SECURING a full-time teaching job rather than relying entirely on benefits seemed like a sensible and worthwhile decision for single mum Katrina Lear-Parkes.
But she says that after moving onto Universal Credit she’s been left her worse off and unable to afford the upfront childcare fees for her three-year-old son’s nursery.
The 36-year-old, from West Midlands, has now been forced to set up a crowdfunding campaign in a bid to clear the £1,400 debt she’s run up since being on the controversial welfare system.
Under new Universal Credit rules, parents are able to claim back up to 85 per cent of childcare costs – but they must do this in arrears, meaning they need the cash up front to pay the nursery bills.
Surplus cash is not something Katrina, who grew up in care and spent time homeless as a teen, has ever had and she quickly fell into difficulties.
The Sun is campaigning for the government to change this – among other problems – as part of our Make Universal Credit Work campaign.
Under the previous benefit scheme, Katrina was entitled to £943 a month to support herself and her son, as well as free prescriptions, a full council tax reduction and no childcare costs.
But after returning to work in October, the mum-of-one was moved onto the government’s new welfare system, and she says she’s been left in dire straits since.
She told The Sun Online: “The new system feels like a punishment.
“They expect people to have family to pick up the pieces – but I don’t have family I can fall back on.
Are you on Universal Credit? Tell us your story. Email: universalcredit@the-sun.co.uk and join our Universal Credit Facebook group.
“The government was my family. I don’t have anyone else.”
Katrina says she was encouraged to take up the 35-hours a week minimum wage role by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and was assured she would be better off.
But what she wasn’t aware of under the new scheme was that that Universal Credit is calculated on a monthly assessment period – and if you receive wages twice in that time it affects your payment.
Due to Christmas, she was paid her December salary early which meant it fell within the same assessment period and was deemed to have been paid £2,018 in one month.
On top of that she has been paying back an advance that she had to take out to cover her nursery fees of £585 a month, as well as £130 per month for an overpayment that was made to her as an administrative error by the DWP.
She’s also seen her council tax jump from £15 per month to £95 and spends £50 on travel for herself and her son since returning to work.
This month, Katrina received just £700 from Universal Credit and has already received confirmation that next month she will be entitled to nothing.
It means she can no longer afford to send her son to nursery and without a form of childcare, it’s also left her unable to work.
The Sun wants to Make Universal Credit Work
Universal Credit replaces six benefits with a single monthly payment.
One million people are already receiving it and by the time the system is fully rolled out in 2023, nearly 7 million will be on it.
But there are big problems with the flagship new system – it takes 5 weeks to get the first payment and it could leave some families worse off by thousands of pounds a year.
And while working families can claim back up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, they must find the money to pay for childcare upfront – we’ve heard of families waiting up to 6 months for the money.
Working parents across the country told us they’ve been unable to take on more hours – or have even turned down better paid jobs or more hours because of the amount they get their benefits cut.
It’s time to Make Universal Credit work. We want the government to:
- Get paid faster: The Government must slash the time Brits wait for their first Universal Credit payments from five to two weeks, helping stop 7 million from being pushed into debt.
- Keep more of what you earn: The work allowance should be increased and the taper rate should be slashed from from 63p to 50p, helping at least 4 million families.
- Don’t get punished for having a family: Parents should get the 85 per cent of the money they can claim for childcare upfront instead of being paid in arrears.
Together, these changes will help Make Universal Credit Work.
Join our Universal Credit Facebook group or email UniversalCredit@the-sun.co.uk to share your story.
She said: “I have no savings at all, I work full time, minimum wage as a teaching assistant.
“I leave my house at 6.50am with a three-year-old child, catch public transport to take him to nursery, drop him off and walk another twenty minutes to catch a lift to work four miles away.
“We don’t return home until 6pm on an evening due to the travel despite my working day finishing at 3.30pm.”
Katrina added: “Ironically, if I had taken only a 16 hour job I could have earned £200 a month without it affecting my UC at all.
“It’s very silly that wanting to work full time means I am much worse off.
“I checked it out with them time after time before going ahead with the job and was assured me I would be better off in work.
“It’s ridiculous. If I’d have known I would have never taken the job otherwise.”
But Katrina says the DWP says that if she quits her job or drops from full-time to 16 hours a week she will be sanctioned for 13 weeks.
Faced with a desperate situation, Katrina took to social media to demand the attention of Amber Rudd, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and “implore” the government to review Universal Credit.
Her plight was picked up by a kind stranger who offered to give her £100 to help her out, which led to her setting up a crowdfunder.
She said: “I felt guilty and ashamed about it at first.
“But once I got support publically I started to feel strong and positive.
What to do if you have problems claiming Universal Credit
IF you’re experiencing trouble applying for your Universal Credit, or the payments just don’t cover costs, here are your options:
Apply for an advance – Claimants are able to get some cash within five days rather than waiting weeks for their first payment. But it’s a loan which means the repayments will be automatically deducted from your future Universal Credit pay out.
Alternative Payment Arrangements – If you’re falling behind on rent, you or your landlord may be able to apply for an APA which will get your payment sent directly to your landlord. You might also be able to change your payments to get them more frequently, or you can split the payments if you’re part of a couple.
Budgeting Advance – You may be able to get help from the government to help with emergency household costs of up to £348 if you’re single, £464 if you’re part of a couple or £812 if you have children. These are only in cases like your cooker breaking down or for help getting a job. You’ll have to repay the advance through your regular Universal Credit payments. You’ll still have to repay the loan, even if you stop claiming for Universal Credit.
Cut your Council Tax – You might be able to get a discount on your Council Tax or be entitled to Discretionary Housing Payments if your payments aren’t enough to cover your rent.
Foodbanks – If you’re really hard up and struggling to buy food and toiletries, you can find your local foodbank who will provide you with help for free. You can find your nearest one on the Trussell Trust website.
“Universal Credit has left me feeling fearful and anxious, but knowing there are kind and generous people out there has just really touched me.”
With the help from the donations from kind strangers, Katrina is trying to raise £1,400 to clear her Universal Credit debt.
She said: “This money will help me get myself back to square one.
“Without it I would be in an absolute state.”
She’s among hundreds of people who have started crowdfunding for cash to help them survive after moving onto Universal Credit.
Data shows that there are more than 900 campaigns on GoFundMe alone, which has increased five-fold since 2017.
During the same time period, the number of households on Universal Credit increased by 108 per cent, from 635,033 in October 2017 to 1,317,985 in October last year.
It comes as Amber Rudd revealed the next phase of the rollout for 3million people could be scrapped amid concerns of the “catastrophic” effects the new system has on claimants.
Instead she plans to seek approval to move just 10,000 claimants on to UC to monitor the way the new system works.
Katrina added: “Before Universal Credit I was by no means well off, I’ve always lived very hand to mouth, but I’ve never been in debt.
“I was still broke and having to think about how I would feed my child, but the situation with Universal Credit is one of the most challenging I have experienced.
“It is scary because the way they work it is beyond my control and I am getting into debt because of them.
Make Universal Credit Work
“I am a good, strong role model for my son, and I want to be able to provide for him, work hard, contribute to society and be happy but Universal Credit are making this exceptionally hard.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “Ms Lear-Parkes has declined an offer of jobcentre support to help her meet her immediate childcare costs.
“Universal Credit offers parents tailored support and we are working with employers to make them aware of how their pay cycles might affect Universal Credit payments.”
You can donate to Katrina’s crowdfunder and find out more about her plight here.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team? Email us at money@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 78 24516. Don’t forget to join the Sun Money’s Facebook group for the latest bargains and money-saving advice.
Link
https://textbacklinkexchanges.com/universal-credit-means-i-have-to-quit-my-teaching-job-because-i-cant-afford-childcare-upfront/
News Pictures Universal Credit means I have to quit my teaching job because I can’t afford childcare upfront
You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st
To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.
Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”
Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”
kim cattrall
Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb
SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.
Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/AF-ARTICLE-BANNER-UNIVERSAL-CREDIT-01.jpg?strip=all&w=799
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