UC payment Review

crossstitchamy

Good Evening all.

Today I had the dreaded message from UC to say they want to review my payments.

I'm currently not over 6k . 
But does what you already got from UC count towards the 6k limit?  As I have had back pay in the past. 
As that's all I got in my bank really is what's from them. And does this counts as savings etc as money goes out all the time for rent, bills , shopping....? 

As i don't go on holidays much at all. 
I do like to go on tombola have a flutter on there . I have won a grand here and there but eventually some have gone back in anyway.  Haven't won much over passed few months . So don't think I've gone over 6k in total. But what if I did at some point? 
Just worried that they might ask for more further back bank statements where I mightve not even noticed if I did go over.
I'm probably just over thinking . Better to be safe than sorry....

And as I suffer from anxiety and I struggle with phone calls I have asked them if they could do it via message . No reply yet do you think they will?

Have a great evening.
Thanks
Amy 

Muttleythefrog

They'll be asking presumably for 4 months of statements. As long as at the end of each assessment period you've had less than £6k total in capital (bank, savings, investments, cash etc) then definitely no issue... there are some other things disregarded but in the absence of any great concern they're probably not worth raising and confusing things unless your balances have at end of recent assessment periods been undeclared and over £6k.

After the documentary requests they will likely arrange a quick telephone call... try not to get too anxious about it if indeed there is no way around found. I suffer bad anxiety and with phone calls but we faced this last year and the most painful part was trying to get paypal statements into suitable format to confirm zero or minimal balances... otherwise very straightforward and quickly afterwards confirmation payments were correct.

Spoonie_Turtle

Capital is pretty much the total at the end of your assessment period, minus any income you've had that period (which includes benefit payments) and minus any disregarded capital like Cost of Living Payments from before.

crossstitchamy

Muttleythefrog said:

They'll be asking presumably for 4 months of statements. As long as at the end of each assessment period you've had less than that then definitely no issue.

After the documentary requests they will likely arrange a quick telephone call... try not to get too anxious about it if indeed there is no way around found

Thank you.  I went over for a lil while beginning of Oct after a UC payment . Not for long just until rent etc needed to be paid for so bringing me back down   That account not even related to tombola anyway. (I  transfer some money from my main bank to the other to play or use some winnings) . 

Are these reviews gonna be regular thing then  or?

KxMx

They've only been going on a few years so that's not known yet, I've only ever known one person have 2 (in consecutive years) , I advise a lot of people here and elsewhere so the % is small.
I had mine in September 2023, nothing since. 

crossstitchamy

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Capital is pretty much the total at the end of your assessment period, minus any income you've had that period (which includes benefit payments) and minus any disregarded capital like Cost of Living Payments from before.

So say like if I had 5k then I had a UC payment which brought to over 6k they disregard that last payment meaning the total i got is less than 6k? 
I never understood the assessment period. I get money at the end of each month . Where too would the assessment period be please? 
Thamks

Spoonie_Turtle

crossstitchamy said:

Muttleythefrog said:

They'll be asking presumably for 4 months of statements. As long as at the end of each assessment period you've had less than that then definitely no issue.

After the documentary requests they will likely arrange a quick telephone call... try not to get too anxious about it if indeed there is no way around found

Thank you.  I went over for a lil while beginning of Oct after a UC payment . Not for long just until rent etc needed to be paid for so bringing me back down   That account not even related to tombola anyway. (I  transfer some money from my main bank to the other to play or use some winnings) . 

Are these reviews gonna be regular thing then  or?

Are the tombola winnings in a separate bank account, or are they in the tombola account and need to be cashed out?

If you have multiple bank accounts, the advice already given is assuming you've included those in working out your total savings.

crossstitchamy

Spoonie_Turtle said:

crossstitchamy said:

Muttleythefrog said:

They'll be asking presumably for 4 months of statements. As long as at the end of each assessment period you've had less than that then definitely no issue.

After the documentary requests they will likely arrange a quick telephone call... try not to get too anxious about it if indeed there is no way around found

Thank you.  I went over for a lil while beginning of Oct after a UC payment . Not for long just until rent etc needed to be paid for so bringing me back down   That account not even related to tombola anyway. (I  transfer some money from my main bank to the other to play or use some winnings) . 

Are these reviews gonna be regular thing then  or?

Are the tombola winnings in a separate bank account, or are they in the tombola account and need to be cashed out?

If you have multiple bank accounts, the advice already given is assuming you've included those in working out your total savings.

Yeah it is separate.  Actually haven't got much in that account atm . Winnings looking at them i withdrew some and left a bit in so it's been less than a grand I've put into bank.  And at the time I had about 4k in the other.  Phew! 

Muttleythefrog

crossstitchamy said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Capital is pretty much the total at the end of your assessment period, minus any income you've had that period (which includes benefit payments) and minus any disregarded capital like Cost of Living Payments from before.

So say like if I had 5k then I had a UC payment which brought to over 6k they disregard that last payment meaning the total i got is less than 6k? 
I never understood the assessment period. I get money at the end of each month . Where too would the assessment period be please? 
Thamks

Your UC statements tell you the assessment period - head to payments in your account... mine run 20th of month to 19th of next month so my last one is "Assessment period: 20 December to 19 January 2025".  
The idea of Universal Credit is that it looks monthly at your circumstances to make a monthly payment. 

If on (or rather just before due to the Xmas period!) 26th December when I got my last payment it sent my capital to say £6300 from £5700 and then by 19 January 2025 my capital was back down to £5800 because I'd been spending some.. then my capital becomes £5800. The fact my balance went above £6k after payment is not an issue.. the UC payments and other benefit payments only become capital at the end of the period for which they were given.

I assume any monies you're holding in Tombola accounts etc you are considering as capital. Savings, bank accounts, investments, paypal, cash etc all considered as capital.

Hope this explains.

crossstitchamy

Muttleythefrog said:

crossstitchamy said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Capital is pretty much the total at the end of your assessment period, minus any income you've had that period (which includes benefit payments) and minus any disregarded capital like Cost of Living Payments from before.

So say like if I had 5k then I had a UC payment which brought to over 6k they disregard that last payment meaning the total i got is less than 6k? 
I never understood the assessment period. I get money at the end of each month . Where too would the assessment period be please? 
Thamks

Your UC statements tell you the assessment period - head to payments in your account... mine run 20th of month to 19th of next month so my last one is "Assessment period: 20 December to 19 January 2025".  
The idea of Universal Credit is that it looks monthly at your circumstances to make a monthly payment. 

If on (or rather just before due to the Xmas period!) 26th December when I got my last payment it sent my capital to say £6300 from £5700 and then by 19 January 2025 my capital was back down to £5800 because I'd been spending some.. then my capital becomes £5800. The fact my balance went above £6k after payment is not an issue.. the UC payments and other benefit payments only become capital at the end of the period for which they were given.

I assume any monies you're holding in Tombola accounts etc you are considering as capital. Savings, bank accounts, investments, paypal, cash etc all considered as capital.

Hope this explains.

Hiya yeah I get what you're saying. It's kinda awkward way to work it out. But thank you

KxMx

The first phone call is to explain the process, tell you what they want and answer any questions you have. 

The standard request is ID & 4 months of bank statements for all accounts. 

Then a telephone interview, they'll ask a series of scripted questions to identify any potential other sources of money, then ask about some of your banking transactions. 

If additional information is required (some are asked for PayPal statements) they'll let you know. 
Otherwise, they'll put a message on your Journal confirming whether your payments are correct and that the review is complete.