Universal Credit: money, savings and investments
How Universal Credit is affected by having money, savings and investments. We call this 바카라 사이트榗apital바카라 사이트�.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
What we take into account
When we assess your entitlement to Universal Credit, we take into account as 바카라 사이트榗apital바카라 사이트� the value of all money, savings and investments you own, or you jointly own with someone else.聽
The amount of money, savings and investments you (and your partner) have can affect:
- whether you바카라 사이트檙e eligible for Universal Credit
- how much Universal Credit you receive
All money, savings and investments聽you have in the UK and abroad are聽taken into account, including:
- cash
- money in your bank account,聽including your main bank account
- current accounts and digital-only accounts such as PayPal
- savings accounts: bank, building society, credit union, Help to Save, Post Office and National Savings and Investments (NS&I) accounts
- savings for children in your name
- money that belongs to someone else, but is in your name
- savings for essential building work (unless from a grant or loan)
- savings for medical care
- Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs): cash, stocks and shares, Innovative Finance, Help to Buy, and Lifetime ISAs
- Premium Bonds, dividends, stocks and shares
- cryptoassets
- property you own but do not live in yourself聽(apart from in certain circumstances)
- property, land and savings abroad
- inheritance payments
- business accounts and assets for businesses that closed over 6 months ago
- money in trust funds,聽apart from in certain circumstances
- unspent benefits, for example Child Benefit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- unspent income
We do not take your debt into account when we work out your total money, savings and investments.
If you live with your partner
Your combined money, savings and investments are聽taken into account聽even if your partner is not eligible for Universal Credit.
What바카라 사이트檚 not聽counted聽as money, savings and investments聽
Your personal possessions are not taken聽into聽account.
Some types of money, savings, investments or other assets might not affect your claim for Universal Credit. You still need to tell us about these so we can decide whether to take them off your overall money, savings and investments.聽
You must tell us about:
- personal injury and illness compensation
- special compensation schemes for traumatic events
- welfare support payments
- Bereavement Support Payments (previously Widowed Parent바카라 사이트檚 Allowance)
- funds from selling your home
- money for tax payments if you바카라 사이트檙e self-employed
You do聽not聽need to tell us about:
- life insurance policies that have not been paid out
- funeral plan contracts
- savings or investments belonging to your children in your children바카라 사이트檚 name. Read more about聽Universal Credit and children바카라 사이트檚 savings
- business accounts and assets for businesses that are still operating or have closed in the last 6 months
滨苍肠辞尘别听
Your income is counted as savings if it has not been spent by the end of the聽assessment period聽after the one in which it was received.聽
Example
Katie바카라 사이트檚 assessment period for Universal Credit runs from the 8th of the month to the 7th of the next month.
Katie was paid a salary of 拢2,000 on 1 April. This was within her 8 March to 7 April assessment period.
By the end of her next assessment period (8 April to 7 May), she has spent 拢1,500 of this income.
For the next assessment period (8 May to 7 June) she should report the saved 拢500 as part of her savings.聽
Tax refunds (known as tax rebates) and National Insurance contribution repayments are counted as income.
笔谤辞辫别谤迟测听听听
Property you own and live in
The value of the property you own and live in is not聽taken into account聽when assessing your Universal Credit.
Funds from selling your home
You must tell us about funds聽from the sale of your home, even if you intend to use them to buy another home for yourself. We will not take these funds into account for 6 months.聽This can be extended under special circumstances.
Grants or loans to repair or alter your home
Grants or loans for essential repairs or adaptations to your main home are not taken into account for 6 months.聽This can be extended if the repairs or alterations will take more than 6 months.
Property you own, but do not live in聽
Property in your name that you do not live in is聽taken into account聽unless it바카라 사이트檚 the main home of:
- a close relative who is retired or has a severe health condition
- a former partner who is a lone parent
We need to know about the value of any property that you have a financial interest in, for example:
- holiday homes
- caravans
- land
- property you let out
- property someone else lives in, where your name has been added to the mortgage
For example, if you바카라 사이트檝e been added to the mortgage for the home your sister lives in, this home is in your name and will need to be declared.
Business property
Property you own to run a trade, such as a hotel or bed and breakfast, is not taken into account for Universal Credit.
Money, savings and investments limits
To claim Universal聽Credit聽you must usually have no more than 拢16,000 in money, savings and investments as a single claimant or if you are living with a partner.
If you have below 拢6,000 it will not affect your award.
There are different money, savings and investments eligibility rules if you바카라 사이트檝e聽received a Migration Notice and have been asked to move to Universal Credit.颅颅颅颅
If you have between 拢6,000 and 拢16,000
If you have money, savings and investments between 拢6,000 and 拢16,000 your Universal Credit payments will be reduced.
Your payments will be reduced by 拢4.35 for every 拢250 you have between 拢6,000 and 拢16,000.聽
Another 拢4.35 is taken off for any remaining amount that is not a complete 拢250.
Examples
Sam has savings of 拢6,300.
She has 拢300 of savings over the limit of 拢6,000.
Her Universal Credit is reduced by 2 x 拢4.35 a month, that바카라 사이트檚 拢8.70.
Leeroy has savings of 拢14,500.
He has 拢8,500 of savings over the limit of 拢6,000.
His Universal Credit is reduced by 34 x 拢4.35 a month, that바카라 사이트檚 拢147.90.
Helen has savings of 拢17,000.
She is not eligible for Universal Credit.
Children바카라 사이트檚 savings
Money, savings and investments that belong to your children, and are in their name, are not聽taken into account聽when assessing your Universal Credit.聽For example, you do not need to tell us about children바카라 사이트檚 savings accounts in their name such as聽Junior ISAs and Child Trust Funds.
How to tell us about your money, savings and investments
When you claim Universal Credit
You바카라 사이트檒l be asked to tell us about all the money, savings and investments you have when you make your claim. If a type is not listed, for example National Savings certificates, you can let us know using the 바카라 사이트榦ther savings and investments바카라 사이트� option.
Report changes to your money, savings and investments
You must report changes to your money, savings and investments as soon as they happen.聽Do this by聽signing in to your Universal Credit account,聽바카라 사이트榬eport a change of circumstance바카라 사이트櫬燼nd update your 바카라 사이트榤oney, savings and investments바카라 사이트�.
If you tell us late聽or you do not report a change,聽you could get paid too much Universal Credit. This is called an overpayment. You바카라 사이트檒l get less Universal Credit each month until you pay back the overpayment.
You must tell us about any change in your money, savings and investments or their value. This may include:
- inheritance payments
- redundancy pay
- pension and life insurance lump sums
- compensation payments
- divorce settlements
- change in value of investments or other assets
Couples and changes of circumstances
If you separate from your partner聽
In your account you need to 바카라 사이트榬eport a change of circumstances바카라 사이트� and update your 바카라 사이트榣iving with a partner바카라 사이트� details.聽Then you should report any change of circumstances in 바카라 사이트榤oney, savings and investments바카라 사이트�.聽聽聽聽
If you바카라 사이트檙e now part of a couple who live together
In your account you need to 바카라 사이트榬eport a change of circumstances바카라 사이트� and update your 바카라 사이트榣iving with a partner바카라 사이트� details.
Reducing your money, savings and investments on purpose
If you knowingly reduce your money, savings and investments, or transfer them elsewhere to get or increase your Universal Credit, this is known as 바카라 사이트榙eprivation of capital바카라 사이트�.
You have not knowingly reduced your money, savings and investments if it has been used to:
- pay off or reduce a debt
- pay for goods and services that were reasonable in your聽circumstances
If we decide you바카라 사이트檝e deliberately reduced your money, savings or investments, your Universal Credit is based on you still having it. This is called 바카라 사이트榥otional capital바카라 사이트�.
贵谤补耻诲听听
You may be prosecuted or need to pay a penalty if you try to affect your Universal Credit award by:
- knowingly reducing your money, savings or investments
- deliberately giving false information about your money, savings or investments
Compensation and welfare support payments
Certain compensation and welfare support payments are not taken into account as savings either indefinitely or up to 12 months.
We바카라 사이트檒l need to know details about compensation and welfare payments you바카라 사이트檝e received.聽
Personal injury and illness compensation
Personal injury and illness compensation payments are not聽taken into account聽for the first 12 months after you receive them.聽
After 12 months, only personal injury or illness payments which are put into a trust or used to buy an annuity are not聽taken into account.聽
Special compensation schemes
Payments from the following special聽compensation schemes are not counted as money, savings or investments:
- Child Migrants Trust scheme for former British child migrants
- Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June 2017
- Horizon IT system or Bates and Others v Post Office Ltd from the Post Office or secretary of state
- imprisonment, forced labour, injury, property loss, or loss of a child during World War II
- infected blood compensation schemes: Infected Blood Compensation Authority, English Infected Blood Support Scheme, Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme, Welsh Infected Blood Support Scheme, Infected Blood Payment Scheme for Northern Ireland, Macfarlane Trust, Eileen Trust, MFET Ltd, Skipton Fund, Caxton Foundation
- Institutional Child Abuse in the UK
- LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme
- London Bombings on 7 July 2005
- Manchester Bombing on 22 May 2017
- National Emergencies Trust
- terrorist attacks in London on 22 March 2017 or 3 June 2017
- Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme
- variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (vCJD) diagnosis
- Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme
- Victoria Cross or George Cross
- Windrush Compensation Scheme
This list of special compensation schemes is not exhaustive.
Welfare support payments
The following welfare support payments are not counted as money, savings or investments for up to 12 months after you receive them:
- benefits arrears payments, with or without compensation for late payment
- Bereavement Support Payments (previously Widowed Parent바카라 사이트檚 Allowance)
- local council welfare payments under the Children Act, Social Work Act or Social Services and Well-being Act
- Social Fund payments, under the Contributions and Benefits Act
The following Scottish welfare support payments are not counted as money, savings or investments for up to 12 months after you receive them:
- Carer바카라 사이트檚 Assistance (Young Carer Grants)
- Early Years Assistance
- Funeral Expense Assistance
- Winter Heating Assistance
Updates to this page
-
Added LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme to the list of special compensation schemes that are not counted as money, savings or investments.
-
Added 'infected blood compensation schemes' to the list of special compensation schemes that are not counted as money, savings or investments.
-
First published.