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Migrating from Legacy Benefits to Universal Credit

claraelle

We applied for Universal Credit as we received a migration notice from DWP to do so. We moved from IR ESA, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit.

We received a letter from our local council benefits office to say we have been been overpaid housing benefit for 4 days this is because we have also claimed for Universal Credit (ie the cross over) it said the DWP would look to recover this overpayment from us. I presumed it would be in our rent account as our housing benefit was paid directly to our landlord.

First Universal Credit payment, the overpayment amount was deducted but not from our housing element but from the actual money we received.

I have spoken to my landlord who confirms that a full months rent from Universal Credit was paid into the account, however there is no extra credit sitting in our rent account (ie from the housing benefit overpayment)

I have tried to ask the council where the money is and they say it was an overpayment into our benefit account which has not been taken back. I just don't understand if we never actually recieved the overpayment amount ourselves why do they take it back from our universal credit payment?

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

Clara

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Comments

Rachel_Scope

Hi @claraelle, sorry no-one was able to answer your question. Did you get it resolved in the end? It doesn't seem right that they'd take it out of your UC if you never actually received the overpayment.

claraelle

Hi Rachel thank you for your reply.

I have had different answers from my landlord, housing benefit and UC but we still don't know where the money actually is that was over paid as my landlord says they don't have it and UC say it was paid into the landlords account by housing benefit.

As housing benefit is paid every 2 weeks and UC housing element paid on a monthly basis I think the housing benefit had our rent payments more up to date where as UC is behind and therefore the landlord thinks there is no over payment sat in the account!

Rachel_Scope

Oh dear. It all sounds so confusing! Are you going to go back to your landlord and ask them them to check again and explain what might have happened? I hope you have a good relationships with them so you can get it sorted.

claraelle

Hi Rachel, thank you for your reply. Yes it is very confusing! I am not sure yet as I know my landlord won't give us the money from our rent account as it's not showing as in credit and I think that's because the way UC pay housing elements is a bit different to how housing benefit paid them! If it shows up or we find out more I will come back and let you know! Thank you