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UC New claim joint couple- losing all benefits?
gingerkitty
Posts: 13 Forumite
Hi, Hoping someone can advise. My partner has been living alone receiving tax and working credits for the past 18 months of approximately £130 a week. He works 20 hours a week and is the main carer for his son, so doing the school runs etc means he can only fit in part time hours.
I am moving into the property and due to an injury was unable to work up until September 2018. I have now opened my own business but have run at a huge loss so far this financial year due to high equipment and start up charges.
Now according to the Job centre, who have now cancelled his single tax/working credit claim. We have to make a joint claim for Universal Credits. However, as we are both self employed they will assess us as both earning the minimum floor credit at 35 hours a week and we may not receive any benefits.
I have been advised that I may be able to claim against this as its my first year of business. I was just wondering if this is right as he is set to lose £490 a month and seems so unfair when my profit is currently zero.
I am moving into the property and due to an injury was unable to work up until September 2018. I have now opened my own business but have run at a huge loss so far this financial year due to high equipment and start up charges.
Now according to the Job centre, who have now cancelled his single tax/working credit claim. We have to make a joint claim for Universal Credits. However, as we are both self employed they will assess us as both earning the minimum floor credit at 35 hours a week and we may not receive any benefits.
I have been advised that I may be able to claim against this as its my first year of business. I was just wondering if this is right as he is set to lose £490 a month and seems so unfair when my profit is currently zero.
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Comments
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It's because benefits are not there to support the business, the idea is that you are self sufficient in self employment.
Have you actually applied and been told you will get nothing or is it just gossip from the internet/friends?0 -
Change in circumstances will mean a move from tax credits to Universal Credit.
Both will have to claim Universal Credit and the claims will need to be linked, as a couple claim.
With regard to self employment, the minimum income floor will be applied, if a business has been trading for 12 months or more. If you have not traded for a period due to health/injury and you have documents showing that you were not trading as well as Doctors/hospital notes, then it is possible the Job Centre can take this into account when setting the start date for the minimum income floor.
In regard to minimum income floor level for someone with childcare responsibilities, it depends on the age of the child, as to the number of hours that are applied. It is not a set amount of 35 hours a week.
Hopefully you will be booked in with someone at the Job Centre who will be trained in self employment. What you have been told about minimum income floor appears wrong or there has been a misunderstanding.The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.0 -
You should be exempt from having the Minmum Income Floor applied for the first 12 months of being self employed.
Note also that the Minimum Income Floor does take account of other responsibilities so is not necessarily based on 35 hours/week.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-self-employment-quick-guide/universal-credit-and-self-employment-quick-guideInformation I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.0 -
You wont both be expected to work 35 hours a week with a child between you, so minimum income floor will be set at 35 hours for you and 25 hours for your partner as his child is school aged. however as ab above as you are in the first year of trading the mif may not apply to you.0
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You should be exempt from having the Minmum Income Floor applied for the first 12 months of being self employed.
Note also that the Minimum Income Floor does take account of other responsibilities so is not necessarily based on 35 hours/week.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-self-employment-quick-guide/universal-credit-and-self-employment-quick-guide
But they have to be gainfully self-employed for this to happen and not just self-employed.
This decision will be made by a self-employed specialist work coach at an gateway intervention meeting.0 -
But they have to be gainfully self-employed for this to happen and not just self-employed.
This decision will be made by a self-employed specialist work coach at an gateway intervention meeting.
True but if not gainfully selfemployedthe MIF will no beapplicable anyway - work search requirements will apply instead?Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.0
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