Tax Credits Migration to UC

olgadapolga

We have received our migration letter. I have some questions which I can't seem to find any definite answers to, if anyone can help?

1) We currently have NHS TC exemption certificates. Am I correct in thinking that these end on the date we apply for UC? But that we won't know if we are eligible for free healthcare until our first assessment period has ended (if at all) - so there's a five week period in which we need to pay for prescriptions, etc? It's not really an issue, I just need to know so that I don't end up with a penalty charge.

2) How does UC handle payments to pensions that don't go through an employer (DH is self-employed but we both pay into a SIPP - currently a one-off payment once a year)? I've seen some people complaining about the difficulties of this so not sure what I need to know for this.

3) Tax Credits "in year finalisation" - how does this work? I've found some odds and ends about it but our situation seems a bit more complicated as DH is self-employed so I was doing his accounts annually (I know that I'll have to do this monthly for UC), he currently has a seasonal job as well which ends at Christmas and we were making an annual one-off payment into our SIPPs as well.

We don't need to migrate for a couple of months so thought I'd explore these whilst I have time. 

Thanks in advance for any help  

Spoonie_Turtle

For number 1, it's based on your income for the month.
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/help-with-health-costs-for-people-getting-universal-credit/

However if your TC certificate does end when you claim UC it looks like you will have to pay (because you need to have met the criteria during the previous UC assessment period, which won't exist yet during the first calendar month of your claim), and then you can claim a refund:

"You need to have met the eligibility criteria either in the Universal Credit period before you paid, or in the same assessment period in which you paid, to qualify for a refund.

Make sure you ask for and keep receipts. If you pay for a prescription, you must get a receipt and refund form (FP57) at the time you pay, as you will not be able to get one later."

8dayweek

If your Husband is self-employed then they’d report monies paid into a pension via the Report your Income and Expenses task that would generate at the end of each Assessment Period. 

If you are self-employed too, same as above would apply. 

If you’re not, are you employed? If you are, and you make pension contributions separate from your wage then you would need to report this on the journal. They would hopefully get you to upload evidence, then revise your wage figure for that month.