Universal credit

babycanary

Hi can anyone please advise my assessment period is the 6th to the 5th. So my son finished college officially  his last day was 5th July so the last day of my assessment period. I have now been told I was not entitled to the child element for the whole of that period ? And now owe quite a bit of money. Is this correct ?  Thankyou

Newcad

Any change of circumstances within an Assessment Period applies from the start of that AP* - even if the change was on the very last day of the AP.

So yes the change to your sons' status happening on the last day of your AP means that it applies to the whole of that AP.

If you had not informed them of the change in time and the Child Element was paid, and possibly a work allowance applied to any wages meaning that less was deducted, then that will have been an overpayment for that AP and they will now want that overpayment back.

*There a few rare exceptions such as reaching state pension age.

babycanary

Hi yes I informed them on the 5th of Juiy of the change.  Also rang up helpline as no one replied in my journal. I have only received the overpayment notice Tuesday this week 

Newcad

So you reported the change in a timely manner on the day that it happened, which is good.

The fact remains though that if you did still get a Child Element included for that 6h June to 5th July AP, and a Work Allowance for that AP, then those were overpayments.

It doesn't matter if the overpayment was UC's fault in not applying the reported change straight away, it's still an overpayment and they will now want it back at so much a month from your ongoing UC payments.