Does having more than £6k in savings disqualify you from Universal Credit?

TennisFan

My daughter recently started the online application process for Universal Credit but couldn't complete it because she has more than £6k in savings.
She has about £7.5k in savings (built up over the years from grandparents birthday gifts, etc). Most advice sites suggests that between £6k and £16k of savings are allowed - although will reduce what you are entitled to. However, my daughter has found that having more that £6k the first time you apply disqualifies you from receiving any UC at all. (She was told this by their telephone help line).
Had she applied for UC before she had £6k savings and then gradually built up the savings to more than £6k it would have been fine.
Has anyone else come across this 'rule'? ie The first time you apply for UC you can't have more than £6k in savings. I can't find it documented anywhere.

Many thanks.

theartfullodger

See...
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/eligibility

To get Universal Credit you must:

• be 18 or over
• be under State Pension age
• not be in full time education or training
• not have savings over £16,000

You’ll get less Universal Credit if you have savings over £6,000 or earn enough money to cover your basic living costs.....

Hopefully someone clever than me will be along soon.

In her shoes I'd appeal. See
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/appeal-decision

"Universal Credit": Not universal, no credit to anyone.

Mersey_2

The 'advice' or DWP IT Q/system was wrong.


The savings limit is £16k for almost all means-tested benefits.


Plus remember it's effectively net assets, as an Upper Tribunal decision means that if eg a Claimant has £7.5k in savings but also has a £2k overdraft they are deemed to have £5.5k of net assets for means testing purposes, as an overdraft is repayable on demand [but you can't deduct eg credit card debts].