Universal Credit Advance Pay - Dumb Questions Coming Your Way !!

extraordinarytimes

Hey. So I read you could ask for advance in payment. So I have some questions which, may sound dumb.... but here goes.

NEVER MIND!!!!

extraordinarytimes

Never mind. I read the GOV UK site and asking for an advance will mean I lose out.

[Deleted User]

extraordinarytimes said:

Never mind. I read the GOV UK site and asking for an advance will mean I lose out.

I ended up with Advance of £317.82 (repayable in 4x £79.45)  and when it came to what should have been 'universal credit pay day' they managed to credit me another £317.00 exactly.   (don't know why we've a discrepancy of 82p but I won't quibble for what was at least one interest free loan!) 
Nearly 10th week on and after trying to chase for a debt collection letter to acknowledge the above, I am having to put the money to repay the advance to one side and have agreed if I find myself needing the jobcentre anytime soon they will then start to take it through any future award, if my statement starts going above 0.00  
I appreciate I was rather very lucky in this instance, but come to the conclusion there does seem to be issues/a gap to fall through if you don't remain on UC long enough... which is really very odd.  Five weeks waiting time might say it all, was UC designed with long term unemployment in mind as certainly these days work coaches seem way more holistic, as a fairly recent tv programme stated people now have to be helped with other situations before even job seeking.