Thanks to 24dash.com for drawing my attention to the DWP’s latest leaflet, explaining the circumstances in which couples can now claim Universal Credit.
To claim Universal Credit as a couple, both you and your partner must:
• live at your usual address in an area where Universal Credit is available
• live at the same address
• not be homeless, in supported or temporary accommodation, nor a homeowner
• be a British citizen with a National Insurance number
• be aged between 18 years and 60 years and six months
• be fit for work
• not have applied for a fitness for work note
• consider yourself/yourselves fit for work
• not be pregnant nor have given birth within the last 15 weeks
• not be receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance
(ESA), Income Support (IS), Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• not be awaiting a decision on a claim for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support (IS), Housing Benefit (HB), Child Tax Credit (CTC) or Working Tax Credit (WTC)
• not be appealing against a decision of non-entitlement to Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Income Support (IS)
• not be awaiting the outcome of an application to revise a decision of non-entitlement to Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support (IS) or Housing Benefit (HB)
• not have any caring responsibilities (such as for a disabled person)
• not be responsible for a young person under 20 who is in non-advanced education or training
• not be self employed, a company director or part of a limited liability partnership
• not be in education or on a training course of any kind
• not have a person acting on your behalf over your claim
• have at least one suitable account that DWP can pay your money into
• not live in the same household as a member of the regular or reserve forces who is away on duty
• have lived in the UK for the last two years, and not have been abroad for more than four weeks continuously during that time
• not be required to pay child maintenance via the Child Support Agency
• not have savings in excess of £6,000 between the two of you
• not be an approved foster parent (even if you currently have no foster children)
• not be expecting to adopt a child in the next two months
• not expect to receive individual take home pay of more than £330 in the next month
• not expect to receive joint take home pay of more than £525 in the next month
• not expect to receive any earnings from self-employment in the next month.
Don’t all rush at once. The pace of the rollout has been accelerated and this system will be looking to cope with seven and a half million people by 2019.