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Anyway to avoid losing legacy benefits when move to UC?
Is there anyway that someone who is self - employed and receiving working tax credits (old claim, no disability,) can claim help with rent and not lose WTC? HB say she can only claim UC. She still has some self-employed income but its reduced very much.
Thanks
No - new claims for HB can’t be made (subject to the usual exceptions) and a UC claim would replace all current legacy benefits. If there was a way around this, I suspect very many people would want to know…
They may be able to benefit from self-employment income support scheme though
No - new claims for HB can’t be made (subject to the usual exceptions) and a UC claim would replace all current legacy benefits. If there was a way around this, I suspect very many people would want to know…
Could you remind us of the usual exceptions please? Thanks
No - new claims for HB can’t be made (subject to the usual exceptions) and a UC claim would replace all current legacy benefits. If there was a way around this, I suspect very many people would want to know…
Could you remind us of the usual exceptions please? Thanks
Thank you all for your replies. I hope the benefit cap may be lifted, as she would have been excluded from the cap due to WTC but has lost that advantage when moving to UC. Although there is increased benefit help due to the Virus, claimants will be caught out by the benefit cap.
It’s a bit onorthodox but has the client tried asking the landlord for a rent break? (Works best with single private landlord who have a mortgage break). The tenants union in Scotland is assisting with this, don’t know if it’s the same elsewhere. It’s not massively likely to work but you never know. At the same time, you don’t want to leave the UC claim too late if there’s an urgent need for help with housing costs.
They may be able to get a Discretionary Housing Payment if hit by the benefit cap too.
No DHP without current HB or UC claim?
Yes. I meant a DHP if they claim UC and get benefit capped.
I should have been clearer.