REAL LIVES Welfare The big bene


Get ready – the changes to our benefits are coming and not for the better. uniteWORKS provides some answers


BENEFIT CAP


From April 2013 there will be a national cap on the amount of benefits a single person or family can receive. The cap is £500 a week for a family, and £350 a week for a single person – this is known as the benefit cap.


Q: How could the benefit cap affect me? A: It will affect you


• if you are already getting more than £500 (family) or £350 (single) a week in benefit, your housing benefit will be reduced and you may have to move to cheaper housing


• it could affect larger family households, in particular those with four or more children


• it could mean a reduction of between £12 and £70 per week in housing benefit, although some households could face bigger reductions.


Q: Will there be any exceptions to the capping requirements?


A: The benefit cap does not apply where any household members receive:


• disability living allowance or personal independence payments


• attendance allowance • working tax credit


• the support component of employment and support allowance


• war widows/widowers pensions


If you have received a letter from the department for work and pensions advising you that you may be affected by the benefits cap and need more information please call their helpline (see opposite).


26 uniteWORKS March/April 2013


UNIVERSAL CREDIT Q: What is universal credit?


A: From October 2013 the following benefits will be replaced with a single benefit called universal credit:


• income support • income-based jobseekers allowance


• income related employment and support allowance


• housing benefits • tax credits • it will normally be paid monthly in arrears • be paid to a single person in the household


People who are of working age and claim the stated benefits will move onto universal credit in phases:


• between October 2013 and March 2014 new claims for unemployed people will be treated as claims for universal credit. Existing customers claiming an out of work benefit may also move to universal credit if they have a significant change in their circumstances


• from April 2014 new claims for working people will be treated as claims for universal credit


• from April 2014 the department for work and pensions will also start to move people from their existing benefits to universal credit. It is expected that it will take until 2017 to move all customers.


It is expected that the department for work and pensions will contact people directly to let them know when they are moving to universal credit.


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