COP payments

elle_may

Asked on UC journal about these payments saying he had received all 5 and 2 pip col. Going back to 2022.  Could i take them off his savings Reply was. You only not include any COL payments or any back dated benefits if this has been received within last year as they are only disregarded for 12 mth's  and then after that they would be included in the savings amount. But on the Scope web site they say u can include all of these payments indefinitely. Can someone please explain what is right or wrong. 

poppy12345

The Coal payments are disregarded indefinitely unless your total capital went below the total amount of CoL payments you received. 

elle_may

I don't think they went under as his reported savings when applying for UC is over 6000 limit. .His total amount of COL payments are £1850 .  So can i take this amount off his savings next assessments and every one  Just don't get this.

HillStreetBlues

elle_may said:

I don't think they went under as his reported savings when applying for UC is over 6000 limit. .His total amount of COL payments are £1850 .  So can i take this amount off his savings next assessments and every one  Just don't get this.

As poppy12345 stated they are disregarded indefinitely so should be part of capital declared.
Also is income also being deducted (UC payments, wages, PIP etc)?

elle_may

HillStreetBlues said:

elle_may said:

I don't think they went under as his reported savings when applying for UC is over 6000 limit. .His total amount of COL payments are £1850 .  So can i take this amount off his savings next assessments and every one  Just don't get this.

As poppy12345 stated they are disregarded indefinitely so should be part of capital declared.
Also is income also being deducted (UC payments, wages, PIP etc)?

I have had 1 payment of uc so did not take anything off when  i declared savings. He Received pip and  the new style esa  was only one taken off  UC for that month. so what should i take off next time as he will have savings above 6000. Do i say what they are and not take off any col payments. He will have not used that months payments.  

KxMx

I declare savings with my COL payments deducted. 

I had my UC reviewed financially in 2023, statements on paper showed over £6k, they were fine with what I'd done, after the interview I submitted my individual bank statement pages showing the payments, they ran the calculation their end and confirmed I was under £6k of capital. 

elle_may

KxMx said:

I declare savings with my COL payments deducted. 

I had my UC reviewed financially in 2023, statements on paper showed over £6k, they were fine with what I'd done, after the interview I submitted my individual bank statement pages showing the payments, they ran the calculation their end and confirmed I was under £6k of capital. 

I will still have savings over £6000 so i hope the deductions will be smaller than than last months payment of UC. 

HillStreetBlues

elle_may said:

KxMx said:

I declare savings with my COL payments deducted. 

I had my UC reviewed financially in 2023, statements on paper showed over £6k, they were fine with what I'd done, after the interview I submitted my individual bank statement pages showing the payments, they ran the calculation their end and confirmed I was under £6k of capital. 

I will still have savings over £6000 so i hope the deductions will be smaller than than last months payment of UC. 

I have "savings" over £9000 but no deductions as my capital is under £6000

Newcad

As I recall it the savings/capital calculations done at UC (by the coumpter) changed a few months ago - and they now automatically recognise that payments such as the CoL payments and some backpayments of benefits are disregarded indefinitely, whilst some other backpayments of benefits are only disregarded for 12 months.

They actually changed the questions that are asked about such payments and backpayments to make it easier to identify which are which type.

What you were told on the journal was incorrect, obviously whoever wrote it lacks training and only knows about the backpayments that are disregarded for 12 month but not about the indefinite disregards.

elle_may

Newcad said:

As I recall it the savings/capital calculations done at UC (by the coumpter) changed a few months ago - and they now automatically recognise that payments such as the CoL payments and some backpayments of benefits are disregarded indefinitely, whilst some other backpayments of benefits are only disregarded for 12 months.

They actually changed the questions that are asked about such payments and backpayments to make it easier to identify which are which type.

What you were told on the journal was incorrect, obviously whoever wrote it lacks training and only knows about the backpayments that are disregarded for 12 month but not about the indefinite disregards.

Yes this what happened Given wrong information by an agent ,after some digging and rephrasing an entry on sons journal, was told they had and double checked COL payments are disregarded indefinitely. I did not need to include on savings. The 12 mth's as you say are the backdated  payments.  I went to our advice centre and they as me could not find on any gov website's that said any thing about disregards of COL. So they need to be updated to this news. 

I was olso informed as he has just moved to UC his saving we would not be taken into account for 12mth's  After that the £250 rule £4.50 would apply. I will show this reply to my local advice centre so they can inform people of this rule. They olso apologised for the wrong information and agents would be better advised. Keeping up with the DWP  is exhausting and the experience's of other's are like gold dust for others in that position.  We will see when next assessment due if this is implemented. Thanks to every one.

Newcad

elle_may said:

I was olso informed as he has just moved to UC his saving we would not be taken into account for 12mth's  After that the £250 rule £4.50 would apply.

Well again, that is close but not quite correct.

Any savings/capital of above £16,000 that would normally disqualify someone from claiming UC can be ignored for 12 months, but that only applies for those who are Managed Migrated from Tax Credits to UC.
So those migrating from Tax Credits with high savings/capital can still get UC - but only for 12 months.
If they still have above £16k after 12 months then their UC will end.

An UC claimant, including those above, who has between £6,000 and £16,000 of savings/capital will have £4.35 a month deducted from their UC for each £250, or part of £250 that they have above £6K.
So anyone migrating from Tax Credits to UC who has above £16k will be deducted 40x£4.35 = £174 a month for each of the 12 months that they can claim UC.

PS. Your local advice centre may be forgiven for not knowing about the CoL disregards, but they should already be well aware of those rules about savings/capital and UC, if they don't know them then I would look to get your benefits advice somewhere else. (This forum is a good place to start).