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UC £20

woodbine
woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
For those of you on UC it has been announced as expected that the additional £20 a week will continue til September, also those still on tax credits will get a one off payment of £500.
2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

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Comments

  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Good news watched it on news 

    But thanks for sharing @woodbine
  • Garza
    Garza Community member Posts: 149 Pioneering
    Do you know if anything was mentioned about those legacy benefits? I am guessing they will have been forgotten about again in spite of Scope and others lobbying for some assistance 
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @woodbine think I would rather have a one off payment  the 20.00 is going to stop eventually so I am trying to budget without the 20.00 extra otherwise its to easy to get used to  this is just my opinion though 
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @woodbine I think its 20.00 a month extra not a week 
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    There was no mention of legacy benefit apart from the tax credit £500 one of payments as tax credits are only available on legacy benefits so they have been accounted for @Garza
  • Charlieniblett
    Charlieniblett Community member Posts: 54 Connected
    No woodbine is correct it is £20 per week uplift for the next 6 months
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    edited March 2021
    @woodbine I think its 20.00 a month extra not a week 
    it is £20 a week or £87 per month, as it was from the start.
    The £500 one off payment is the equivalent of £20 a week for 6 months.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • cartha
    cartha Community member Posts: 1,390 Pioneering
    I was on the old system, ESA. I didn't get any extra help with the lockdown, and it cost a lot more to get groceries, especially at the start when there were no delivery slots and the shelves were cleaned out (just before it was all chucked in the dustbins by the hoarders!). I was changed over to UC in December but didn't receive a payment until mid February, for a grand total of £255! I believe that is supposed to cover my rent as well. Up until a few days before payment there was no one who could tell me how much I would receive. I asked for a small advance thinking UC amount would be similar to ESA. My next payment is due mid March but, again, nobody can tell me how much I will receive until the system spews it out a few days before payment. How can I possibly plan anything ahead with this new system? Does it change at a later date?

    I also have to go through all my medical paperwork all over again because they can't use the paperwork from my ESA claim. What a nightmare. I don't know what I would have done without my parents feeding me. I spent December and most of January without heating in the house.
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    You can use a benefit calculator to assess your entitlement https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @cartha once your start getting your regular payments it will make it easier your journal tells you what is being paid and how much 

    My rent goes straight to my landlord apart from the 50.00 myself  any benefit is hard to live on its taken me a year to fet some where my finances are fairly straight  uc have given me a rough payment I will get once the uplift stops do I work it out now from before the uplift 

    The last two months I have been able to get 40.00 pound of shopping which is a bonus for me 

    To be fair I am grateful for everything I have got 
  • cartha
    cartha Community member Posts: 1,390 Pioneering
    Thank you @woodbine and @calcotti

    I did fill in one of those websites that calculates what I should be receiving but it isn't what I have actually received. I have appealed against them not paying me anything for December (They stopped my money without notice and I didn't know I had to now claim UC) so am waiting for that outcome. £255 was supposed to be for a month from what I understand. Thank you for the links, I'll see if I can learn something from them.


  • cartha
    cartha Community member Posts: 1,390 Pioneering
    @lisathomas50, On the UC website under "payments" I get the following:-

    Your next statement will be ready on 13 March 2021. Check again then.

    On 17 March 2021 you will be paid any money you are entitled to.

    The amount you get is based on your circumstances from 11 February to 10 March 2021.

    If your payment falls on a bank holiday or weekend you'll usually get it earlier.

    As you say, it'll probably sort itself out once things get going properly, it's just the lack of confirmation from them of how much I can expect to receive. My house is with the council, and I know there was a query about details of the house so they haven't paid any rent yet. The query is supposed to be sorted out now (council's error) so I guess rent will be paid next pay day?  


  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @cartha I had the same problem its annoying  if you were in the group on esa make sure universal credit know thst  I had a large back payment becsusr they hadn't moved me over properly 

    It took a whilst for them to get mine right but it will sort its self out they do back pay so it will work its self out 

    Are you moveing as well ?
  • cartha
    cartha Community member Posts: 1,390 Pioneering
    @lisathomas50 I am waiting to move, yes. I've agreed a house swap with someone but the council won't give us an answer about it until lockdown lifts. We are both packed and ready to go, so hope the council doesn't find a reason to not say "yes". Would be nice to get away from this bedroom tax and more into the countryside.

    I have a contact at the local Job centre who I have told about my ESA group. It sounds like they are treating me as a new claim and doing everything from scratch so I don't think they would be taking my ESA group into account. They initially wanted me to look for work until my GP wrote me a letter. To get ESA I had a medical related interview at the Job Centre which stopped me having to keep getting letters from the GP. Now I have to get letters from the GP again so I assume they will have to assess me again.
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @cartha hope your move does go OK are you staying in wales  I assumed you lived on your own sorry about that 

    Hope it all gets sorted for you 
  • cartha
    cartha Community member Posts: 1,390 Pioneering
    @lisathomas50 I am on my own at the moment while my daughter is staying with my parents but she usually lives with me. I'm only moving a few miles down the road from a four bedroomed house in town to a two bedroomed bungalow in a tiny village (council allowing). Staying in Wales, yes :-)  So much stuff is up in the air at the moment but I know the move will be a huge help for me.

    Back to the extra £20 from UC, is that automatic or does it have to be claimed separately? I didn't see any mention of it with my first payment in February.

    @woodbine I did the calculator again and it says I should be receiving roughly £190 per week. I'm also waiting for a PIP claim which CAB recommended I do, so that may help if I qualify. Not sure that I will though so I won't count on that.


  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    The £20 is automatically included in your claim, it will end in September at the moment.
    Have you had your assessment for PIP yet?
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @cartha the 20.00 is automatically on the universal credit 

    Standard rate is 409.00 and a few pence at the moment then there will be housing payment 

    Then if you get limited capability for work you will get extra for that thry pay my rent directly to the landlord so the rest comes to me then  so you need to see how it all pans out when it's sorted properly 
  • cartha
    cartha Community member Posts: 1,390 Pioneering
    @woodbine I'm awaiting the PIP assessment. It seems to be done by a private company, Capita.

    @lisathomas50 I assume the amount I was quoted was including rent, which would then leave me with close to £400 per month. Would rather they give me a job, life was a lot less complicated when I was working. Mostly. ;-)  I guess I just need to be patient and let things settle down.

    Thanks for the help and advice.

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