Universal credit and splitting up

I’ve clocked the bit in the draft C&P regs which say a new claim is not required where you get together as a couple or split up into single people but are there better off implications in the timing of this? The new Decisions and Appeals regs have a general rule that a supersession on change of circumstances takes effect from the beginning of the month in which it happens. Although the automatic claim thing would seem to mean the new entitlement as couple starts right away without too much ado this seems to mean that any entitlement there would have been as single people would end from the day you last got paid. So I think this means if you are going to get shacked up its best to do it right after youve got paid or you could lose a bundle or have I missed something?

Hi Damian,

Its not just a timing thing. Best to fall in love with someone the same age. From memory, if you have a partner is under 18 they sort of don’t exist in payment terms (probably exceptions) and if you want to escape UC as an oldie, you both have to have reached the right age to do so. Do the computer dating agencies and app writers know about all this?

Good thinking Steve - sounds like a good idea for a job as these welfare rights ones go down the swanny. Could get a job doing better off calculations on differernt partners for dating agencies!

It’s also worth looking at change of circumstances from a slightly different perspective - transitional protection.

People will get transitional protection if they move onto UC as part of a ‘managed move’.  They won’t get TP if they are new claims nor if they are a ‘natural migration’.  Changes of circumstance will often lead to a natural migration and it’s going to matter for many couples who may lose TP.  I’ve put a list of some migrations below (it looks better as a table but I don’t think I can insert a table here.

Natural Migration Scenarios - Yes is a migration to UC (A claim to benefit would need to be a claim to UC), No remains on current benefits.

Household becomes responsible for a child for the first time   Yes

Lone Parent on IS re-partners   Yes

Couple with child under 5 splits up and one parent becomes a lone parent   Yes

Claimant reaches state pension credit age   No (move to Pension Credit)

Claimant reaches state pension credit age however has a partner under state
pension credit age   Yes

Child leaves full time non-advanced education or training   No

Child leaves home   No

Child starts full time work   No

Childcare costs increase/decrease   No

Couple on joint claim JSA splits up   Yes

Claimant on JSA,  ESA, IS, or HB with a partner splits up   No (Should partner wish to claim they would have to claim UC)

Claimant on WTC with a partner splits up   Yes

Claimant on CTC with a partner splits up   Yes

Claimant on JSA/ ESA/IS/HB re- partners   No (change of circs to the legacy benefit for the claimant who is in receipt of the benefit)

Claimant on WTC, CTC re-partners   Yes