Daughters UC stopped

Haribo1

My daughter has been on uc for just over a year in lcwra group I think it is. She has been over to see her boyfriends family about 3 times during this time for 28 days or less, the last time being just after xmas. She had a message yesterday to say her uc has stopped and needed to ring uc helpline which we did. They asked if she had been out of the country for more than 28 days which we said no as its always been under.

They just told her she needs to contact her work coach via the journal which she has and now she's had a work focused interview booked next week.

Her health has not altered during this time at all and is in fact on more medication to treat her illness now.

Any ideas why her uc has been stopped? Have they got it wrong that they think she's only allowed 28 days out of the country or are we wrong? 

Ant advice appreciated.

poppy12345

What dates exactly did she leave the country and what dates did she come home? 

Haribo1

The last time she went was 29/12 till 25/1. I cant remember the times before but they were definitely under 28 days

HillStreetBlues

With UC it's a month not 28 days  (the day of leaving and date of return are excluded)
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/376/regulation/11

11.—(1) A person's temporary absence from Great Britain is disregarded in determining whether they meet the basic condition to be in Great Britain if—

(a)the person is entitled to universal credit immediately before the beginning of the period of temporary absence; and

(b)either—

(i)the absence is not expected to exceed, and does not exceed, one month, or:
ii)paragraph (3) or (4) applies.

HillStreetBlues

Even if they want proof that the absence is a month or below that should be the reason given, she sholdn't be having a WFI

Spoonie_Turtle

To those who know how these things work in practice, is it possible that if she didn't tell them about going away, the system has flagged something up (perhaps flagging up her being out of the country on particular dates more than a month apart and thinking it's one long absence instead of separate shorter ones) and they're now wanting to know details?

That's all I can think of here, but I don't have any real-life experience with this kind of thing.

Muttleythefrog

As above I wonder if she's failed to inform them she planned to go away and this has triggered the issue. (Are U/C getting data of movements in/out from UKBA?) I imagine proving duration was less than month outside country (days of travel don't count for U/C) will be easy enough with travel tickets. She shouldn't get WFI's but given the confusion perhaps see what happens with this interview and whether can get claim back on track. Perhaps report back after that interview.

huckster

Yes if absense more than a couple of weeks holiday, need to inform of absence from the UK confirming date leaving and date returning. And confirm reasons for leaving the UK.

DWP may have ways they find out about absence. 

Grumpy_chap

Haribo1 said:

My daughter has been on uc for just over a year in lcwra group I think it is. She has been over to see her boyfriends family about 3 times during this time for 28 days or less, the last time being just after xmas. 

Haribo1 said:

The last time she went was 29/12 till 25/1. I cant remember the times before but they were definitely under 28 days

I think, to establish where a mistake may have been made, it is necessary for the OP / Daughter to refresh themselves of all dates when she has been out of the country.
As well as the trips to see the boyfriends family, were there any other holidays out of the country?
Were UC informed of all the trips in advance?
Were any of the trips very close together?

Haribo1

All absences have been reported in the journal. The only other time she left the country apart from visiting her boyfriends family was a week in sicily with her boyfriend in the summer and again this was reported. 

tomtom256

You need to check she has actually been given LCWRA, if a WFI has been booked she is more likely to be LCW, which is why her money could have been stopped as she has likely been sanctioned for failing to attend a previous WFI or commitments review.
Check her journal as it should tell you all of the above, unless she is a phone claim, in which case she will need to call UC and ask them.