Universal Credit won't deduct SIPP contributions

Yamor

kaMelo said:

Yamor said:

But the legislation does seem to allow it, and the letter from the Minister earlier in the thread seems to corroborate that.
I would be comfortable defending such a case in front of a Tribunal.

I'm intrigued as to why you think that?  
I can understand the argument that, as UC is a joint claim and qualification is calculated on joint earnings then those joint earnings should be reduced by any contributions made into either claimants pension scheme (irrespective of whether they have individual earnings). Even though UC is littered with joint claimants being assessed individually I think that may be a reasonable argument.  Other than that I'm struggling to see where you could argue the case.

No, I don't think you can aggregate the couple in this way. I agree that pension contributions you make can only be used against your own earnings.

However, the regs do not require the contributions to be made to your own pension scheme. It is sufficient for you to have 'made' the contribution, and for the contribution to objectively be a 'relievable pension contribution' (which it is, as the definition of 'relievable pension contributions' includes contributions made by one person on behalf of another).

Meknaasi

I wrote in and complained to the DWP in January 2025 that it was taking a long time for them to respond to the appeal that I lodged in response to them rejecting my request to disregard Spousal and Dependent contributions. 

**Major Update**  - I've had a phone call from a complaint handler saying they agree to disregard SIPP contributions made on behalf of non-working family members, (Children's SIPP goes stratight from my account via Direct Debit (DD) and I transfer the money to my wife's bank account and a SIPP contribution gets paid via DD from her account) 

So I will wait for them to recalculate UC award for the last 12 months which is the timeframe the complaint relates to, I will wait for a breakdown in writing and see if what was being said to me on the phone by the DWP agent is true.

So there you go, make the payments for non-working family members *living in your household (I added the *living in your household myself as my understanding) and tell them to recalculate, if they refurse, write to DWP minister and get your letter and wait 6 months or maybe a year before DWP do the recalculation.

Floodgates open - could just be a trickle.

michaels

I wonder if they even thought about this possibility when they drew up the rules....

Meknaasi

michaels said:

I wonder if they even thought about this possibility when they drew up the rules....

I don't think DWP care due to the extremely low number that will use it, most claimants don't even know about it or not bothered about another personal pension. I don't forsee UC advertising this, just look how DWP don't even help pensioners become aware that they are eligible to claim Pension Credit.

I think the most pressing concern for DWP is that because their computer system is not set up to automatically calculate SIPP contributions, it just extra work for them, and god forbid they have to do some work.

v1ckyt

Similar but slightly off topic.

I have finally managed to get UC to change income to take into account SIPP contributions I made for the first 8 months of our claim. But every month they now take an age to re-do the income calculation after I upload the evidence  and they usually tell me first of all that they can't be taken into account, and I have to correct them each time.

I am still waiting on them recalculating for the assessment period which ended on 6th March, and each month it takes numerous journal messages and requests. 

Any words of wisdom on how to get them to speed up the process, as it feels like they are dragging their heels intentionally?
Thanks. 

thebionic

v1ckyt said:

Similar but slightly off topic.

I have finally managed to get UC to change income to take into account SIPP contributions I made for the first 8 months of our claim. But every month they now take an age to re-do the income calculation after I upload the evidence  and they usually tell me first of all that they can't be taken into account, and I have to correct them each time.

I am still waiting on them recalculating for the assessment period which ended on 6th March, and each month it takes numerous journal messages and requests. 

Any words of wisdom on how to get them to speed up the process, as it feels like they are dragging their heels intentionally?
Thanks. 

Hi, just wondering where you upload the evidence to this, because on the website I can't see anything, and trying to get information from UC journal entry, but all I get is someone called Julie who is clueless in it and says I don't need to report pension contributions, only when I take out, and then I get someone called Michael who responded and said that my advisor will be in touch, but then I go to the JSA/UC appointment, and they tell me they don't count it, so I have just got another appointment, and I have printed off their own book on what should be deducted, so I can show them in black and white. 

the_pink_panther_2

thebionic said:

v1ckyt said:

Similar but slightly off topic.

I have finally managed to get UC to change income to take into account SIPP contributions I made for the first 8 months of our claim. But every month they now take an age to re-do the income calculation after I upload the evidence  and they usually tell me first of all that they can't be taken into account, and I have to correct them each time.

I am still waiting on them recalculating for the assessment period which ended on 6th March, and each month it takes numerous journal messages and requests. 

Any words of wisdom on how to get them to speed up the process, as it feels like they are dragging their heels intentionally?
Thanks. 

Hi, just wondering where you upload the evidence to this, because on the website I can't see anything, and trying to get information from UC journal entry, but all I get is someone called Julie who is clueless in it and says I don't need to report pension contributions, only when I take out, and then I get someone called Michael who responded and said that my advisor will be in touch, but then I go to the JSA/UC appointment, and they tell me they don't count it, so I have just got another appointment, and I have printed off their own book on what should be deducted, so I can show them in black and white. 

I had to escalate it to a decision Maker to raise for mandatory reconsideration. It took months before it got to the DM, but the DM tells you at that point that yes it does count and hopefully sorts it, but I think there are mixed responses as to how quickly subsequent pension contributions are deducted, you have to report and upload evidence every month and it isn't necessarily a quick, smooth process to get them to deduct them, but they eventually do.

michaels

I t took about 4 months for me to get my first upload link, about 2 more months for the first recalc of the first 5 months which were then paid fairly soon - then another 4 months for the second recalc that then took much longer to be paid and I have not been given an upload link for the most recent 2 months despite asking frequently.

Adding info on how stressful you are finding all the delays possibly helps. 

v1ckyt

Yep all that PinkPanther and MichaelS say is correct. 

I usually post a journal note with a request for an upload link, have to ask several times each month before it gets issued, then upload evidence from the SIPP provider of the payment they have received and the bank statement showing the corresponding payment out of my bank account, then nag relentlessly until they adjust the income for the period. 

This month however UC have really outdone themselves. Instead of deducting the SIPP contributions I have made from our income, therefore increasing the entitlement for UC, they have included the amounts as income received, as if I was drawing my pension instead of contributing to it, therefore significantly reducing the UC entitlement for the month.

Off now to find a polite way to point their error out to them.