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Apprenticeships

NAI
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If a person 30 plus years of age in the first year of a full-time apprenticeship (£3.90), would UC accept that level of income as valid (effectively topping up)?

Any ideas welcome.

ClairemHodgson
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NAI - 29 April 2019 02:00 PM

If a person 30 plus years of age in the first year of a full-time apprenticeship (£3.90), would UC accept that level of income as valid (effectively topping up)?

Any ideas welcome.

? seriously?  £3.90? if that’s hourly rate its below minimum and illegal and the mind boggles if its over any other period…...

Vonny
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NAI
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ClairemHodgson - 29 April 2019 02:55 PM
NAI - 29 April 2019 02:00 PM

If a person 30 plus years of age in the first year of a full-time apprenticeship (£3.90), would UC accept that level of income as valid (effectively topping up)?

Any ideas welcome.

? seriously?  £3.90? if that’s hourly rate its below minimum and illegal and the mind boggles if its over any other period…...

As I understand it, it can be paid at this rate during the first year of an apprenticeship.

https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide/pay-and-conditions

What I need to know is will the DWP processing a UC claim for someone in that first year be willing to accept that rate. Minimum Income Floor (MIF) applies to self-employed. Or, in the alternative, would they assume the relevant non-first-year minimum wage amount X by the number of hours? I cannot find anything to clarify this.

 

Daphne
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He’s not self-employed so the MIF wouldn’t apply. They should use his actual earnings to calculate his entitlement.

I guess the only thing is they might apply conditionality as below the conditionality threshold - but if he’s working full-time you would hope that they would see he can’t do anything more other than carry on the apprenticeship - he’s doing all he can in his 35 hours.

Elliot Kent
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ClairemHodgson - 29 April 2019 02:55 PM
NAI - 29 April 2019 02:00 PM

If a person 30 plus years of age in the first year of a full-time apprenticeship (£3.90), would UC accept that level of income as valid (effectively topping up)?

Any ideas welcome.

? seriously?  £3.90? if that’s hourly rate its below minimum and illegal and the mind boggles if its over any other period…...

We’ve had the reduced rates for apprentices for nearly a decade Claire. It applies only to people who are doing an apprenticeship and are either under 19 or in the first year of the apprenticeship. It used to be less than £3 an hour.

This person can claim UC and their payment will be calculated based on what they are actually earning. There is no MIF or equivalent.

For conditionality purposes, they will be exempt from conditionality entirely if they are working 30 hours per week at that rate - see reg 90(4) UC Regs and page 1041 of last year’s CPAG.

NAI
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As always Elliot many thanks 😊

ClairemHodgson
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Elliot Kent - 29 April 2019 03:19 PM
ClairemHodgson - 29 April 2019 02:55 PM
NAI - 29 April 2019 02:00 PM

If a person 30 plus years of age in the first year of a full-time apprenticeship (£3.90), would UC accept that level of income as valid (effectively topping up)?

Any ideas welcome.

? seriously?  £3.90? if that’s hourly rate its below minimum and illegal and the mind boggles if its over any other period…...

We’ve had the reduced rates for apprentices for nearly a decade Claire. It applies only to people who are doing an apprenticeship and are either under 19 or in the first year of the apprenticeship. It used to be less than £3 an hour.

.

gordon bennett.  not something i’ve been involved in, clearly

stevenmcavoy
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bumping this as i have a modern apprentice that could claim uc but its a bit more complicated as they have enhanced dl pip themselves and live with a parent who also gets enhanced dl pip (no sdp’s involved).

no one is claiming carers for the parent so it looks like it could go this way:

1. make uc claim and submit med certs to trigger wca. if they go into the wrag then they can get earnings allowance and carers element giving them uc entitlement. income is too high without earnings allowance and carers element only.

2. make uc claim and get put into support group.  no carers element as lcfwra element would be higher and earnings allowance.

i think ive got this right but wondering if there is anything i might have missed.