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Personal Tax

Universal credit

Produced by Tolley
  • 24 Mar 2022 12:41
Autumn Budget 2021

The following Personal Tax guidance note Produced by Tolley provides comprehensive and up to date tax information covering:

  • Universal credit
  • Legacy benefits being replaced by universal credit
  • The ‘new style’ employment and support allowance and ‘new style’ jobseeker’s allowance
  • Minimum income floor used in universal credit awards
  • Universal credit and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
  • Interaction of universal credit with time to pay arrangements
  • How to make a claim for universal credit
  • Joint claim for universal credit
  • The universal credit award
  • Taper rate
    • More...

Universal credit

Autumn Budget 2021 has introduced changes to universal credit, which will boost the income of low-paid households by helping those in work keep more of what they earn. These changes are discussed in detail below under the heading ‘The universal credit award’.

Universal credit is a non-taxable benefit that is administered by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and is available throughout the UK. It is available to individuals on low incomes whether they are in work, unemployed or self-employed. It is designed as a replacement for several ‘legacy benefits’, primarily tax credits. Individuals can no longer make a new claim for tax credits. Individuals seeking to make new claims and reporting changes in circumstances, are now directed to making a new claim for universal credit.

It is intended that by 2024, all claimants currently receiving the legacy benefits will be automatically transferred to universal credit. In the interim the natural migration to universal credit will continue through new claims and changes in the circumstances of claimants.

For more on other non-taxable benefits, see the Non-taxable state benefits guidance note.

Legacy benefits being replaced by universal credit

Universal credit is intended to replace the following tax-free benefits which are cumulatively referred to as ‘legacy benefits’:

  1. •

    child tax credit

  2. •

    housing benefit

  3. •

    income support

  4. •

    income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)

  5. •

    income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)

  6. •

    working tax credit

Welfare Reform Act 2012, s 33

New claimants for the legacy benefits will be directed to make a claim for universal credit. The applicant must meet some basic

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