Universal credit underpayment

kerryannb78

Hello !

I wonder if anyone here can advise me please. so I'm a full time student doing my degree i am in receipt of PIP and student finance and a tiny amount of UC. It has come to light that student finance made an error on my entitlement of finance for the year 2022/2023 and did not add the special support loan to my award. this means that a big chunk of that loan should be disregarded by DWP and not be taken as income.

I have worked out that this would lead to a significant amount of money UC would owe me based on the new figures. I have contacted them and provided all the proof to support this claim and now just waiting to hear what they decide. question I have is , how likely are UC going to be to backdate any money owed to me ? they are extremely fast to come for you if they have overpaid ! but I'm not so sure when its the other way round.

many thanks 
Kerryann 

poppy12345

If a decision maker agrees they owe it then you will receive it.

huckster

They should just be able to apply the change to the other income deduction and the underpayment will then be calculated.

So I don't see any problem, if you have provided proof that you were due the special support loan from Student finance.

kaMelo

kerryannb78 said:

Hello !

I wonder if anyone here can advise me please. so I'm a full time student doing my degree i am in receipt of PIP and student finance and a tiny amount of UC. It has come to light that student finance made an error on my entitlement of finance for the year 2022/2023 and did not add the special support loan to my award. this means that a big chunk of that loan should be disregarded by DWP and not be taken as income.

I have worked out that this would lead to a significant amount of money UC would owe me based on the new figures. I have contacted them and provided all the proof to support this claim and now just waiting to hear what they decide. question I have is , how likely are UC going to be to backdate any money owed to me ? they are extremely fast to come for you if they have overpaid ! but I'm not so sure when its the other way round.

many thanks 
Kerryann 

Could you just clarify which one applies;

A, You have received the Special Support Element added to your maintenance loan but the DWP have failed to disregard it?
or
B, You have only just had the Special Support Element added to your maintenance loan?


If it's answer A and DWP have failed to disregard the SSE then your qualifying income will be up to £4106 lower and would probably qualify for more UC.

If it's answer B, you have only just had the SSE added to your maintenance loan then your UC calculation will be correct as it is based upon your maintenance loan only. 


Scrap the previous part of my reply, I've done some digging.
If I read it correctly any amount of Special Support Element you receive would reduce your maintenance loan by 50% of that amount, eg a 50 pence reduction in maximum maintenance loan for every £1 of of SSE that you receive.

Essentially the whole amount of SSE is disregarded, the maximum maintenance loan is reduced by 50% of the SSE so your qualifying income for UC purposes would reduce by 50% of the SSE.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/student-finance-how-youre-assessed-and-paid/student-finance-how-youre-assessed-and-paid-2022-to-2023

KxMx

When I had an underpayment of UC it was paid to me promptly, outside of my normal pay date. 

poppy12345

KxMx said:

When I had an underpayment of UC it was paid to me promptly, outside of my normal pay date. 

If there's ever any money owed then usually it's paid separately.