Universal Credit Who can claim, how much will you get and when’s it coming?

The Government has said that anyone who falls outside the scope of its new schemes will be supported via the benefits system, writes Marianna Hunt.

Freelancers and contractors who have to wait until June for grants to arrive will also be able to claim.

Q

Who is eligible for Universal Credit?

A

If your income has dropped or you’re out of work you may be able to claim. You must be 18 or older but under the State Pension age, or have a partner who is. Your joint personal savings must not exceed £16,000 – although if you have money invested in your own business then this will not count.

Q

How much will you get?

A

Universal Credit payments have been temporarily raised for the next 12 months to match statutory sick pay. Claimants will now be able to get £94.25 a week. You may be eligible for more if you have children, a health condition or disability.

Q

Is other support available?

A

If you have worked as an employee in the past two to three years and paid National Insurance but are now out of work then you may also be entitled to JSA. The self-employed who have lost work to coronavirus may be entitled to both Universal Credit and ESA if a health condition has prevented them from earning. Both schemes have different eligibility requirements to Universal Credit. The Government’s new Self-employment

Income Support Scheme will pay up to £2,500 a month for the qualifying self-employed. You can claim benefits until the grants start in early June.

Q

When will payment arrive?

A

You may have to wait weeks. The usual processing time for Universal Credit applications is five weeks. This could be longer now as there have been almost half a million new applications, with claimants reporting long online queues.