help

van68

I have recently had to give up work due to a bus crash.I am receiving £595 a month universal credit for myself and my 11 year old son , out of which i have to pay £412 rent and gas and electric.I have appealed about my benefits award and asked for a discretionary housing payment , but im still waiting to hear .I have had to keep my son off school this week as i have no money to pay for his school dinners as i am still waiting to hear about my claim for free school dinners.I rang universal credit for an advance payment yesterday but was refused.Is there anywhere i can go for help?

pmlindyloo

On the face of it your UC award does appear to be incorrect.

Do you have any savings/any other income that you haven't told us about?

pmlindyloo

It looks like they haven't included you rent in the award.

Do you rent privately? From a social landlord? Have you sent in your tenancy agreement?

Is there anything about your rented home that is different from the usual? Rented from a family member for example?

Alice_Holt

Have a look at:
https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Universal-Credit/Additional-Elements-of-Universal-Credit

Pmlindyloo is correct - you are not receiving any housing element. You are getting just:
Basic element..... £318
Child element.......£277

Put on your journal that you are not receiving the housing element. Explain the impact of this.
Ring the UC helpline - 0800 328 5644 (I think) You may need to be assertive, and ask to speak to a manager.

When you say you have appealed - can you explain further please. Have you done a MR? Have you had a response.

You may wish to contact your MP. Your local advice agency / CAB may be able to help.

The decision not to award you an advance payment is not appealable. You could try applying again, explaining that without this your son can not attend school, etc and enclose a copy of the letter you have written to your MP.

thriftylass

Do you have a a food bank nearby, ask your GP for a referral or see if they won't need one. Don't keep your son off school any longer just because you don't have the school dinner money. Make him a simple sandwich etc, he needs school.

Hope you get it sorted soon. All the best

System

And this is why UC should be stopped till they sought out all these problems that people are having

i hope you can sort something op

van68

I sent in an MR and im waiting to hear.I rent from a housing association.Ive managed to get an appointment with CAB on tuesday , so hopefully will be able to get this sorted.Thanks .

xylophone

I have had to keep my son off school this week as i have no money to pay for his school dinners

Surely you could have given him a sandwich?

Ineededaname

They don't just not pay housing.

Why aren't they paying your housing?

Have you phoned them and asked? What did they say?

Have you checked everything on your account - your to do list and your Journal and your payment statments?

You say you put in an MR? Why? What about?

I presume you must have done all of these things so can you provide the information? If you haven't done this then start there. There's no point going to CAB or anywhere else either unless you have answers to these basics?

Ineededaname

The decision not to award you an advance payment is not appealable. You could try applying again, explaining that without this your son can not attend school, etc and enclose a copy of the letter you have written to your MP.

OP is not a new claim as he's received payment. There's no advance available unless he's past the sixth month mark or something changes.