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UC and the benefit cap
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Cupcakey
Posts: 42 Forumite
Hello
I'm new to claiming benefits and have recently been hit hard by the benefit cap. We have two small children to support and I'm sick with worry. I can't sleep and I don't know what to do next or where to go from here.
My husband and I both recently lost our jobs due to coronavirus. He was self-employed on a contract which ended due to a crash in the industry because of covid-19, and I was refused furlough by my employer when I returned from maternity leave in May and was forced to resign.
So we applied for Universal Credit and have been hit by the benefit cap, reducing our reward by £625. This I'm told is because my husband and I earned £0 in the months of September and October 2019. My our youngest was born at the end of June 2019 and I took the full year maternity leave to look after her and was paid some maternity allowance. So during September and October, I was at home with a newborn. My husband was between jobs. I'm so upset because if I hadn't had a baby, I would have been working and I'd have been earning money.
I just don't know where to go from here. After paying the rent, we have £115 left to pay for all our food and bills.
Does anyone have any advice? I've never been so worried or felt so low.
Thank you
I'm new to claiming benefits and have recently been hit hard by the benefit cap. We have two small children to support and I'm sick with worry. I can't sleep and I don't know what to do next or where to go from here.
My husband and I both recently lost our jobs due to coronavirus. He was self-employed on a contract which ended due to a crash in the industry because of covid-19, and I was refused furlough by my employer when I returned from maternity leave in May and was forced to resign.
So we applied for Universal Credit and have been hit by the benefit cap, reducing our reward by £625. This I'm told is because my husband and I earned £0 in the months of September and October 2019. My our youngest was born at the end of June 2019 and I took the full year maternity leave to look after her and was paid some maternity allowance. So during September and October, I was at home with a newborn. My husband was between jobs. I'm so upset because if I hadn't had a baby, I would have been working and I'd have been earning money.
I just don't know where to go from here. After paying the rent, we have £115 left to pay for all our food and bills.
Does anyone have any advice? I've never been so worried or felt so low.
Thank you
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Comments
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If the amount of your housing element is less than your rent you may be able to get a Discretionary Housing Payment from your local authority. DHPis not included in benefit cap.
Are you claiming Council Tax Reduction from your local authority - that too is outside the benefit cap.Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.0 -
I've claimed the council tax reduction but didn't know about DHP. I'm just looking into it now. Thanks so much!0
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You may want to get some help filling out the form for the DHP because they are quite complex. Do be aware also that the DHP is not guaranteed and is only paid for a short period of time, if it's agreed. Once it ends you can reapply if need be.
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Typo - I think you meant not guaranteed. (Sorry to do that to you twice in one day.)poppy12345 said: Do be aware also that the DHP is guaranteed and is only paid for a short period of time, if it's agreed.Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.0 -
calcotti said:
Typo - I think you meant not guaranteed. (Sorry to do that to you twice in one day.)poppy12345 said: Do be aware also that the DHP is guaranteed and is only paid for a short period of time, if it's agreed.
Yup i did mean that. It's been a very long and rather stressful day... Another comment edited. Thanks
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Sorry to hear that.poppy12345 said: It's been a very long and rather stressful day...Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.1 -
when I returned from maternity leave in May and was forced to resign.Is the a benefits cap or have you been sanctioned?
Use one of the benefits calculators such as Turn2Us and see what it comes up with. If you are getting less than the calculator says then you can ask the DWP for a Mandatory Reconsideration to explain their decision.We moved into a 4 bedroom house in February 2018 and signed a contract to stay here for two years. No break clause. The house is owned by our landlord and her husband, though only she is our named landlord.If the issue is high rent, and you have a break in your contract coming up in November, then best start looking around for somewhere else soon.
- All land is owned. If you are not on yours, you are on someone else's
- When on someone else's be it a road, a pavement, a right of way or a property there are rules. Don't assume there are none.
- "Free parking" doesn't mean free of rules. Check the rules and if you don't like them, go elsewhere
- All land is owned. If you are not on yours, you are on someone else's and their rules apply.
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