universal credits, I am a single working parent and pay childcare fees, national insurance and into my pensions on some months when my wages are over £900. I’m writing on here as am reading lots of different things about have to declare and some forums saying I don’t have to declare I’m really confused and getting worried and scared that I’m going to get in trouble with universal credit for having that large amount of money in the bank I am planning on gifting my child the £3000 a year which I am entitled to do plus paying off my debts I accumulated when I was younger which will bring my money down but not below £16,000. Please can I have some advise as am really getting worried. I didn’t also read this from information already on this website...... 
Another big difference is you can't get it if you - or your partner - have savings or capital over £16,000. And this is why I’m getting confused because the money I will be getting isnt savings or capital. 

Please help me!!!!! 

Starting your own thread would have been better instead of asking on someone else's thread that's 8 pages long.

To answer your question the inheritance is classed as savings/capitol with more than £16,000 when it goes into your bank you'll need to report the changes and your UC will stop. If you're claiming council tax reduction you'll need to report the changes to your local council and this will also stop.

Once you drop below £16,000 you'll be able to reclaim UC but you'll see a redeuction of £4.35 per month for every £250 (or part there of) over £6,000.

Giving your money away or gifting it to your children is classed as deprivation of capital and you'll still be classed as having that money. Paying of debt is not deprivation of capital and is allowed when claiming UC.

Spoonie_Turtle

lilymaylalesallen said:

I’m due to receive nearly £40,000 in inheritance and am on universal credits, I am a single working parent and pay childcare fees, national insurance and into my pensions on some months when my wages are over £900. I’m writing on here as am reading lots of different things about have to declare and some forums saying I don’t have to declare I’m really confused and getting worried and scared that I’m going to get in trouble with universal credit for having that large amount of money in the bank I am planning on gifting my child the £3000 a year which I am entitled to do plus paying off my debts I accumulated when I was younger which will bring my money down but not below £16,000. Please can I have some advise as am really getting worried. I didn’t also read this from information already on this website...... 
Another big difference is you can't get it if you - or your partner - have savings or capital over £16,000. And this is why I’m getting confused because the money I will be getting isnt savings or capital. 

Please help me!!!!! 

You would be better off starting your own thread, but in short:
This will count as savings once the money is in your possession.
You must declare it.
You can pay off debt,
You can spend reasonably (e.g. to replace old, worn-out items with reasonable working replacements - but not top-of-the-range things unnecessarily),
but you can't give the money away. If you do, you will be treated as if you still have the amount you've given away.

Whatever you use it for, keep receipts as proof because when you get below £16000 to reclaim UC they will want to know where the money's gone in a short space of time.

Before you declare it, take screenshots or print copies of the information in your UC account. Once it closes, even if you can reclaim within the same month, that information will be gone.

1mullers1

I am writing this on behalf of a good friend who has just been told that she  was granted rent  support in error at the start of the lock down!
Prior to lock down she was a self employed carer for the elderly. However, being an asthma  sufferer and long standing  heart arrhythmia  she self isolated as she was advised that she was an at-risk case, She applied to UC and received rent support together with council tax and also received food parcels. Last week she received a letter from UC saying that they had granted her rent support in error and that she would have to repay all the rent  she received totalling £5000. she is now desperate as to what to do as she has no way of repaying this back. Every penny she received was paid to her landlord  but now she is in a position of not knowing where to turn. Please can you advise if this is right what UC have done