Welfare Reform

Universal Credit is currently for single people who are looking for work; families and couples will claim Universal Credit in the future. Universal Credit is paid to you monthly in arrears and includes money that is intended for your rent. When you are moved on to Universal Credit, you will need to arrange the best way for you to pay your rent. You will usually wait for 6 weeks before you receive your first Universal Credit payment. You can ask for an advance to help you pay your bills.

Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-toolkit-for-partner-organisations

Sometimes referred to as the 'Bedroom tax', the under occupancy charge is a change to Housing Benefit which means you may well receive less money if you live in a property which has more rooms than you need. Reductions are applied depending on the age, amount of people living in the property and the number of bedrooms your home has.

Find further information on this subject at: https://www.gov.uk/housing-benefit/what-youll-get

Most benefits for working age people have been frozen for four years. This means that there will be no increase until 2020.

Housing benefit backdates for working age people have been reduced from six months to four weeks from 1st April 2016. The time limit will be taken from the date you ask for a backdate. Pension age people will still be able to apply for a three month backdate.

From the 1st of May 2016 no family premium will be included for new Housing Benefit claims or in existing Housing Benefit claims for children born after May 2016. This change will not affect you if you are getting Income Support, Income Related ESA, Income Based JSA or Guaranteed Pension Credit.

For more information see: https://www.gov.uk/housing-benefit or take a look at the information on the Shelter website 

From April 2016, if your household income increases by more than £2,500 in the same tax year it will be taken into account and will affect your tax credits.

For more information on Tax credits, take a look at: https://www.gov.uk/topic/benefits-credits/tax-credits

If you are in a couple, whether your children live with you or not

The total amount you can claim in benefits is reducing - for most this will be £20,000 a year (£384.62 per week) a reduction of £6,000. If this applies to you it could affect the amount of Housing Benefit you receive.

If you are single and your children live with you

The total amount you can claim in benefits is reducing - for most this will be £20,000 a year (£384.62 per week) a reduction of £6,000. If this applies to you it could affect the amount of Housing Benefit you receive.

If you are single and you don’t have children, or your children don’t live with you

The total amount you can claim in benefits is also reducing. For most people, this will be £13,400 a year (£257.69 per week) a reduction of £4,600. If this applies to you it could affect the amount of Housing Benefit you receive

For more information on benefit caps please take a look at https://www.gov.uk/benefit-cap or http://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/benefits-cap