Hi I have a friend who is currently claiming working tax credits, child tax credits and housing benefit (the latter being for the flat she has rented since she separated from her husband).
She is soon to receive her share of £30,000 from the sale of the house she jointly owned with her husband.
My friend understands that once she receives this £30,000, she will no longer be entitled to HB to help pay towards the rent for the flat she lives in with her son. She also understands that eligibility for Working Tax credits and Child Tax credits is not affected by any savings (provided the interest earned on these savings is below £300 per year).
Since she will no longer be eligible for HB, will this be classed as a CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES and hence force her to be moved to Universal Credit? If her claims for CT credits & WT credits will be moved to a Universal Credit claim, she would get nothing due to having savings above the threshold for UC eligibility. When her HB claim ends, can she continue to claim WTcredits and CT credits or will the change force a move to UC?
Hope that makes sense and thank you for any info you can give.
No, it won't require a claim for UC, UC is only be invoked if a claimant needs to make a new claim for one of the benefits that come under the UC umbrella, closing a claim will have no impact.
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
