Allow Universal Credit claimants to keep house-purchase savings above £6,000

Background

We want the Government to exempt house deposit savings from Universal Credit capital limits.Current rules reduce benefits above £6,000 in savings and usually stop entitlement above £16,000 We believe people should be able to save towards buying a home without losing support helping more to buy house

Additional details

Universal Credit is reduced when a claimant has savings above £6,000 and usually ends when savings reach £16,000.This can make it difficult for people on low income to save for a house deposit,even when they are trying to become financially independent.We believe savings that are clearly set aside for purchasing a home should be disregarded when calculating Universal Credit entitlement,subject to suitable checks and evidence requirements.This would encourage responsible saving and home ownership

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