How to cancel joint universal credit claim?

Beastslayer47

Hi guys as the title suggests, how do I cancel a joint universal credit claim? Jobcentre Plus are asking me to work even though my partner's salary has increased significantly.

Spoonie_Turtle

Beastslayer47 said:

Hi guys as the title suggests, how do I cancel a joint universal credit claim? Jobcentre Plus are asking me to work even though my partner's salary has increased significantly.

Have the salary increase and new amount of wages been in a completed assessment period, or are you still in the same AP?  The system needs to have the new level of earnings to bring you out of the intensive work search category.

[Oh my goodness I can't put words together - does that make sense to anyone?  If it does, please feel free to reword it so it's actually clear!]

Newcad

What Spoonie is saying is that UC works on a month to month basis, known as  your AP (Assessment Period).

So any increase to your partners income in your curent AP that would take you out of jobseeking conditionally will only be applied from the end of your current AP when everything gets calculated and adjusted.

So when did your partners earnings go up? And are you sure that takes you over the earnings threshold for a couple?

peteuk

You can cancel the joint claim anytime you wish,  on the home page - request cancel my claim…

Muttleythefrog

peteuk said:

You can cancel the joint claim anytime you wish,  on the home page - request cancel my claim…

Does that cancel both claimants' claim?

Newcad

Muttleythefrog said:

peteuk said:

You can cancel the joint claim anytime you wish,  on the home page - request cancel my claim…

Does that cancel both claimants' claim?

I wouldn't have thought so on it's own.

There are in fact 2 seperate claims, which are linked due to the claimants being a couple.

If still a couple then both claims need to be cancelled, you can't have a single person UC claim when you are part of a couple.
If no longer a couple then UC needs to be informed of that fact so that, if they accept that it is a genuine separation, they can then 'unlink' the claims into 2 single person claims.

I would expect that UC would (should) check pretty carefully if/when one member of a couple attempts to cancel their UC but not the other.
It could simply be an attempt for one partner to avoid UC conditionality, which of course isn't allowed.
Or it might even be a vindictive action by one of a splitting couple, to attempt to cut-off the others UC.

peteuk

Muttleythefrog said:

peteuk said:

You can cancel the joint claim anytime you wish,  on the home page - request cancel my claim…

Does that cancel both claimants' claim?

I would imagine, because if you are a couple you’re not entitled to claim as a single person.  If your partners income has increase significantly then at 55p per pound it might zero your claim.

Six months of zero payments cancels your claim (Im happy for someone with more knowedge to correct this) 

Muttleythefrog

peteuk said:

Muttleythefrog said:

peteuk said:

You can cancel the joint claim anytime you wish,  on the home page - request cancel my claim…

Does that cancel both claimants' claim?

I would imagine, because if you are a couple you’re not entitled to claim as a single person.  If your partners income has increase significantly then at 55p per pound it might zero your claim.

Six months of zero payments cancels your claim (Im happy for someone with more knowedge to correct this) 

My concern would be as per Newcad.... that really a joint claim is just two single claims linked together... and remember there are scenarios where only one claimant is considered for payment while the other has their account locked (as in cases where one party subject to NRPF) so in effect single claim for a couple. So I'm not sure how simple this is via the online account. I will find out for sure in future as it's only a matter of time before we pull the plug on ours.

NedS

Muttleythefrog said:

peteuk said:

Muttleythefrog said:

peteuk said:

You can cancel the joint claim anytime you wish,  on the home page - request cancel my claim…

Does that cancel both claimants' claim?

I would imagine, because if you are a couple you’re not entitled to claim as a single person.  If your partners income has increase significantly then at 55p per pound it might zero your claim.

Six months of zero payments cancels your claim (Im happy for someone with more knowedge to correct this) 

My concern would be as per Newcad.... that really a joint claim is just two single claims linked together... and remember there are scenarios where only one claimant is considered for payment while the other has their account locked (as in cases where one party subject to NRPF) so in effect single claim for a couple. So I'm not sure how simple this is via the online account. I will find out for sure in future as it's only a matter of time before we pull the plug on ours.

The claim will be treated as a joint claim unless either party reports a change of circs to say the relationship has ended.

If a claimant as part of a joint claim requests the claim to be closed, then it should be closed. There was a time where the jobcentre would ask both claimants to confirm they wanted to close the claim, but that should not be necessary as technically (as pointed out above), one person cannot have a claim for UC without the other when part of a couple.