Millions of Brits will be reliant on benefits such as Universal Credit again to survive this winter. The single-benefit payment is available for working-age people and was introduced to replace a range of different benefits for unemployed and low-paid workers.
According to official government statistics, around 6.5 million people were on Universal Credit at the start of this year with nearly 40 per cent of claimants having jobs. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves confirmed in the autumn budget earlier this week (Wednesday, October 30) that the rate of the payment is set to rise according to inflation rates.
The standard allowance for a single person aged 25 or over will rise from £393.45 a month to £400.14 – a rise of £6.69. Meanwhile, for couples aged over 25 it will go up to £628.10 from £617.60 – a rise of £10.50.
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According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), there’s no limit to how many hours you can work and still get Universal Credit. It does not stop if you work over 16 hours a week.
However, if you wages go up, your Universal Credit payment will reduce. If you stop working or your wages go down, your payment will increase.
The DWP said: “For every £1 you earn from working, your Universal Credit payment goes down by 55p. Your income will be your wages plus your new Universal Credit payment.
“Use a benefits calculator to see how your Universal Credit changes if your wages go up. Most employers will report your wages for you. You will normally only need to report monthly earnings if you’re self-employed.”
It added: “As you or your partner’s wages increase, your Universal Credit payments will reduce until you’re earning enough to no longer get Universal Credit. Your payments will then be stopped. You’ll be told when this happens.
“If your wages decrease after this, you could become eligible for Universal Credit again. If it’s been 6 months or less since your last Universal Credit payment, you’ll automatically start getting payments again. If it’s been more than 6 months, you’ll need to reapply for Universal Credit.”