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Changes to the work allowance rates
Looking for some confirmation on the budget changes to the work allowance please. My understanding is that work allowances in universal credit will be abolished for non-disabled childless claimants…. So the £111.00 work allowance is gone. Easy enough.
This is the bit that I’m not sure about…. A reduced to £192 per month for those with housing costs and £397 per month for those without housing costs…. So this went from £222.00 to £192.00 pm for claimants with housing costs in the UC claim. And from £536.00 to £397.00 for those with no housing costs in the UC claim.
Is this right?
Thanks
Yes.
So couples, with children, and housing costs, will lose £19.50 a month in benefits because of this, while those with no housing costs will lose £90.35 a month.
I’m not clear what, if anything, happens to single parents.
I was wondering that Gareth - and also to those with LCW/LCWRA - presumably those will be amended too do you think? Or as the limited capability for work element won’t exist will that mean there won’t be a work allowance that goes along with it??
LCWRA/LCW This should stay the same…...
Higher work allowance (taking the highest of whichever of the following amounts is applicable)
no housing cost
2016
Single claimant - not responsible for a child or qualifying young person £0
- responsible for one or more children or qualifying young persons £734
- has limited capability for work £647
Joint claimants- neither responsible for a child or qualifying young person £0
- responsible for one or more children or qualifying young persons £397
- one or both have limited capability for work £647
Lower work allowance (taking the highest of whichever of the following amounts is applicable)
with housing cost.
2016
Single claimant - not responsible for a child or qualifying young person £0
- responsible for one or more children or qualifying young persons £263
- has limited capability for work £192
Joint claimants- neither responsible for a child or qualifying young person £0
- responsible for one or more children or qualifying young persons £192
- one or both have limited capability for work £192
Oh that’s interesting - what ‘s the source?
The Bill doesn’t say. As for those working with LCWRA - (IDS rubs hands with glee). This does raise the question though, for partners, whether LCWRA means that “one or both have limited capability for work”
The bill pulls out of the WR Act completely section 12.2(a) “... The needs or circumstances prescribed under subsection (1) may include—
(a) the fact that a claimant has limited capability for work;”. That’s the only Universal Credit detail. There’s a little more about ESA but that doesn’t help here.
“I’m not clear what, if anything, happens to single parents”.
Single parents will be abolished.
This is just my guesstimate of the figures from how I understand it now so by no means an official source. Still looking for answers as I guess anyone is. Happy days ahead.
Single parents will be abolished.
I heard that they will be phased out by April 2017 with any existing single parents having to shack up with someone through Universal Partnermatch by then
“I’m not clear what, if anything, happens to single parents”.
Single parents will be abolished.
That just made me laugh out loud…
Me too. As did ‘Universal Partnermatch’.
Thank goodness for you lot. Were it not for that I’d be contemplating flushing my head down the nearest toilet. If toilets haven’t been abolished too.
I am confused about the work allowance changes.
The speech only mentions two rates for households with housing costs and those without.
Abolished for ‘non-disabled, childless couples’ ... suggesting that the other rates apply equally to all other groups?
Where will further clarification come from on this?