Ann Bennett

Learners on state benefit / low wage

Created

Please can someone clarify that our learners are able to self-declare as to what state benefit they claim. They could be unemployed and on Universal Credit for example and they could self-declare this. But if they are employed and on a low wage (earns less £20319) we would have to see evidence of this and it could be in the form of Universal Credit. Sorry I keep talking myself back round with this one! 

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Steve Hewitt

Hi Ann

So, Unemployed (with a capital U) learners can self-declare benefits. Low wage would be for those who do not meet the definition of Unemployed, the key bit here being:

  • receive Universal Credit (UC), and their take-home pay as recorded on their UC statement (disregarding UC payments and other benefits) is less than £617 a month (learner is sole adult in their benefit claim) or £988 a month (learner has a joint benefit claim with their partner)

If they meet this, they're Unemployed (even though they're working a bit) and they can self-declare.

If they earn more than this, it is purely their (gross) wages we're taking into account, not their benefits to decide whether they are low wage and, at that point, we need to see proof of those wages.