Universal Credit An Introduction to Universal Credit Anthony March - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

An Introduction to Universal Credit Anthony March Partnership Manager

Universal Credit

▪ Universal Credit is a digital, flexible and personalised system ▪ It reduces barriers to work, incentivising people to move into work ▪ It also helps people a low income to earn more and get on in their job

UC

Local Authority

HMRC DWP

Deal with one organisation not three

UC

ESA Child Tax Credits Income Support Housing Tax Credits JSA

From six benefits to one

Transforming Welfare

Universal Credit – What’s it about?

• Helping make sure you’re better off in work than on benefits
• Allowing part-time and short-term work to act as a stepping stone into work
• Enabling you to work more than 16 hours a week and still claim Universal Credit
• Paying towards your childcare costs, giving you more flexible working hours

This is enabled by a taper that reduces your Universal Credit as you earn more money instead of stopping all your support outright when you work a certain amount.

Universal Credit – is opening up work by…

Supporting claimants with complex needs

• Help to Claim
• Identify verification
• Split claims for vulnerable partners
• Home visits
• Budgeting and debt advice
• Alternative Payment Arrangements
• Advances (including on-line applications)

Making and maintaining a claim Financial support

Alternative Payment Arrangements

Paying the housing element directly to the landlord (Managed Payment of Housing Costs to Landlord -MPTL) Making more frequent than monthly payments (More frequent payments - MFP) Splitting the payment within the household (Split Payments)

For a minority of claimants, Alternative Payment Arrangements may be required. These are: When a decision is made regarding whether an Alternative Payment Arrangement is suitable, factors in the claimant’s circumstances are taken into account to make that decision.

Any Questions