Frequently Asked Questions about Universal Credit

Transcription

1 Frequently Asked Questins abut Universal Credit Q1 When des it cme int effect? A1 UC will be cming int effect in 8 areas where we have prperties frm February Q2 Which are the 8 areas affected frm February 2015? A2 Bassetlaw Chesterfield Daventry Erewash Harbrugh Hinckley & Bswrth Meltn Suth Kesteven Q3 Which ld benefits will be included in Universal Credit? Incme-based Jbseeker s allwance Incme-based emplyment supprt allwance Incme supprt A3 Wrking tax credits Child benefit Husing benefit Q4 Wh will be affected frm February 2015? Single wrking-age applicants wh need t apply fr Jbseeker s will A4 have t apply fr UC. Q5 I am a pensiner, will I be affected? N, there is n need t wrry. This will nt affect pensiners in the near future. Peple wh are f pensinable age (this changes s we must ask A5 if the custmer is in receipt f a state pensin) will nt be affected by this. Q6 I am a single parent, will I be affected? N, single parents will nt be affected at present. Hwever, we are advising that yu start t get yur rent accunt in advance nw ready fr A6 when it will affect yu. We can make an agreement which yu are able t affrd t help yu d this. Once we receive infrmatin frm the UC cnfirming when single parents will be affected we will cntact yu. Q7 I live with my partner, will we be affected? N, cuples will nt be affected at present. Hwever, we are advising that yu start t get yur rent accunt in advance nw ready fr when it A7 will affect yu. We can make an agreement which yu are able t affrd t help yu d this. Once we receive infrmatin frm the UC cnfirming when cuples will be affected we will cntact yu. Q8 I live in supprted accmmdatin (nt lder persn r sheltered

2 A8 Q9 A9 Q10 A10 Q11 A11 Q12 A12 Q13 A13 Q14 A14 Q15 accmmdatin), will I be affected by UC? N, peple living in supprted accmmdatin are exempt at the mment. Yu will cntinue t receive the same benefit as yu have dne previusly. If yu mve t general needs accmmdatin, hwever, yu may then be mved t UC. If yu are currently single, live in the 8 areas listed, and live in lder persn/sheltered accmmdatin and d nt receive a state pensin, and yur circumstances change and yu need t apply fr Incme-based Jbseeker s, yu will be affected. Why have I received this letter regarding UC when I wrk? We are targeting single ccupiers living in ur hmes in the 8 areas affected wh culd be affected by UC. If at sme pint in the future yur circumstances change and yu need t apply fr Jbseeker s, yu will nly be able t apply fr UC and need t understand what this means in relatin t yur tenancy. Hw d I apply fr UC? If yu have access t the internet yu can apply nline by using the fllwing website: Please remember that when yu are asked "D yu pay rent fr the hme where yu live?" yu MUST answer "Yes" if yur rent is currently cvered by Husing Benefit. If yu fail t d s, yur claim will NOT include a rent element and any subsequent appeal may nt necessarily mean that the rent element is backdated t the date f yur initial claim. I d nt have access t the internet and I will struggle t get t the jb centre, what else can I d? Our Financial Inclusin Officers can visit yu at hme with their mbile internet devices and help yu t make yur applicatin. Please cntact us t make an appintment. Alternatively yu can access the internet in lcal libraries r at ur lcal ffices t make yur applicatin. Can I apply fr UC ver the telephne? Yu will need t speak t yur wrk cach t explain why yu need t make yur applicatin ver the telephne. They will then be able t supprt yu with yur UC applicatin. Hw lng des it take t make the nline applicatin? We wuld advise that yu allw an hur t make yur nline applicatin. Yu will need t ensure that yu have all the infrmatin yu need befre starting yur claim. This shuld include: Yur pstcde Yur natinal insurance number Yur bank details Details f yur rent and service charges Details f any savings r capital yu have Details f any incme yu receive (including insurance yu receive) Details f any ther benefits yu receive Details f wh is living at yur hme Will I be able t save my applicatin nline as I wrk thrugh it? N, UC have nt develped this prcess as part f the applicatin s yu will need t dedicate the time t cmplete it in ne g with all the relevant infrmatin. Will I receive an acknwledgement frm UC nce I have submitted my nline claim?

3 A15 Q16 A16 Q17 A17 Q18 A18 Q19 A19 Q20 A20 Q21 A21 Q22 A22 Q23 A23 Q24 A24 Q25 N, unfrtunately this has nt yet been develped by UC t assure claimants that the applicatin has been received. Hw lng will I have t wait fr my UC payment? This usually takes up t 6 weeks frm the date yu made yur claim. Hw will I receive my UC payment, int my bank accunt r via a gir? Yur UC will be paid via BACS int yur bank accunt. Girs fr UC will nt be issued. I d nt have a bank accunt, hw will I receive my UC? All UC payments will be made by BACA int bank accunts, yu therefre need t make arrangements t get an accunt frm a high street bank r a credit unin accunt. We can ask ur Financial Inclusin Officers t help yu with this. Please cntact us t make an appintment fr yu. Alternatively, yur wrk cach r yur lcal CAB can supprt yu with this. Will I receive any mney while I am waiting fr my UC claim t be assessed? If yu d nt have any incme saved t use while waiting fr yur claim t be assessed, yu can request an interim payment. Yu culd receive up t 50% f yur mnthly UC depending n when yu request it. This has t be repaid frm yur nging UC ver the next 6 mnths it will autmatically be deducted. What if I cannt affrd t wait 6 weeks t receive my UC? UC can prvide yu with an interim payment which will give yu up t 50% f yur UC befre yur claim is put int payment. Yu must request this frm yur wrk cach r cntact UC directly n Will I receive my UC payment n the same date each mnth? Yes, nce yur UC claim is prcessed and a payment is made yu will receive yur payments n the same date each mnth. Yu d nt need t wrry if this date falls at the weekend r n a bank hliday, as the payment will be brught frward t take this int accunt. We wuld advise yu t set up a Direct Debit fr yur rent n the same date as yu receive yur UC t ensure that this is paid n time. We have any day Direct Debits t supprt this. Please cntact us t arrange this. As I will receive my UC in arrears, my rent accunt will be in arrears when I pay it - will this be acceptable? N, yur tenancy agreement states that yu must pay yur rent in advance. Yu shuld therefre try and pay extra nw t get yur accunt a full mnth in credit t take int accunt the delay in receiving yur UC payments. I have always had my rent paid directly t yu. Can I still d this? N, UC is paid directly t yur bank accunt and it is yur respnsibility t pay yur rent. Only custmers wh fall int rent arrears will be able t have their payments switched back t their landlrd. Are there any ther circumstances where payments can be switched back t the landlrd? Yes, sme vulnerable custmers can have the payments switched t the landlrd fr their rent but these are special cases. Please call us if yu are unsure whether yu meet the criteria. Hw can I apply t have my rent paid t yu as I am already in rent arrears?

4 A25 Q26 A26 Q27 A27 Q28 A28 Q29 A29 Q30 Q30 Q31 A31 We can d that fr yu if yu have mre than 4 weeks arrears. We will apply directly t UC fr the switch back and they will cnsider whether t prvide yu with mney advice r pay us yur rent directly. Yu can als ring UC n Yu shuld cntinue t keep making payments twards yur rent and arrears until this is set up as this culd take up t 8 weeks. If I nly receive a prprtin f my rent in the husing element f UC but have arrears and want the mney t be taken directly, will the direct payment t yu cver all my rent? Yes, we will advise the UC f the ttal rent which needs t be paid t us and this will be deducted frm yur verall UC payment. Will my rent arrears be repaid frm UC? Yes, we can request this when we apply t have yur rent paid directly t us. Yu culd have anything between 10-40% f yur UC deducted t repay yur rent arrears depending n any ther deductins currently being taken frm yur UC. S if yu receive 100 per mnth in UC yu will have anything frm deducted per mnth. Yu shuld cntinue t keep making payments twards yur rent and arrears until this is set up as this culd take up t 8 weeks. Hw lng will the payment direct t yu last fr? The alternative payment arrangements t us fr yur rent will be set up fr a given perid f time. This will be reviewed later and may be switched back t yu after a set perid f time. Yu are expected t imprve yur budgeting skills while the alternative payment arrangement is in place. I have had my benefits sanctined will this impact my rent? This will nly impact yur rent if yu fail t pay it frm the remaining UC mney yu are receiving. If yur arrears increase t mre than 4 weeks rent we can apply t receive the payments directly frm the UC yu are receiving which will leave yu with less t live n per mnth. Hw can I get help with budgeting fr my rent and ther bills mnthly? If yu are able t access the internet yu can lg n t: which has a budget planner and help t set this up. We als have tw Financial Inclusin Officers wh can supprt yu with this. Please cntact us if yu wuld like t make an appintment t see smene. Yu can als speak directly t UC n wh can refer yu t independent mney advice services in yur lcal area; these will either supprt yu ver the telephne r arrange a face t face appintment. Or speak t yur wrk cach directly wh can als make these arrangements. I receive my incme fur-weekly. Why have I nt received any UC this mnth? If yu receive yur incme fur-weekly yur emplyer prvides tax infrmatin t Revenue & Custms. This infrmatin is then shared with UC wh recalculate yur UC based n yur calendar mnthly incme. As it lks as thugh yu have received 2 mnths wages within the same calendar mnth, yur UC has been recalculated t take this int accunt. Yur UC will be adjusted again frm yur next payment. Yu still need t pay yur rent despite nt receiving yur UC. Yu als need t plan fr

5 Q32 A32 Q33 A33 Q34 A34 Q35 A35 Q36 A36 Q37 A37 Q38 A38 the ther ccasins during the year when this culd happen. Please review when yu are due t be paid and cnsider when yu are likely t receive tw sets f wages in the same calendar mnth. Yu will need t budget fr this in the future. When shuld I ntify UC regarding any changes in my circumstances? Immediately. Please d nt delay in advising UC n any changes t yur circumstances as yur claim will nt autmatically be backdated and yu will lse benefit fr every day that yu fail t advise them f the change. The benefit amunt will nt change until yur next UC payment is due t be received. I have received my rent increase letter. What shuld I d nw? Please cntact UC straight away t cnfirm the new rent value and the date it will be applied frm. If yu fail t tell them until after this is applied yu will nt receive a backdated payment frm when this was applied and yu will have t pay the difference frm yur existing UC payment. I have a nn-dependant living with me. Hw will this affect my UC? There is likely t be a set deductin fr yur nn-dependant each mnth which yu will have pay twards yur rent. Yu can either request that yur nn-dependant pays this t yu r they pay it directly t us. Either way, yu must ensure that this is paid as the rent is yur respnsibility and actin will be taken against yur tenancy if yu get int arrears. I have a sub-tenant r ldger. Will this affect my UC payment? Yes, UC des nt prvide an allwance fr a sub-tenant r ldger. Yu will need t declare them as a nn-dependant and then pay the extra twards yur rent. I am planning a hliday abrad fr mre than 4 weeks. Will this affect my UC? Yes, if yu are utside f the UK fr mre than 4 weeks yur UC payments will stp. Please ensure that yu have ther incme t live n while yu are away and that yur rent cntinues t be paid. I have fur rent-free weeks but UC des nt take this int accunt. What shuld I d? Yu can either change yur tenancy agreement t pay yur rent ver 52 weeks rather than 48 this is very easy, yu can make an appintment with us where yu can sign the relevant frms and we can then make the changes t ur internal systems. Alternatively, yu can calculate yur weekly rent ver 48 weeks and multiply it by 52 weeks t give yu the annual charge. Then divide this figure by 12 mnths. This will mean that yu pay slightly mre per mnth than yu nrmally pay, but will allw yu t take yur rent-free perids at the nrmal times. If yu fail t change yur tenancy agreement r increase yur payments actin will be taken against yur tenancy if yu start t g int rent arrears. What will happen when there are 53 weeks in the calendar year? Yur UC husing element will nly be calculated n a 52 week basis and then divided int 12 equal mnthly payments. We will nt be charging the rent ver 53 weeks s the 53 rd week there will nt be a charge. Therefre yu will nt have anything extra t pay and will receive the benefit fr the same perids.

6 Q39 A39 Q40 A40 I have previusly claimed husing benefit n tw prperties due t my circumstances. Will this still be pssible under UC? This is nly pssible in the fllwing circumstances: If yu suffering frm dmestic vilence, they will pay n tw prperties fr up t 52 weeks, r If yu are in receipt f middle r higher rate DLA r PIP and cannt mve int yur new hme due t adaptatins being cmpleted, r If yu cannt mve int yur new hme as yu are currently in hspital r residential care fr up t fur weeks I d nt live in ne f the 8 lcal authrity areas, but my lcal Jb Centre has advised me that I have t apply fr UC.What des this mean fr me? Despite nt living in a lcal authrity area affected, if yur lcal Jb Centre has advised yu t apply, then yu must apply fr UC as it will affect yu. Yu will need t ensure that yu pay yur rent directly t us and that yu pay in advance and nt in arrears when yu receive yur UC.