Paying back an advance if uc claim closed

huckster

scootw1 wrote: »

Which means the dwp misled me as they advised me to do just that for that reason as I would have ended up with no money at all so one wage to last me two months ( and a reduced wage at that).

Unfortunately, once you claim UC, you can't close a claim and reclaim hoping that wages are not considered.

Not all Job Centre Work Coaches and Service Centre staff are aware of this. Universal Credit is still very new and staff are still learning.

If you are affected, you might be able to apply for a budgeting advance, which is supposed to be for household emergencies such a needing a new fridge, cooker or to cover costs of moving home. But if this advance is available and only option for you.

scootw1

This doesn't make sense. If I understand right here, if you had 1000 pounds during your assessment period of March, say, and then closed the claim as you started a new job on half that money then claimed again in three months time as you lost your new job then the wages considered would be 1000 pounds as that was what they were in the original assessment period? Am I missing something here or us that just plain wrong?

scootw1

Sounds like my only option is to claim again tomorrow and suffer a further weeks delay then. Without the housing element coming in don't know how I'll pay the rent next month and no money to pay bills either. I'm in a worse position than I was before I phoned dwp.

huckster

If you claim in 3 months after claim closure, the claim won't be backdated.

It would simply have same date of month for the assessment period. So a claim closed in March which has AP dates of 1st of March to 31st March, would have AP dates of 1st June to 30th June if you reclaimed in June. The only earnings that would be considered would be those reported between 1st June to 30th June.

What we are talking about is closing a claim and reclaiming within a short period of a month, hoping to dodge having wages considered. If this was not the case, you would have some clever people playing the system to gain advantage.

scootw1

Thanks for the advice. I will make a formal complaint against the helpline guy as he misinformed me. Don't care if it is early days with uc, it isn't anyway as its been around a while now. They shouldn't give advice like this unless absolutely sure.

[Deleted User]

How much are you been paid?

scootw1

MarkN88 wrote: »

How much are you been paid?

As a last wage you mean?

Frogletina

huckster wrote: »

If you claim within one month of the claim closure, the assessment start date of the reclaim, will be what the date would have been .

So for example let us say your last assessment period was 16/2/19 to 15/3/19. You then closed the claim from 22/3/19 You decided on 30/3/19 to reopen the claim. The reclaim assessment period would be from 16/3/19.

I think it is done this way, so people are stopped from closing a claim as they know they have a wage packet coming in, they don't want UC to consider. Then as soon as the wages have gone into their Bank, they then make reclaim, thinking the wages are not going to be considered.

It sounds reasonable but in reality it is causing a lot of hardship

If you were paid your last wages on the day after your assessment period begins - in the above case 17/2 - you would not be eligible for any other payment until the end of the next assessment period. So nothing from UC until 15th April, almost two months later.

frogletina

scootw1

Frogletina wrote: »

It sounds reasonable but in reality it is causing a lot of hardship

If you were paid your last wages on the day after your assessment period begins - in the above case 17/2 - you would not be eligible for any other payment until the end of the next assessment period. So nothing from UC until 15th April, almost two months later.

frogletina

Just my thoughts as well. I'm not trying to swing the lead. I just wasn't aware of the issue, perhaps should have done more research before claiming, I felt it best to do the claim as soon as possible as I know his long it takes. Doesn't help matters that I was given duff info though by dwp thus leading to an even longer wait now.

One question I do have if anyone can help. When wages are taken into account and money deducted from uc does this just come off the 317.82 you receive or do you lose part of the housing element as well as its all in one payment now? If I don't lose the housing element then that may be mamageable, tight but manageable.

Frogletina

scootw1 wrote: »

Just my thoughts as well. I'm not trying to swing the lead. I just wasn't aware of the issue, perhaps should have done more research before claiming, I felt it best to do the claim as soon as possible as I know his long it takes. Doesn't help matters that I was given duff info though by dwp thus leading to an even longer wait now.

One question I do have if anyone can help. When wages are taken to account abs money deducted from uc does this just come off the 317.82 you receive or to you lose part of the housing element as well as its all in one payment now? If I don't lose the housing element then that may be mamageable, tight but manageable.

Sorry, I don't know the answer to that, as my son was only entitled to the £317.82 and his wages reduced that to £100 in the first assessment period. As he has a mortgage, he's not entitled to any help towards housing costs for the first 9 months he's on Universal Credit

frogletina