Uc and light touch regime

calcotti

35 plus 25 hours x NMW = £2,140/month for the CET so wife’s earnings are below this.

OP and wife could therefore be in different groups. However, as previously advised to OP, his health condition means that all of this may be irrelevant.

huckster

Cam05 wrote: »

We have one child age 12,
So me and my wife would be in different groups if we went on uc

Wife is going to be working enough. I am not sure you wifes earnings are quite enough for you to be also considered working enough as a couple.

If you are not quite earning enough as a couple to meet CET, then you will be in the light touch-out of work group, so left alone, but could be asked to attend Job Centre at some point. They don't generally do this at the moment, as they don't have the time to fit in such appointments.

If you have a Doctors fit note, then you will have a work capability assessment at some point. This won't change anything, until a decision is made after assessment. Of course at the moment before the assessment outcome, you are dependent on your wifies earnings, affecting how the claim is dealt with. If she stopped working or her earnings dropped below the administrative earnings threshold, then a new claimant commitment would be required.

Alice_Holt

calcotti wrote: »

However, as previously advised to OP, his health condition means that all of this may be irrelevant.

Quite.

If the OP is unable to continue work due to poor mental health (per his previous thread), then I would have thought the immediate options for him might be:

Claim SSP (if contractual sick pay is not payable) whilst signed off work
Look into a PIP claim
Establish if the Child Tax Credit claim is current and can be reactivated (see previous thread)
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6079692/can-i-claim-uc-if-i-leave-work-for-health-reasons&page=2#24
Look into his local CT reduction scheme

Then have a face to face benefits check for the household at their local advice charity (with his wife present) to see if reactivating the CTC claim (should this be possible) provides a greater income for the household than a UC claim.

Once SSP has finished, OP should look into claiming New Style ESA (if his health does not permit a return to work). And then revisit the possibility of UC.

A UC claim may depend on housing costs. OP has not yet answered the question about renting.
I'm not sure if (say with no housing costs) a claim would be possible with SSP (c.£400 monthly) and his wife's wage of c.£1600 a month.

I don't think the OP needs to get into the details of UC CET and conditionality groups etc, before he has established a broader road map of potential benefit options if unable to continue working.

But, I would be interested to hear other views on the potential options for the OP, as I'm not at all sure if my suggestions represent a better option for him.
However, I am certain he and his wife would benefit from face to face advice (having disclosed all their circumstances, income, savings, etc) and a better off calculation by an accredited agency.

calcotti

Alice_Holt wrote: »

I would be interested to hear other views on the potential options for the OP, as I'm not sure my suggestions represent the better option for him.
However, I am certain he and his wife would benefit from face to face advice (having disclosed all their circumstances, income, savings, etc) and a better off calculation by an accredited agency.

I agree with your summary. OP could certainly benefit from face to face advice particularly as he appears to be having difficulty taking on board the copious advice offered (which is understandable because it is complicated). At face to face he could not doubt provide more information about his financial circumstances, including past income which will be relevant in trying to work out any possible Tax Credit entitlement.

On the subject of UC I estimate that if OP is not renting the entitlement would be about £66/month (if only income is wife at £1630/month and no savings over £6000). On that basis, if that is his situation, OP is clearly better off retaining employment and receiving SSP or claiming new style ESA (while also checking Tax Credit entitlement).

My UC calculation is basic allowance and one child element = £775.97.
Earnings £1,630 - Work Allowance of £503 = £1,127.
Earnings deduction at 63% = £710.01
UC payable = £65.98

Cam05

Our rent is 120 per week council tax 140 a month

calcotti

Cam05 wrote: »

Our rent is 120 per week council tax 140 a month

My UC calculation is basic allowance and one child element plus housing element = £1,295.97
Earnings £1,630 - Work Allowance of £287 = £1,343
Earnings deduction at 63% = £846.09
UC payable = £449.88

This would mean that of SSP is received a small amount of UC would still be payable (£192.88/month by my calculation).

The above calculation assumes that all of your rent of £120 is allowable, it may not be. If you rent from a social landlord and have a spare bedroom your allowable rent will be reduced. If you rent privately your allowable rent will be restricted by the Local Housing Allowance which may be less than your rent.

Have again assumed no savings over £6,000.

Council Tax is not covered by UC. Council Tax Reduction can be applied for from your local authority and is also means tested.

atlantis187

Does AET trump CET or is it the other way round?