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How many hours does a single mum have to work on Universal Credit?
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Universal credit is meant to help people back into employment after being unemployed for six months. But it’s causing problems for single mums because they’re not allowed enough time off work to look after their children.
A report published last week showed that one in 10 claimants were forced to work extra hours to earn enough money to pay rent and feed themselves and their families.
It also revealed that nearly half of the 1,600 single parents surveyed had missed at least one day of paid work while claiming benefits.
This is despite the fact that the government says working should only take up 20 per cent of a claimant’s weekly income.
But the Department for Work and Pensions said that single mothers often didn’t qualify for free childcare – which costs £20 a day – and couldn’t afford to leave their jobs.
So they ended up spending longer hours at work, which increased their chances of getting sanctioned.
And the DWP said that sanctions could be lifted if claimants took part in activities such as volunteering or training courses.
But single mums told the BBC that they felt pressured to keep working long hours.
One said she’d had to spend three days a week working full-time just to cover her housing costs.
Another added: “I’ve got four kids under the age of seven and I’m trying to juggle my own career and looking after them.”
She said she was now struggling to cope with the stress of juggling work and family life.
What is Universal Credit?
Universal credit (UC) is a government scheme designed to help people who are unemployed or out of work. The aim is to replace six existing benefits with one monthly payment.
This means that UC replaces 6 different payments, including income support, job seekers allowance, employment and support allowance, housing benefit, child tax credits, and working tax credit.
To qualify for UC, you must be claiming at least £722 per month in benefits. This includes any state pension or disability living allowance you may receive.
If you’re already receiving these benefits, you won’t need to apply for UC. However, if you’re not currently receiving them, you should apply for UC anyway.
Once you’ve applied for UC, you’ll receive an initial payment within two weeks. After this, you’ll receive a weekly payment every week until you reach a total of 35 weeks’ worth of payments.
After 35 weeks, you’ll no longer receive any further payments. Instead, you’ll move onto the next stage of the process.
There are three stages to UC:
Stage 1 – Claimant Commitment Period
During this period, you’ll continue to receive your weekly payments. However, you’ll only be able to claim back the amount you spent during the previous week.
You’ll still pay rent and bills, but you won’t be paid extra for this.
Stage 2 – Work Related Activity Condition
At this point, you’ll be expected to carry out some form of work activity. Your employer will decide whether you meet the conditions required to remain eligible for UC.
Why is it so hard to calculate how much money I am entitled to?
Universal credit (UC) is a government benefit designed to help families who need extra support when they’re out of work. But calculating how much UC you should be paid isn’t straightforward.
There are two main reasons why it’s so complicated. First, there are different rules for different types of claimants. Second, some benefits aren’t calculated until after you’ve been claiming for six months.
If you’re a claimant, you may not realise that the amount you receive depends on whether you’re working or looking for work. And if you’re looking for work, you won’t know how much you’ll be paid until you apply for jobs.
That means it can take weeks or even months to find out exactly how much you’re going to be paid each month.
Is my child eligible for Child Tax Credits?
Universal Credit (UC) is a government welfare system introduced in 2013. It replaces six separate benefits including Income Support, Housing Benefit, Jobseekers Allowance, Employment & Support Allowance, Working Tax Credit, and Child Tax Credit.
If you’re a single parent who receives UC payments, you may be able to claim Child Tax Credits instead. This means you won’t need to pay any tax on your earnings. But there are some conditions you must meet.
To qualify for Child Tax Credits, your child must be under 16 years old and living with you full-time. They also need to live with you for at least 35 weeks out of every 52.
This means you must be working full-time during those 35 weeks. And you must not receive any other benefit payments, such as Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, or Pension Credit.
Your income should be below £16,000 per annum, and you must not be receiving any other benefits.
And finally, you must not already be claiming Child Tax Credits.
Should I claim Housing Benefit?
Universal credit (UC) is a government scheme designed to replace six existing benefits – income support, employment and support allowance, jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment assistance, housing benefit, and council tax reduction. The aim is to simplify the system and reduce fraud.
However, there are still some problems with UC. One of them is that claimants must wait until their first payment comes through before they can access any additional funds. This means that a claimant who receives no money at the beginning of the month may not be able to afford food or rent during this period.
This is where claiming housing benefit becomes important. Claiming housing benefit allows you to receive extra money each week, regardless of whether you’ve received any previous payments.
But should you claim housing benefit? Well, it depends. There are two main reasons why you should claim housing benefit. Firstly, you need to pay your rent. Secondly, you need to cover your living costs.
If you’re struggling to meet these expenses, then you should claim housing benefit because you won’t be able to survive otherwise. However, if you’re managing fine financially, then you shouldn’t claim housing benefit because you’ll only end up paying twice over.
There is also a third reason why you should claim housing benefits. If you’re a single parent, you may qualify for childcare vouchers. These vouchers allow you to claim £55 per child every week. So, if you’re a single mother working full time, you could potentially save yourself £1,100 per year.
That said, if you’re a lone parent, you should definitely claim housing benefit because you’re entitled to it. But remember, you can only claim housing benefit once you’ve been on universal credit for three months.