Universal Credit confusion on rates

andwhatisnow

Hi! I've just tried the turn2us calculator and it says that I'm entitled to £ 157.52 per week. It confuses me because it's £ 682 per month. It confuses me because when I type on google it says that the standard for single and over 25 for a month is £ 368.74.

Also, turn2us asked me how many people live in my accomodation. Does that mean in my same room, or house? It also gives the maximum option of 4. What if it's more?
Thank you

PS
I mistakenly wrote this post on the "Benefits and financial support" section. It can be removed.

Alex_Alumni

Hi @andwhatisnow I'll remove that other discussion for you, if there are any replies, I'll merge them here. Thanks for letting us know  

calcotti

andwhatisnow said:

Hi! I've just tried the turn2us calculator and it says that I'm entitled to £ 157.52 per week. It confuses me because it's £ 682 per month. It confuses me because when I type on google it says that the standard for single and over 25 for a month is £ 368.74.

 When you use the calculator you can choose whether or the calculator shows the result as a monthly amount or a weekly amount.

The total benefit amount depends on what parts of UC you are entitled to and what other benefits you receive.

andwhatisnow

Gov.uk says that for single and over 25 the amount is £368.74 a month but after trying the the turn2us calculator it says that I'm entitled to £ 157.52 per week, which is £ 682 per month. Is it possible or it's a mistake?

poppy123456

Yes it's possible, if you claim for help with your rent with your UC. It's also possible for a single person over the age of 25 to be entitled to £758.80/month (without rent) if their UC includes the LCWRA element.

Everyone's entitlement to UC will totally depend on their circumstances.

poppy123456

andwhatisnow said:

Gov.uk says that for single and over 25 the amount is £368.74 a month but after trying the the turn2us calculator it says that I'm entitled to £ 157.52 per week, which is £ 682 per month. Is it possible or it's a mistake?

That figure of £682 is the amount for someone under 25 that's also been found to have LCWRA. (without help with any rent)

A benefits calculator is only as good as the information you put into it.

andwhatisnow

And why on the Gov.uk says that for single and over 25 the amount is £368.74 a month? This I don't understand. They should write that it changes on the circumstances.

poppy123456

As i advised, that's the correct amount for a single person without help with any rent. UC is one benefit made up of many different elements. What you're entitled to will depend on your circumstances.

Do you claim for help with any rent? have you been through a work capability assessment?

andwhatisnow said:

They should write that it changes on the circumstances.

Of course it depends on circumstances. You can't claim more than you're entitled to.

andwhatisnow

I don't claim for any help for the rent and I haven't been through any capability assessment. I get PIP on a standard rate, no mobility.

andwhatisnow

So I was stupid to get only tax credits when I did, I could have got much more with UC.

poppy123456

That means your maximum UC entitlement if 25+ is £368.74/month. If your health condition limits your capability for work then you can report a change of circumstances, then click health condition and report it. It will then prompt you to send a fit note within 7 days of that and continue to send them without any gaps until a decision is made on your work capability assessment.

You should be referred usually on day 29 (can be later) once referred you will recieve the work capability assessment forms in the post shortly after.

https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/new-to-universal-credit/health-conditions-or-disabilities/

andwhatisnow

"That means your maximum UC entitlement if 25+ is £368.74/month." Why do you say that?

poppy123456

Because you’re single, with no liability to pay rent so that’s what your maximum UC entitlement is. If you work then any earnings you receive each month will reduce your UC by 55%. 

andwhatisnow

I pay rent. Why do you say I have no liability to pay rent?

poppy123456

In a previous comment you said you do not claim for help with any rent. Based in that i assumed you live with parents. If you’re not living with parents then why doesn’t your UC include help with the rent? 

You’re not making this very easy to advise you are you? 

I have no idea what your circumstances are because I don’t know anything about you. It’s impossible to advise with any information. 

andwhatisnow

I said that I don't claim because at the moment I haven't claimed anything but I would like to claim rent. Apologies for the misunderstanding. So if I claim rent I should be getting more than that (£368.74)?

poppy123456

No problem. For rent, if you're living in privately rented property as a single person you'll be entitled to the 1 bedroom rate of LHA. Your UC will then include the standard allowance mentioned above and the housing element. You can check the rates here but you'll need to convert it into a monthly amount, to do that you times the amount by 52 and then divide by 12. https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/

If there's a shortfall of rent then you'll need to pay that yourself.

andwhatisnow

So I guess I was advised wrongly at the time. I had tax credits (about £50 pw), and I was told that if I moved to UC I would have had less money. Instead it seems like UC can cover your whole rent.

poppy123456

andwhatisnow said:

So I guess I was advised wrongly at the time. I had tax credits (about £50 pw), and I was told that if I moved to UC I would have had less money. Instead it seems like UC can cover your whole rent.

Not everyone is worse off when claiming UC, it will depend on each individual circumstances. 

Whether the housing element of UC covers your whole rent will depend on your circumstances. If you’re privately renting and single then there’s less chance of UC covering your whole rent. You can check the rates by using the link I provided above. 

andwhatisnow

I tried with turn2us and the link you provided and in both cases I get results that cover more than the rent. Talking about 1 bedroom in a shared house. I don't wanna go and rent a room, to find out later that I will not be able to afford it because I lack the funds.

poppy123456

In this case you will only receive your maximum rent amount, you will not receive any more than what your rent is.