In desperate need of help with Universal Credits

pmlindyloo · 17 May 2018 at 2:20PM

Digger73 wrote: »

Hi,
the thing that confusing me is the, Your living expenses part of employment and support allowance = £73.10. after my war disablement pensions are taken into account I get paid £77.86 (£78.96 after 11 Apr18) as I have been for years. And im still gettint his paid seperatly from universal credits.
as I was told it would whilst staring the claim in the jobcentre as a dual claim.
But then on universal credit there trying to give me this standard allowance of £317.82 but then deducting £337.39 (£342.16 after 11 April 18). but how can they give me £317 then deduct £337.39 then after 11 April 18 deduct £342.16. That's a difference of £19.57 and £24.34 after 11 April 18, so they are deducting more than there giving me, so the extra money they deduct is getting taken from me rent or child element, hence im over £350 in rent arrears, so there putting me into debt with the local council.
does that make sense, sorry.

There is no difference spread over the year.

Your ESA is paid weekly. UC is paid calendar monthly so the same date each month and you get 12 payments through the year.

So to work out your ESA calendar monthly.

£77.86 x 52 = £4048.72, then divide by 12 for calendar month = £337.39

£78.96 x 52 = £4105.92, then divide by 12 for calendar month = £342.16

So, for each calendar month the amount for your ESA is the same as your UC standard allowance.

Hope that makes sense.

pmlindyloo · 17 May 2018 at 2:28PM

As for your rent arrears ask your local council for a Discretionary Housing payment due to your transferring to UC and going into arrears.

How to do this in this link:

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Discretionary-Housing-Payment/What-is-a-Discretionary-Housing-Payment

Digger73 · 17 May 2018 at 3:04PM

Hi again, please don't think arguing etc I really am confused with this.
As it stand I am still getting paid my ESA fortnightly (because I'm in the support group as the lady in the jobcentre said it would) at £78.96 (and before that £77.86) and that works out as £342.16 (£337.39 bore that), I get that.

But at the same time universal credits is trying to pay me the standard allowance of £317 , so if there only trying to pay me £317, so why aren't they deducting the same £317 off me?

so the extra money they deduct is coming off the housing / child elements, which is causing rent arrears, there is discretionary housing payments coming from the council already.

so now that my sons back with his mother, and ive informed the council so they can adjust the discretionary payment. its going to be the standard allowance and housing on my universal credits, so when they deduct the £342.17, that extra £25.16 is going to get taken from the money for rent so its going to continue to increase my rent arrears that they are causing.

Do you see what I mean MPLindyloo its going to be a viscous circle, by trying to give £317 then deduct £342.15 my benefit for me rent will always be £25.16 short.

I know I've got mental health problems and I get confused and mixed up at times, and this is making me ill, do know what I'm getting at now?

again thanks for your patients with me I do appreciate the help.

pmlindyloo · 17 May 2018 at 3:18PM

I do understand your confusion. I have to go out now but will be back later.

Maybe someone else will have some ideas in the meantime.

I'll have another 'try' later!

Alice_Holt · 17 May 2018 at 3:47PM

My take on this (and I may not be completely correct):

UC is a means tested benefit, the applicable amount calculated by UC is the minimum you need to live on. It takes into account the household income, and compares this with the minimum UC payable - then pays you any difference.

Your UC calculation is:

Standard allowance
You receive a standard Universal Credit allowance each month
£318.82

Housing
£293 (Have I picked this up correctly from your post 8? - I've used the April numbers)

Limited capability for work and work-related activity
Because you were in the ESA Support Group
£318.76

Total £931.

Your income is:
CB ESA £342pm
War Pension £643pm (£148.59 pw per your post 8)
War Disablement pension £268.67 (£62 pw per your post 8)
PIP

Some income is disregarded (not taken into account) for the UC payment calculation), PIP is disregarded in full, your War pension is disregarded in full for UC.
I'm not sure about the War Disablement pension - for the purposes of this calculation I'm assuming it is also fully disregarded. These people would know https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/veterans-uk

Here is a link about the War pension disregard - https://www.youreable.com/forums/showthread.php?2153-war-pensions-disregarded-under-new-UC-regulations

So, getting back to the April payment calculation:-

UC applicable amount £931pm.

Less other (non disregarded) income:
CB ESA £342pm

Amount payable - £589 , of which £222 is paid direct to your landlord, take away the £47 TC recovery, and the payment to you should have been around £320 (not zero).

It seems to me UC have not given you the £319 for the Limited capability for work and work-related activity. You should get this immediately because you were in ESA Support Group. Make this point on your journal, and do an MR for it.

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Universal-Credit/Additional-Elements-of-Universal-Credit#guide-content
"You may have to wait three months for your LCWRA element to be added on. Though there are some instances where it can be added on straight away such as if you are terminally ill or you were entitled to one of the Employment and Support Allowance components immediately prior to your Universal Credit claim."

Hope this helps - do check my figures. Sorry it's so complicated

pmlindyloo · 17 May 2018 at 6:13PM

Thank you Alice, I did not realise that war pensions were not counted as income in UC.

So, I agree with Alice that they do not appear to have given you the LCWRA element to which you are entitled.

So do as she advises and ask about this in your journal.

And to confirm, both your war pensions are not counted as income for UC purposes.

See this link about war pensions:

http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2017-0556/88_Other_benefits_v2.0.pdf

Alice_Holt · 17 May 2018 at 7:09PM

Thanks for that link pmlindyloo

huckster · 17 May 2018 at 8:11PM

Best advice is to contact Universal Credit helpline and get them to contact the case manager to review each assessment period. Universal Credit has not noted the LCWRA.

What happens with Universal Credit is that they obtain the ESA payment info from the Government central information system.

Unfortunately, although they deduct the ESA payment as a deduction, there is no automatic way the LCWRA award is picked up and therefore it is often not paid until either claimant or someone within UC ( Work coach or case manager picks this up). UC do send a form internally to ESA for information, but if this comes back without the LCWRA noted or the Case Manager does not note it so it can be added manually, then it is not done.

Once UC have the information they will backdate as appropriate and issue a payment to your bank.

Alice_Holt · 21 May 2018 at 8:37PM

Unfortunately the OP hasn't revisited his thread since his post @ 14:

Digger73
Join date: 16-05-2018
Last activity: 17-05-2018 2:04 PM

Lets hope that the DWP do manage to credit him with the LCWRA element at some point.

Digger73 · 6 June 2018 at 11:13AM

Hi everyone,
thanks for the input, sorry for not replying sooner, as i've not been keeping to well, due to all this. I'll try to find out about the LCWRA element.
Once again thanks for you help and input.

In desperate need of help with Universal Credits

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free