Universal Credit - SHAM! 7 WEEKS WAIT

Tee2018

I'm absolutely furious to the point my blood is actually boiling beneath my skin. Lost my job Jan 17th, so we made a claim for UC and my partner had to come off his ESA.The DWP are penalising my family (as well as hundreds of thousands more) with this universal credit bullsh*t. It's just not fit for purpose, not in any shape or form. They claim I had an £8,231 wage from 24th Jan 2018 to 25th Feb 2018 (so in 4 weeks LOL) I mean !!!!!!, not even a politician earns that, what do they think I do? So as a result some may remember my post here but we didn't get our first universal credit payment which was due this week just gone. Obviously I've thrown all kinds of laws and acts their way including human rights but they don't give a flying f*ck. Excuse my language, I'm just immensely furious to the point I'm ready to snap. 8k in 4 weeks? It doesn't really take a rocket scientist to figure that it's clearly an error. I've obviously gone to my MP who's also apauled by the situation and the lack of people who comprehend simple requests. We're now told it can take a further 28 days for a mandatory reconsideration and then possibly appealing if they still disagree.. so we actually face not only a few more weeks without any income but also months if it goes to appeal. I've left a diary entry in my online journal for UC with the hope that the morons looking at it, actually take notice. Probably not I'll be surprised if they actually understand anything I've said, I'll no doubt have to dumb it down. The MP team within parts of HMRC and the DWP are mortified it's even gone this far considering I've given bank statements and payslips to prove it's obviously incorrect. I'll be pushing to ICE, and then my MP will push to the parliamentary ombudsman, I'll go as far as I need to. I'm even considering taking them to court. This is hardly; A - our fault and B - it's pretty much an unauthorized sanction. Raging. Never had to claim benefits in my life, this is disgusting, the way I and my family have been treated is like vermin, and honestly, my partner is Autistic and this has severely impacted him. I suffer with anxiety and that's at its peak right now but I'm more concerned about the detrimental impact it's having on him!!

Does anyone know where we would stand with this? I currently plan on going to ICE once they've replied to the MP complaint and then the parliamentary ombudsman. Can I take legal action? I just want to know my options as I'm pretty sure leaving us (me, my partner who has Autism and our 1 year old son) with nothing to live on, is a breach of human rights. Our rent is now a week late already, gas and electric will probably be gone by late tonight/early tomorrow.
:mad:
Sorry for the rant just don't know where else to vent!

NYM

If what you've written is correct, it's understandable that you need to rant.

Is it possible that UC mistakenly believe you received a redundancy payment as that is one explanation?

Can you link to previous posts you've made as this is the only one that shows?

Alice_Holt

UC hardship payment?
https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Hardship-Payment/Hardship-Payments-of-Universal-Credit
But, of course that is recoverable.

Keep on at your MP - they often can exercise some influence.
You've made a formal complaint - that can sometimes prompt action from the DWP?
Any idea why the DWP claim you had an £8,231 wage from 24th Jan 2018 to 25th Feb 2018? Have they got dates confused?
Not sure what you mean by ICE?

The normal route of MR and appeal will take too long.
As your partner has autism you may be able to raise safeguarding - http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/safeguarding-guidance-tool-practitioners

Sorry, not much to suggest really - it's getting someone in the DWP to take responsibility and sort it out. Your MP, and a formal complaint may be the best options.

WillowCat

Why did your partner have to come off ESA? He must have been on contribution based for him to have continued to get payments while you were working (as the partner of someone on income based can only work up to 24 hours per week before the claim is closed).

Contibution based ESA isn't part of universal credit and he should keep claiming it. Otherwise when you get a new job and sign off UC he won't be able to go back to ESA.

John-K_3

Could you take some of the energy that you are putting into calling everyone names, and bringing up irrelevant laws, and put them towards getting a job?

I know that it can take time to get into the exact job that you want, but any job would be better than nothing. Could you find cleaning or warehouse work, pub shifts or anything at all?

In terms of your appeal, or reconsideration, you need to ensure that you get your facts sorted out. Yes, politicians can earn £8k in four weeks, it is a good wage, but well within the bounds of what people in the U.K. earn, so do not bring that up as a mistake by someone.

And no, you will not have to dumb anything down, those to whom you are writing are likely to be as intelligent as are you.

marliepanda

All this overreaction, were being treated like vermin, breaching our human right, court, MPS,

All you actually need to do is establish WHY they think youve earned 8k (not at all a crazy amount for some high paid jobs, especially as redundancy could be a factor) I formation comes from somewhere. It may well be incorrect, but going crazy at them wont make them think (oh I better have a good look into this) theyre just going to put the phone down on you or refuse to engage with you until you calm yourself.

The people you are screaming at and :throwing laws at: are likely not to be the actual person who has made this mistake, so think of that when youre going off.

Calmly ask why they think you earned 8k and give them the actual figure from your own records and politely ask for a crisis loan (or whatever they are called now) a discretionary housing payment and go to the food bank.

Honestly MPs are largely useless. They dont care about you, they care about your vote, and as soon as a larger group than you comes along wanting some help youll be on the back burner. I deal with them everyday at my workplace, all they do is forward your complaint and ask to be ccd. It makes no difference to what actually happens as they have no more say than anyone else following the govt policy.

Grey's_Anatomyfan643

John-K wrote: »

Could you take some of the energy that you are putting into calling everyone names, and bringing up irrelevant laws, and put them towards getting a job?

I know that it can take time to get into the exact job that you want, but any job would be better than nothing. Could you find cleaning or warehouse work, pub shifts or anything at all?

In terms of your appeal, or reconsideration, you need to ensure that you get your facts sorted out. Yes, politicians can earn £8k in four weeks, it is a good wage, but well within the bounds of what people in the U.K. earn, so do not bring that up as a mistake by someone.

And no, you will not have to dumb anything down, those to whom you are writing are likely to be as intelligent as are you.

You do know that it's not easy to get a job now, unlike many years ago. I keep in contact with job agencies on a regular basis and every time I call in to see if any jobs I get this same response - No jobs have come in at the moment, it's very quiet...

It depends on where you live, like for example the OP might live in a small village which transport don't run a lot.

Dazed_and_confused

The op could easily look at her personal tax account on gov.uk and this should show details of any information reported by her (ex) employer.

Employers have to send information under a system called Real Time Information and this was actually intended to support Universal Credit claims. This real time information is displayed on your personal tax account.

Dazed_and_confused

Never had to claim benefits in my life

me, my partner who has Autism and our 1 year old son

If you need money in the short term you could probably make a successful claim for Child Benefit

huckster

Seems the issue is employers reporting wrong/late earnings data to HMRC and there is unwillingness of employers,HMRC and DWP to take part in a review of the data.

What happens is that when a benefit claimant reports wrong earnings data has been noted on their UC claim, is that DWP will report this to a DWP team that deals with HMRC on a daily basis. If there is not enough proof provided that the earnings have not been received, then the matter cannot be taken further.

What is normally advisable is that the employers payroll manager is contacted and they are asked to provide a letter with supporting documents confirming earnings paid, redundancy payments made, plus when any data has been processed to HMRC.

I think the employer has processed several months worth of data late and caused this problem. Get absolute proof from the employers and then get your local Job Centre manager to take this forward with the DWP RTE ( Real time earnings) team. The RTE team can liase with HMRC and the employers to get this resolved.

xylophone

OP, have you tried here

https://www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account to check your situation?