Universal Credit: Key points for reps


• those making a new claim for benefits and those who are already claiming but have a change in their circumstances, may have to claim Universal Credit (UC) at some point before December 2018, when the roll-out for new claims is due to cover the whole of the UK;


• families with three or more children making a new benefit claim can continue to make new claims for existing benefits until at least February 2019;


• a UC full service area is where UC is available to all types of claimants — there is a postcode checker to find out whether claimants are in a full service area or live service area. You cannot make a new claim to UC in a live service area, but may be able to claim other benefits instead;


• unions and other organisations are calling on the government to “pause and fix” UC;


• most working people who are currently eligible for tax credits will be much worse off under UC;


• Transitional Protection is only available for people who have no change in their circumstances that would trigger a move to UC and are therefore moved on to UC by way of a “managed migration” (see page 11);


• workers who are paid on a given day of the month, such as the last Thursday, or are paid on a two-weekly or four-weekly basis could see a reduction in the amount of UC they receive; 


• for the first time ever, people in work could face being sanctioned (having their benefits stopped or reduced) if they do not prove to the job centre that they are searching for better paid work or more hours, due to “in-work conditionality”; 


• the single benefit Universal Credit (UC) is gradually replacing the previous system of working-age benefits and tax credits. UC is replacing:



◊ income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA);



◊ Housing Benefit (HB);



◊ Working Tax Credit (WTC); 



◊ Child Tax Credit (CTC);



◊ Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA); and



◊ Income Support (IS);



• eventually, everyone on these benefits will have to move to the new system, and UC requires claimants to accept a Claimant Commitment, with UC reduced or stopped (known as sanctions) if they do not stick to the conditions this sets out (see page 23).