Cancel UC claim

LCD93

Me and my partner currently have a joint claim for universal credit which we've had for a few months but due a change in circumstances we'd like to cancel it.
I've recently gone back to work and with our combined incomes we will always get a NIL award so we won't get any help towards childcare costs so we'd like to go onto tax free childcare (which we were on for a little while when I was working before).

My question is, is it quite simple to close a universal credit claim?

[Deleted User]

If you apply for childcare your claim will be closed for you.

Use the calculator on here to see what you're better off claiming.https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

huckster

It is UC policy to close a claim, as soon as a UC assessment period statement shows NIL is due, because earnings are too high.

But you don't have to wait, you can phone UC and withdraw the claim, advising that your joint earnings are now too high to continue a UC claim.

NedS

Your claim should close once it is NILLED by earnings, but that doesn't always happen straight away. The easiest way to close your claim is to put the request in writing on your journal or phone and request they close the claim.

LCD93

That is odd, however this is our first NIL statment so maybe they're waiting to see what our earnings will be for our next assessment period? I'll be ringing them today to cancel the claim.

huckster

Not odd. Sometimes they wait a few weeks after statement issued to see whether contact is made. For example, if earnings are disputed.

TELLIT01

When UC first came into being we were told that once a claimant had a NIL entitlement the claim would lie dormant for a period (I think that was 6 months) because it would be quicker and easier to reactivate than to require a complete new claim. Is that no longer how things work?

calcotti

TELLIT01 wrote: »

When UC first came into being we were told that once a claimant had a NIL entitlement the claim would lie dormant for a period (I think that was 6 months) because it would be quicker and easier to reactivate than to require a complete new claim. Is that no longer how things work?

What is supposed to happen is that if there is a NIL assessment period the claim is closed but the journal remains accessible. If the claimant needs to claim again within six months they can log in to the journal and reactivate the claim. They need to confirm that their details and circumstances are unchanged.

After six months a new claim requires a completely new claim You could describe that six month period as a dormant period.

TELLIT01

calcotti wrote: »

What is supposed to happen is that if there is a NIL assessment period the claim is closed but the journal remains accessible. If the claimant needs to claim again within six months they can log in to the journal and reactivate the claim. They need to confirm that their details and circumstances are unchanged.

After six months a new claim requires a completely new claim You could describe that six month period as a dormant period.

Thanks calcotti.

NedS

TELLIT01 wrote: »

When UC first came into being we were told that once a claimant had a NIL entitlement the claim would lie dormant for a period (I think that was 6 months) because it would be quicker and easier to reactivate than to require a complete new claim. Is that no longer how things work?

As calcotti says, current policy is to close a claim on a NIL entitlement (but it doesn't always happen immediately as closing claims isn't high priority). There are also circumstances where a claim would not be immediately closed upon NIL entitlement if other things are pending a decision.

Once a claim has been closed, if it is reopened by a reclaim within 6 months, it's like an old rapid reclaim on JSA. The ID and information is retained from the original claim and the claimant is asked to confirm any changes. The same AP dates are retained too. I assume reclaims outside of 6 months are treated as new claims but I've yet to see one to be sure.

calcotti

One additional point to note - it appears that when UC claim has been closed and then reclaimed the claimant can no longer see any documents related to the previous claim. See https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/477495/response/1173021/attach/2/2475%20Reply.pdf?cookie_passthrough=1

This seems bizarre, particularly in the case of closure due to a single month of increased income. It is also enormously difficult if a claimant wants to challenge a decision because without access to the historic journal they will have no record of their claim (unless they have taken screenshots of everything). I have no idea how someone who is no longer on UC Is expected to respond to a communication from UC that their previous UC award was overpaid without access to their records.

See also https://universalcreditinfo.net/myths/the-journal-will-keep-records-of-my-claim-in-case-i-need-them