Renting & Universal Credit

[OsakaG]

Hello.
I am planning to move back to the UK next year, having lived overseas for 20 years I’m a bit out of the loop. I’m trying to work out how much I can afford to pay for rent.
Can I rent a family house (for 2adults and our 2 children 5&6yrs), even if I have a low income, on the assumption that I will get support from Universal credit to help cover the cost.
I have a job lined up (my wife is not British, therefore can’t work for about 3 years), so I will be the sole income for my family.
And, should I tell the letting agency I plan to apply for UC or will I be rejected straight away？

[CR001]

Why can't your wife work for 3 years?

Note that you will also be subject to the habitual residence test and will be unlikely to claim any benefits for at least 3 months.

Rent costs vary depending on where in the UK you go too.

[JB007]

And, should I tell the letting agency I plan to apply for UC or will I be rejected straight away？

The letting agency will want to see proof of your income to see if you can afford to pay the rent. Although the "No DSS" (those on welfare) has just be ruled illegal, they don't have to let you rent a property. As somebody with no British credit to check and and on low income, with only one of you wanting to work, you will likely need to get somebody to act as a guarantor, or offer to pay them several months rent in advance.

Plan to have at least five months money to survive on before you will get any benefits, about 3 months before you can apply for low income benefits and than another 5 weeks to get any benefit money.

Even when you can have benefits, the money you are given for rent will not cover all the rent and you will have to find that difference. The housing element of UC is only paid at the maximum of the 30th percentile of rents in the area and then your earnings and capital are deducted from that. ATM, due to coronavirus, there is a an increase in the standard rate for Universal Credit and in the rent element too, (which still doesn't cover all the rent form most claimants) but that is just temporary and will end in April 2021. The requirement not to have to look for work to be given benefits, which the government bnrought in due to covid-19, has also ended too.

If you are using UK laws to bring your wife, you will need to meet the financial requirements. If you are using UK laws, pre-settled status does not give that holder access to UK benefits.

Under the new welfare laws the UK brought in, you can't have extra benefit money for your wife anymore until she has settlement. But that is a red herring as even if she could have been added to your claim (which she can't) she would have to look for work to when your youngest was age 1 of 20 hours a week and 25 hours a week now that your youngest is age 5.

[OsakaG]

Thank you for all the useful feedback!
I'm thinking to come back to the UK first, to get settled into my job, set up bank accounts and find a suitable place to live for us, before the whole family moves back. I understand, as with no recent credit references (although I can provide translated bank statements and current housing statements), I will need to pay a large sum up-front to secure a place.
Of course, I am willing to pay as much as possible, as much as my income will allow, as I don't want to rely on welfare. However, it would make a big difference to the place I could move to for my family, if there was the possibility of UC covering some of the rent.
I plan to apply for a spouse visa for my wife. I believe that means she is not entitled to any UK benefits, including NHS and cannot work until she is granted Settled status ( in 3/5 years).

[CR001]

I believe that means she is not entitled to any UK benefits, including NHS and

Benefits no. She is however entitled to use the NHS. Visa holders have never been denied access to NHS.

cannot work until she is granted Settled status ( in 3/5 years).

Not true and not sure where you got this incorrect information from. A spouse visa holder is free to work in the UK. There has never been a 'no work on spouse visa' restriction.

[JB007]

I believe that means she is not entitled to any UK benefits, including NHS and

Benefits no. She is however entitled to use the NHS. Visa holders have never been denied access to NHS.

cannot work until she is granted Settled status ( in 3/5 years).

Not true and not sure where you got this incorrect information from. A spouse visa holder is free to work in the UK. There has never been a 'no work on spouse visa' restriction.

Perhaps the OP got confused with the fiance visa, which does not allow working and they can't have bill free NHS?

Settlement (ILR) will be 5 years.

[CR001]

I believe that means she is not entitled to any UK benefits, including NHS and

Benefits no. She is however entitled to use the NHS. Visa holders have never been denied access to NHS.

cannot work until she is granted Settled status ( in 3/5 years).

Not true and not sure where you got this incorrect information from. A spouse visa holder is free to work in the UK. There has never been a 'no work on spouse visa' restriction.

Perhaps the OP got confused with the fiance visa, which does not allow working and they can't have bill free NHS?

Perhaps, though stated in opening post that spouse cannot work for 3 years.

[JB007]

I believe that means she is not entitled to any UK benefits, including NHS and

Benefits no. She is however entitled to use the NHS. Visa holders have never been denied access to NHS.

cannot work until she is granted Settled status ( in 3/5 years).

Not true and not sure where you got this incorrect information from. A spouse visa holder is free to work in the UK. There has never been a 'no work on spouse visa' restriction.

Perhaps the OP got confused with the fiance visa, which does not allow working and they can't have bill free NHS?

Perhaps, though stated in opening post that spouse cannot work for 3 years.

Perhaps because he thought she could have settlement in 3 years and needed that to be able to work?

Sorry, I have amended my other post since you have posted and put that his wife will need 5 years for settlement.

[CR001]

Benefits no. She is however entitled to use the NHS. Visa holders have never been denied access to NHS.


Not true and not sure where you got this incorrect information from. A spouse visa holder is free to work in the UK. There has never been a 'no work on spouse visa' restriction.

Perhaps the OP got confused with the fiance visa, which does not allow working and they can't have bill free NHS?

Perhaps, though stated in opening post that spouse cannot work for 3 years.

Perhaps because he thought she could have settlement in 3 years and needed that to be able to work?

Sorry, I have amended my other post since you have posted and put that his wife will need 5 years for settlement.

Suspect OP is not aware of the rule changes from 12 July 2012 when the route to ILR was changed to 5 years from 2 years.

[JB007]

However, it would make a big difference to the place I could move to for my family, if there was the possibility of UC covering some of the rent.

UC doesn't work like that and as CR001 has told you, rents vary depending where in the UK you go.

There is very little benefit money, if any, for a single person, if you were hoping to claim UC after 3 months and before your family arived. UC is a temporary help for those in need and as single, you would be expected to work and keep yourself. It's the same for couples and parents are now required to work, in an effort to get off benefits.

Do you have family you can stay with?

If not, you could go into an HMO and rent a room for yourself which would be much cheaper. Taking out a rental on a property for your family before you arrive, would mean you are locked into at least a 6 month rent which you would likely need to pay for from your wages.

Put your details into one of the benefit calulators and see if you would get any UC money. Bear in mind that you would likely not be able to claim for at least 3 months.
https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

Be aware too that these calculators don't work if you have a partner with No Recourse to Public Funds, which your wife will be until she gets ILR.

When your wife arrives on her visa with your children, you will need to put in a joint claim for UC, but as said, you can't have exrtra money for her. https://www.immigrationboards.com/claim ... 02126.html

Under these welfare reforms, you might find you get more UC money in an expensive to rent area when your wife (on her spouse visa) and children are in the UK. UC is designed to stop parents living on the welfare state as a lyfestyle choice and about 1 third will be better off on Universal Credit, 1 third the same and the other third worse off.

You could also claim Child Benefit in your name only, when your children are in the UK. Child Benefit is nothing to do with Universal Credit.
https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit

The sooner your wife works on her spouse visa, the sooner she can pay National Insurance towards her UK state pension. A UK state pension is only based on our own contibutions now.

[JB007]

Perhaps the OP got confused with the fiance visa, which does not allow working and they can't have bill free NHS?

Perhaps, though stated in opening post that spouse cannot work for 3 years.

Perhaps because he thought she could have settlement in 3 years and needed that to be able to work?

Sorry, I have amended my other post since you have posted and put that his wife will need 5 years for settlement.

Suspect OP is not aware of the rule changes from 12 July 2012 when the route to ILR was changed to 5 years from 2 years.

Lucky he found this site, where you and casa know the rules and give so much of your time to help others.

[JB007]

Put your details into one of the benefit calulators and see if you would get any UC money. Bear in mind that you would likely not be able to claim for at least 3 months.
https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

Don't forget that the result, if you can have anything as a single person, will be about £20 a week more UC benefit money on the standard allowance and a higher amount on the housing element too, because of the coronavirus. This rise is only temporary and will end in April 2021, so factor that into your result, if the calculators show you could have UC (after 3 months).

[Casa]

Just to clarify one other point, your wife will be entitled to access NHS treatment as she will have to pay the IHS surcharge fee in addition to the visa fee.

At present this is £400 per year of leave granted = £1,200 for the initial spouse visa (33 months).

However, from the 1st October 2020 this will increase to £624 per year = £1872

This will also apply to the FLR(M) extension visa after the initial 2.5 years of residence in the UK.

[OsakaG]

Thank you everyone for so much useful information, again!
I will take it all on board, and look more at the best way for us to move over, and tackle the visa application and finding a home. It won't be for another year, hopefully after the Corona Virus has subsided, and by that time I have found a job.
For now, I want to understand a bit more about what's going on, and all of the responses have given me a lot to think about and work with.
Thank you.