Universal tax credit

Looking for a bit of help re Universal Credits please.

I work full time,(15k a year) but get tax credits of £588 and maintenance (at long last) of £375 plus child benefit. I also have savings of more than £16,000.

Does anyone know:

When Universal tax Credits will be in force?
Is my credit award likely to stop?

I have my FDR soon, where stbx is claiming I have the same disposable income as him, If the credits go it will be a totally different picture.

Many thanks for anyone who can assist.

In some cases Universal Credit is already in force.

I think you may need to speak to them about it as from what I''ve read £16,000 in savings is the limit.

I am not sure that the exact details of how it''s going to work are written down anywhere yet, despite the fact that it''s in force in some parts of the country at the moment.

There is CAB information on it here:
www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/benefits_...c1_uc_what_is_it.htm

Hi

I recently went on a UC training course so I''ve got a fair idea of how it''s going to work and can calculate entitlements. I''m working on a Wikivorce guide for UC.

Universal Credit is currently in force for new applications of the simplest kind in areas of: Ashton-under-Lyne, Wigan, Tameside, Oldham, Warrington and Hammersmith. Between now and April 2014 it will be introduced in Harrogate, Bath, Inverness, Shotton and Rugby. Beyond April 2014 there are not yet published plans of the rollout. The government has stated that everyone will be migrated to UC by the end of 2017, though recent news reports suggest this is unlikely.

From your post the important things to consider are:

You will not receive universal credit if you have savings of more than £16,000. You simply won''t qualify.

child maintenance and Child Benefit are not factored into the calculation when you work out your income. Spousal maintenance is and benefit entitlement is reduced pound for pound.

If you do qualify, and your UC entitlement would be lower than your current entitlement from all means-tested benefits, you will not lose that money, as UC will match your current entitlement unless you have a major change in circumstance (such as losing a job or moving in with a partner).

EDITED: I had incorrectly stated that UC was in force in Stockport, that should have said Tameside.

Many thanks everyone, it looks like I will cease to be eligible for tax credits, some time from April 2014 to some time in 2017.

Forewarned is forearmed - at least I can mention it at the FDR

Just wondering if the original poster is around and how things went regarding the financial settlement.

As part of my case for maintenance (no assets) I am arguing that my ex is relying on me getting a large income from state benefits, when it is clear from the information about Universal Credit that all tax credits will be cut if you have over £16k of savings.

Anyone got any recent real life experience of cases like these?

Thanks

u6c00 - do you happen to know if ESA is included in the Universal credits? Or is it just things like Housing benefit etc....????