Universal Credit most common questions answered, including how much you’re entitled to and what happens if you split with your partner
FROM being unsure how much money you'll get to working out when you'll actually receive it, claiming Universal Credit can be confusing - and infuriating.
As part of our Make Universal Credit Work campaign, The Sun wants to make things clearer.
So we've taken the - which now has almost 6,000 members - and had them answered by the experts at debt charity Turn2Us and the Department of Work and Pensions. Here's what you need to know...
How much am I entitled to?
Many things impact how much Universal Credit you are entitled to - dependant children, jobs, health conditions and housing costs are all taken into account.
It makes pinpointing exactly what you’ll get hard, with many people saying it makes it very difficult to budget and some, including single mum Lauren Anderson, say it's pushed them into debt.
But Turn2Us has put together a guide that explains how the calculation is made. Read the boxes below to find out which elements might apply to you.
How your entitlement is calculated (as of 11 June 2019)
In working out your Universal Credit award, firstly your household’s maximum Universal Credit award is calculated. This will be made up of one basic allowance and any additional elements that apply. Here's what the basic allowance pays...
Universal Credit Basic Allowance
Your basic allowance will depend on whether you are single or claiming as a couple, and your age. There is one basic allowance for your household:
- Single claimant aged under 25: £251.77 per month
- Single claimant aged 25 or over: £317.82 per month
- Joint claimants both aged under 25: £395.20 per month
- Joint claimants either aged 25 or over: £498.89 per month
Universal Credit additional elements (monthly amounts)
There are additional elements that can be added to your basic allowance. Your household may qualify for more than one of these:
- Child element £277.08 for 1st child or qualifying young person (if born before 6 April 2017), £231.67 per child for 2nd & subsequent child or qualifying young person (and for first child if born on or after 6 April 2017). If your children were born after 6 April 2017 you might be affected by the two child limit.
- Childcare costs element, £646.35 (max for 1 child), £1,108.04 (max amount for 2 or more children)**
- Limited capability for work element, for people with illnesses or disabilities £126.11 (abolished for most new claimants from 3 April 2017)
- Limited capability for work-related activity element for people with illnesses or disabilities (LCWRA element)* £336.20
- Carer element for people providing care for someone who is ill or disabled £160.20
- Housing costs element - these depend on whether you rent privately, are a social tenant or home owner
*The same person cannot get a LCWRA element as well as a Carer element even if they are eligible for both.
** UC pays up to 85 per cent of a claimant's childcare costs or the maximum amounts given above - whichever is lower.
The DWP recommends using online tools to get a better idea of exactly what you'll get.
“Benefits calculators are available online to help give an idea of what you might receive,” a spokesperson for the DWP said.
Citizen’s Advice has a , or you could use the or on the one on the .
Are you on Universal Credit. Tell us your story! Email us: [email protected]
What do I do if two paydays fall in the same Universal Credit assessment period?
This is a hot topic in our Make Universal Credit Work Facebook group, with claimants often detailing how their entitlement has plummeted because of this.
Universal Credit works out how much money you’ll get based on your earnings in the previous month.
That means if you’re paid every four weeks and two pay days fall into one assessment month, your benefit entitlement will decrease.
“The system assumes your salary has suddenly doubled,” a spokesperson for Turn2Us says. “This leaves a lot of people worse off.
“There was a court case earlier this year that said the DWP’s way of treating income was too rigid and should be changed, but the DWP is appealing that decision, so we can’t expect to see any changes in the near future.
Are you on Universal Credit? Tell us your story. Email: [email protected] and join our
“If you are in this situation, you could speak to a local adviser to see if they can help you to write what’s called a ‘judicial review pre-action protocol letter’ - but don’t expect to see any dramatic results from this.
“The DWP’s advice to people in this situation is to save up and budget very carefully, and at the moment that is the best advice that can be given.”
Can I get an loan ahead of my payment?
At the moment, new claimants need to wait five weeks for their first Universal Credit payment, while families also have to front childcare costs before being reimbursed up to 85 percent of their bills.
Both can leave families desperately struggling, with mum Samantha Evans telling of her humiliation when she had to use a foodbank as she was so skint.
This is why The Sun has put changing both - reducing the five-week wait to a fortnight and getting childcare paid upfront - at the heart of our campaign.
Loans could be a help, but it’s important people understand how they work.
“If you are making a new claim to Universal Credit, you may be eligible for an advanced payment on day one,” the DWP says.
“If you are already getting Universal Credit but have a change of circumstance you might also be eligible for an advance.
“If you need an advance you may be able to request this yourself online or you can speak to your work coach and they’ll be able to advise if you’re eligible, how much you could get and how these are repaid.
“You can also call the freephone DWP Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.”
Turn2Us adds: “You will need to pay back any advance through deductions from your Universal Credit.
“You can also get an Advance in an Assessment Period where you have had a change of circumstances that means your benefits entitlement will increase, or if you have had a big, unexpected expense you need to cover.
“You will need to call the DWP Universal Credit Helpline to ask for this kind of Advance.”
The Sun wants to Make Universal Credit Work
UNIVERSAL Credit replaces six benefits with a single monthly payment.
One million people are already receiving it and by the time the system is fully rolled out in 2023, nearly 7 million will be on it.
But there are big problems with the flagship new system - it takes 5 weeks to get the first payment and it could leave some families worse off by thousands of pounds a year.
And while working families can claim back up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, they must find the money to pay for childcare upfront - we’ve heard of families waiting up to 6 months for the money.
Working parents across the country told us they’ve been unable to take on more hours - or have even turned down better paid jobs or more hours because of the amount they get their benefits cut.
It’s time to Make Universal Credit work. We want the Government to:
- Get paid faster: The Government must slash the time Brits wait for their first Universal Credit payments from five to two weeks, helping stop 7 million from being pushed into debt.
- Keep more of what you earn: The work allowance should be increased and the taper rate should be slashed from 63p to 50p, helping at least 4 million families.
- Don’t get punished for having a family: Parents should get the 85 per cent of the money they can claim for childcare upfront instead of being paid in arrears.
Together, these changes will help Make Universal Credit Work.
Join our or email [email protected] to share your story.
I’ve split up with my partner, what do I need to do? How will it affect my claim?
Universal Credit is based on the circumstances of your whole household, so when income changes you need to report it.
“If you split up with your partner you will need to tell all the agencies who pay you benefits – HMRC if you get tax credits, your local council if you get housing benefit or Council Tax Support and the DWP if you get Income Support, JSA, ESA or Universal Credit,” Turn2Us advised.
“If you get Universal Credit you can report it using your journal.
“For the other benefits, you can report it over the phone, but it is a good idea to report it in writing and keep a copy of the letter you send.
“If you are getting tax credits, splitting up with your partner will mean you have to start a new claim for Universal Credit.
“If you get Housing Benefit and the claim is in the name of the person staying in the family home you should be able to carry on claiming housing benefit. If you get Income Support, JSA or ESA and the claim is in your name you should be able to carry on getting the same benefit. If any of the claims is not in your name, you might need to make a new claim for Universal Credit.
“It is likely the amount of benefit you get will be affected by splitting up with your partner.”
What to do if you have problems claiming Universal Credit
IF you're experiencing trouble applying for your Universal Credit, or the payments just don't cover costs, here are your options:
Apply for an advance - Claimants are able to get some cash within five days rather than waiting weeks for their first payment. But it's a loan which means the repayments will be automatically deducted from your future Universal Credit pay out.
Alternative Payment Arrangements- If you're falling behind on rent, you or your landlord may be able to apply for an APA which will get your payment sent directly to your landlord. You might also be able to change your payments to get them more frequently, or you can split the payments if you're part of a couple.
Budgeting Advance - You may be able to get help from the government to help with emergency household costs of up to £348 if you're single, £464 if you're part of a couple or £812 if you have children. These are only in cases like your cooker breaking down or for help getting a job. You'll have to repay the advance through your regular Universal Credit payments. You'll still have to repay the loan, even if you stop claiming for Universal Credit.
Cut your Council Tax - You might be able to get a discount on your Council Tax or be entitled to Discretionary Housing Payments if your payments aren't enough to cover your rent.
Foodbanks - If you're really hard up and struggling to buy food and toiletries, you can find your local foodbank who will provide you with help for free. You can find your nearest one on the
Why aren’t my payment details showing up on my journal?
Many claimants expect to find out exactly how much money they will be paid as soon as they put in a claim.
But it doesn’t work like this.
MOST READ IN MAKE UNIVERSAL CREDIT WORK
Turn2Us explains: “Your payment details won’t show on your Journal until the DWP determine how much they are going to pay you.
“This is calculated each month.
“Let’s say someone claims on 8 April. Their first pay date will be 15 May (five weeks later). “They won’t be able to see their calculation until after 8 May.”
for more information on how The Sun is campaigning to Make Universal Credit Work.