Universal Credit & Local Housing Allowance Rates

[pipsaholic]

So, if your currently receiving UC being out of work and you want to move home whats the process?

Can you make an UC housing application before moving in to pay rent?

Will you get less money as they are already paying you for being unemployed? Will they accept you moving home as unemployed?

Do they still use the LHA rates in that council/postcode area and bedroom numbers to decide how much they will give you?

How long does the whole process take? Do you do it through your journal or make another seperate claim?

[nukecad]

I believe that you are in Scotland? If so this first part may be slightly different because tenancy agreements are different in Scotland.

As long as you have a Tenancy Agreement you can inform them of a change of circumstances.
They will want to see the TA.
They will pay UC-HE for when you are liable to pay rent according to the TA.

UC Standard Allowance will not change, a Housing Element will be added for the rent.

LHA rate is used for private rentals, check your councils website for what that means for you.
If you are single then it will be either shared rate or 1 bed rate depending on your age and other circumstances.
(LHA rate is a 'cap' you can't get more towards rent than LHA for a private rental, if your rent is less than LHA you only get the actual rent).

You report a change of circumstances, either by phone or on your journal.

How long it takes is a 'piece of string' question.

[robbie66]

Hi nukecad just moved from my old address to my new one I’ve started to fill in the application online for universal credit but it never asks for your national insurance number or if you get any other benefits really confused as I’ve never done this before currently in esa support group your help would greatly appreciated

[nukecad]

Not sure I can help, I'm still on ESA myself so have never filled in a UC application. (Never even seen it done).

I believe that what it asks for, and when it asks for it, depends on the answers you have already given.
(That is the excuse the DWP give when anyone asks for screenshots of the process).

I also believe that the 'How to claim' videos on the UC website (and the ones they show in the jobcentre, when it's open) are a couple of years out of date, so aren't going to be of much help.

Maybe one of the members here already on UC, especially anyone who has recently migrated from ESA, could help?

[robbie66]

Yes it’s all new to some of the us getting a call on Monday morning from someone at universal credit kind regards nukecad

[nukecad]

CAB have the government contract for Help-to-Claim for UC.

From reports I have heard they are either 'brilliant' at it or 'bloody useless', it seems to depend on what the CAB branch is like in your area.

Whether they are good or bad they take time, especially now with Covid, which delays the start date of your UC claim.

Big argument about whether contacting CAB for help should count as the start of a claim, but the DWP will not accept that it starts until you actually do it online.
Even then there are arguments about if it starts only when you complete it and hit the button, or if it starts when you start filling it in and save it to complete later.
More things for the courts to rule on.

PS. Pipsaholic - was I right that you are in Glasgow? Benefits law is getting different in Scotland now as well as in Northern Ireland.
(Just makes things more difficult to advise about).

[pipsaholic]

Yeah, in Glasgow. I think its only a change in the severe disability entitlment that is getting changed rest stays the same i believe.

[nukecad]

It's mainly disability and child benefits, but some provisions in UC are also different.

In Scotland you can choose from the start to have UC paid in two halves so twice a month instead of monthly, and can choose to have the Housing Element paid directly to you landlord
(You can have those done in England/Wales but only by special arrangement once you are already getting UC. I'm not sure about NI they have always had their own different rules).
https://www.gov.scot/policies/social...versal-credit/

Plus like I said above Tenancy Agreement law is different in Scotland, so the qualifying rules for UC-HE may/will be different to reflect that.

Other changes to devolved benefits are also being considered/discussed.

[robbie66]

Ok here goes about transferring over from esa income related support group as I’ve moved to a different local authority got phone call on Monday guy put my mind at ease as you can imagine I was in a bit of a state said because I’m in support group I could get an advance of nearly £1400 which I only took a couple of hundred for removal costs he then said a lady would call Tuesday morning to discuss my universal credit claim seem straight forward she switched of my claimant commitments as I’m in the support group and would find out late March to see how much would get each month to be paid on the first on each month did ask for my housing benefit to be paid to my housing association and she said they would so will keep you posted of any further developments

[nukecad]

Sounds like it went OK then.

They are getting a lot more used to doing migrations then they used to be, and let's face it they will have had a lot of practice this year.

It used to take a month or two to get the ESA-SG transfered over to UC-LCWRA and paid in UC, but I believe they have also got better at sorting that out.
It will be interesting to hear how you get on with that.

Although both ESA and HB stop when you claim UC you will still get another payment of 2 weeks IR ESA, and 2 weeks of any HB you were claiming at the old house.
That's an overlap with the start of UC, so you get both ESA/HB and UC for those 2 weeks and you don't have to pay it back.
The idea of those 'run-ons' is to make the transition to monthly UC a bit easier.

You will have to pay back the UC Advance that you took at so much a month from your UC payments.