What happens when your on universal credit
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burtons
Posts: 724 Forumite
If your not working and you make a claim for universal credit what have you got to do every month before you get paid. The reason why I ask is because my boy is not working so he started claiming universal credit but he hasn't done anything to look for work and he keeps telling us he's waiting to go on a course after Christmas.
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Your son will have signed a claimant commitment which should outline what he is expected to do.
Read this:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-your-claimant-commitment-quick-guide/universal-credit-and-your-claimant-commitment0 -
Thank you for the link but it don't tell me how many times a month he's got to visit the jobcentre or it don't tell me if you can wait to go on a training course to get the job he wants.pmlindyloo wrote: »Your son will have signed a claimant commitment which should outline what he is expected to do.
Read this:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-your-claimant-commitment-quick-guide/universal-credit-and-your-claimant-commitment0 -
depends on what commitment group he falls into:
https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Universal-Credit/Claimant-Commitment-Conditionality
from what your son has told you, he probably falls under the following,
""Work preparation requirement
You will be placed in this group if you are assessed as having limited capability for work (LCW). If you are placed in this group, you will be expected to prepare for a move into work, additional work, or better paid work. Actions to get ready for work could include attending training courses, preparing a CV or taking part in the Work Programme.
You will not be required to take steps to apply for or take up work as a condition of your claim.""
as for the amount of times he must "sign on" - this will depend on the group he is in and what has been agreed with his work coach0 -
Within first month of claim, attend first commitments appointment at Job Centre. Before the appointment, complete details on Universal Credit claim about experience, jobs looking for. At the first commitments appointment the Job Centre work coach will have duscussed what is required in terms of searching for Jobs which is normally 35 hours per week. This includes writing applications, reading job websites, travel time to local town centre to look for job vacancies etc.
After the first commitments appointment, a work search review (WSR) appointment is arranged and this is usually within 2 to 3 weeks. At the WSR some evidence of searching for work would have to be displayed. Can't just say, starting course in January, so not bothering to search. That would lead to a referral being made to consider a sanction.
Some Job Centres are very busy/understaffed, so there can be gaps of a month or more between appointments. It is not the same as JSA where you have to sign on every 2 weeks to get paid. With Universal Credit, they keep paying, providing all online to-do actions are completed, any mandatory Job Centre appointments are attended and nothing stupid is done for a sanction to be applied. Turning up at a Job Centre and saying no work searches had been done would be stupid, if this were a claimant commitment requirement.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 -
Has he been attending appointments?
People able to look for work are supposed to be seen weekly in the Jobcentre at first, although they often are not able to do this.
It's possible they have arranged a course for him in the new year and he is just coasting along doing (or at least saying) the minimum to not get himself into any trouble.
The thing with Universal Credit is like Huckster has said above - payment does not just stop if something isn't done. Sanction decisions are not made in the Jobcentre but are passed above to decision makers. Depending on their workload the decisions can take however long.
It's also possible he hasn't done something or isn't attending and his money is fine so he thinks everything is okay and he's getting away with it. When they do catch up and make the decision it could then be a massive loss of money (as they look at the period of time he hasn't attended for..)
If you know he's been going to his appointments it's probably fine but if not I'd be having a conversation with him.
The only way you can really find out is If he tells you or let's you review his account with him.0 -
For the purposes of UC. If you're unemployed then you should spend your time looking for work or preparing for work. Job hunting is your job!0
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The work coach will decide how often to bring your son in for work search reviews (chats about work and a check to make sure he is actively seeking employment) there is no set timescale like the 2 weeks on JSA.
Obviously he will have to stick to his claimant commitment which is normally based around doing everything reasonable to find work but this will be explained at his first commitment interview.
All appointments are mandatory (unless youre told otherwise) and simply forgetting an appointment is not a good reason for not attending, treat the appointments like a day at work: you wouldn't forget to turn up to work and not expect repucussions.0 -
While the sanctions system is supposed to replicate what would happen in the world of work I doubt if anyone would want to work for an employer where if you were 5 minutes late for work you would potentially lose 28 days wages because of it. Yet this is what has happened in the past to people who are a few minutes late for their JobCentre meeting and if the Work Coach wants to be strict about it.themorganator4 wrote: »The work coach will decide how often to bring your son in for work search reviews (chats about work and a check to make sure he is actively seeking employment) there is no set timescale like the 2 weeks on JSA.
Obviously he will have to stick to his claimant commitment which is normally based around doing everything reasonable to find work but this will be explained at his first commitment interview.
All appointments are mandatory (unless youre told otherwise) and simply forgetting an appointment is not a good reason for not attending, treat the appointments like a day at work: you wouldn't forget to turn up to work and not expect repucussions.0
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