Help with working and Universal Credit

Elvisia

I applied for UC last year when COVID hit, and although I've had some months where I have been working as a freelancer (I've declared it fully along with my expenses) I've always received my UC. I also get Carers Allowance so the UC amount is less than the full amount.

However this month when I earned £153 I had £70 taken off my UC, but for all the previous months nothing has been taken off. I even had one month where I earned £770 and I still got my full UC. I asked the Job Centre who said it is because I do not care for a child or have a disability, but this doesn't explain previous months. Have the rules changed or should I not have been receiving the full amount each month?

poppy12345

Elvisia said:

I applied for UC last year when COVID hit, and although I've had some months where I have been working as a freelancer (I've declared it fully along with my expenses) I've always received my UC. I also get Carers Allowance so the UC amount is less than the full amount.

However this month when I earned £153 I had £70 taken off my UC, but for all the previous months nothing has been taken off. I even had one month where I earned £770 and I still got my full UC. I asked the Job Centre who said it is because I do not care for a child or have a disability, but this doesn't explain previous months. Have the rules changed or should I not have been receiving the full amount each month?

If you're  responsible for a child or have been assessed as having limited capability for work then you'll have the work allowance. This means you can earn a certain amount each month before you start to see the 63% deductions. If you claim for help with the rent your work allowance is £299, if you don't claim for help with the rent it's £512 per month.

If you don't have the work allowance and haven't received any deductions on your UC for earnings you receive then you will have a an overpayment, which will need to be repaid back.

There's been no rule changes for this in the past year. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-work-allowances/universal-credit-work-allowances

As you're claiming carers allowance you also need to make sure that you have the carers element added to your maximum entitlement.

calcotti

Do your previous UC payment statement show the earnings that you declared to them?
If not they have not taken them into account.
If they are shown see if there is any further explanation as to how the payment has been calculated.