If i sell my house can i still claim universal credit?
If you receive benefits and own your own home, you may be one of many in the UK wondering “will selling my house affect my Universal Credit payments?”.
Here, we will explain a little about how selling an asset of this kind may make a difference to your income from benefits.
How Does Selling a House Affect Universal Credit?
Receiving a lump sum of money from a property sale is likely to have an impact on any means-tested benefits you receive. This includes Universal Credit (UC). As a rule, the more income you have, the more your benefit payments will be reduced.
It’s important to keep the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) up to date regarding any change to your financial circumstances. This includes the receipt of any lump sum – such as an inheritance or proceeds from the sale of property.
You must also report any other assets, savings and capital when claiming Universal Credit. If you have received an amount from the sale of property, it may be presumed that you are now in possession of enough money for your benefit payments to be stopped.
You can find out how much you’re likely to earn from the sale of a property by taking a look at our handy calculator.
Any capital you own or receive that is worth £6,001 to £16,000 will affect your UC claim.
Specifically, for every £250 worth of capital you own above the £6,000 threshold, your monthly UC payments will be reduced by £4.50. Once the amount exceeds one £250 mark, it will be rounded up to the next one.
How do I Go About Selling My House While on Universal Credit?
In order to get a clear idea of the impact of your property sale on your UC claim, you should discuss the matter with your “work coach” – or by calling the Universal Credit helpline. You can find useful contact information right here.