Universal Credit - closing claim?

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chloe20
chloe20 Posts: 15 Forumite
in Benefits & tax credits
Has anyone closed their universal credit claim on a voluntary basis? i can't find much info about it online


I live with parents and get the basic amount of UC similiar to the old style JSA. I am getting to the point because my work coach is such a nasty piece of work and threatening to send me on courses and work placements i have no interest in or will be of no benefit to me that i would much rather do my jobsearch without having them to worry about.

Fortunately i live with parents and have some savings from my last job so its not critical but just incase i need to claim again in the future would this be a problem if i closed my claim?

And if i closed it halfway through an assessment period would i still get half of my money?
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  • DEV1L
    DEV1L Posts: 38 Forumite
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    Its pretty simple to close a claim, just ring up and close your claim you will be paid upto that point and if you wish to reclaim later down the line it will be classed as a new claim
  • chloe20
    chloe20 Posts: 15 Forumite
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    Thanks but i forgot to mention i took out an advance payment (loan) when i made my claim where they take deductions from your monthly UC payment. It hasn't been repaid in full yet.


    If I closed my claim halfway through assessment period do you think they would use the owed UC money I have built up to that point to pay off the advance? or pay me the money anyway and remind me i am still liable to pay the advance back? which i know and appreciate. but technically i have 12 months to do that.

    And would the final payment be made ASAP or on my usual payment date? e.g. close claim and wait 2 weeks for final payment?

    And apparently if you reclaim within 6 months of your last payment you get the same assessment period and payment date as before

    it won't let me post a link but it's on the citizens advice website under "reapply for universal credit"
  • calcotti
    calcotti Posts: 15,696 Forumite
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    There is information on repaying the advance here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-advances#how-the-advance-is-repaid
    I suspect that initially they will ask you to repay the whole amount in one go unless you can demonstrate that this is unaffordable.

    If you reclaim within 6 months you can log back into your online journal and make a rapid reclaim https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/reapply-for-universal-credit/

    Alternatively you can ask DWP to give you a different work coach.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • DEV1L
    DEV1L Posts: 38 Forumite
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    They wont take the money for the loan off your final payment, you will get a letter in a few months letting you know that the money is still owed .
    As for when the final payment is made depends on the person you sign off with, most will keep it as your normal payment date, but they can and some will issue an instant payment .
    UC claims stay active for 6 months and you would make a rapid reclaim. But after that it is fully closed and a new claim would be made.
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,839 Forumite
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    If you close a UC claim before the end of an assessment period, you will not receive any further payment.

    UC is different to legacy benefits such as JSA, because it is based on monthly assessment periods. It is only at the end of an assessment period that any amount is calculated, so if you close a claim before the end of an assessment period nothing is calculated.

    In regards to your situation, closing the claim is a bit short sighted. Unless you move to a different Job Centre, if you ever reopened your claim, you are pretty likely to see the same Work Coaches, who will ensure that are pushed into opportunities that are available.

    Work Coaches are doing their jobs in arranging courses and work placements. If you have been out of work for more than 3 months claiming an unemployed benefit, you lose the right to be selective about type of job. You might have been an Astronaut previously, but if the only options locally are warehouses, then you can't wait until the next space mission is arranged.

    Solution is to find any job or work trial yourself that you don't mind doing or follow what the Job Centre are asking you to do.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • chloe20
    chloe20 Posts: 15 Forumite
    edited 21 October 2018 at 1:34PM
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    Thanks guys but this is why i'm confused about the situation because there is a lot of contradicting or lack of info online without any official guidance about this on government websites or documentation
    DEV1L wrote: »
    As for when the final payment is made depends on the person you sign off with, most will keep it as your normal payment date, but they can and some will issue an instant payment.
    huckster wrote: »
    If you close a UC claim before the end of an assessment period, you will not receive any further payment.

    UC is different to legacy benefits such as JSA, because it is based on monthly assessment periods. It is only at the end of an assessment period that any amount is calculated, so if you close a claim before the end of an assessment period nothing is calculated.

    So huckster you are saying if my assessment period was 21 September to 20 October i would have to wait until 20 October to close the claim to ensure any final payment? it literally wouldnt matter if i closed it a day into the period, or a day before the end of the period? outcome would still be £0.00? Is there any official documentation online to clarify this? seems harsh

    If we take the same assessment period....What if someone closed their claim on 22 September but then made a rapid reclaim on 18 October? That would still be within their old assessment period and would assumingly get paid a full months worth of money? for spending like 3 or 4 days on UC? that makes no sense to me. :think:
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,839 Forumite
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    Don't close the claim until the payment has been generated to your Bank. Payments are generated 3 days before your payment date.

    So if the UC assessment period ended Saturday, then you would be paid next Friday. The payment would be processed on Wednesday evening.

    Do not close until you know the payment has been processed. Check your UC claim to see when the statement has been added, as that will signal that the payment will be processed.

    If you reopen a claim later, you start a new assessment period and would wait 5 weeks to be paid. If you have had advances previously you might be refused further advances if previous advances were not repaid in full.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • chloe20
    chloe20 Posts: 15 Forumite
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    huckster
    If you reopen a claim later, you start a new assessment period and would wait 5 weeks to be paid.

    Unfortunately i am not allowed to post links but there is a lot of guidance online inc citizens advice website posted above and a freedom of information request to the DWP that suggest that reclaims within 6 months will see you on the SAME assessment period as before.

    I appreciate your posts and help but what are you basing this information on?
  • calcotti
    calcotti Posts: 15,696 Forumite
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    edited 21 October 2018 at 2:45PM
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    chloe20 wrote: »
    huckster
    If you reopen a claim later, you start a new assessment period and would wait 5 weeks to be paid.

    Unfortunately i am not allowed to post links but there is a lot of guidance online inc citizens advice website posted above and a freedom of information request to the DWP that suggest that reclaims within 6 months will see you on the SAME assessment period as before.

    I appreciate your posts and help but what are you basing this information on?

    I think there are two issues here. If you claim within 6 months your assessment period will run between the same date in the month as previously. As to how long you wait for your first payment I don't know but i would expect it to depend on how the date you make the claim sits within the assessment period. If you claim close to the assessment period date the claim is not going to be processed in time and you would wait until the end of the following assessment period to get paid, if you claim near the start of the assessment period perhaps you can get a payment at the end of that assessment period (albeit presumably for a part period). Like you I can't find anything confirming how this works.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 16,520 Forumite
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    chloe20 wrote: »
    I am getting to the point because my work coach is such a nasty piece of work and threatening to send me on courses and work placements i have no interest in or will be of no benefit to me


    The Work Coach isn't being 'a nasty piece of work', just doing the job they are employed to do. If you are unemployed and claiming UC, or JSA for that matter, part of the work coach's duty is to try to get you back into work as soon as possible. That includes potentially sending you on courses and work placements. If you are in a position that you don't need the money from UC you are free to stop your claim at any time. Bear in mind that you won't get NI credits towards your pension if you close your claim.
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