Universal Credit. Private Home Owner. Eligibility for Help with Service Charges.

debtslave2024

I am on Universal Credit, and live in a privately owned property with no mortgage. I am required to pay over £1000 per year in maintenance service charges. So, far I have received a single small payment from UC. I have increasingly low earnings from self employment, and they have deemed me “not gainfully employed,” meaning I am obliged to seek more work.

Since I do not get much from UC, and have high service charges, I asked them if they could assist with this. The answer was that I would need to be seeking work for 6 months, before they could assist.

Is this actually correct, and if so what is the reasoning behind it?

Thanks.

huckster

https://www.gov.uk/housing-and-universal-credit/property-you-own

9 months wait from date of claiming UC. See info contained in above link.

debtslave2024

Thanks Huckster. Looks like I was mis informed by the staff at job centre, plus I suspect I will not be eligible full stop. I will raise this with them.

Muttleythefrog

9 month waiting period... not all elements of leaseholder maintenance fees (service charges) may be included such as property insurance. Jobcentre and general UC staff tend to be extremely good at confidently giving absolutely untrue information. And given I've never had a correct award for maintenance fees.. the latest yesterday annually assessed to pay the quarterly rate monthly in full (leaving me facing massive overpayments).. you can't even rely on documented decisions by regular staff.

Good link above... also this for the rules https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/864905/admf4.pdf

debtslave2024

Speak of the Devil. Just after posting this I received a bill for the biggest “service charge” bill I have ever seen - £451. Universal credit about £90 a week for me.