Can I close UC account during claims review?

Avolu57

Hi all, new here!

Just looking for some answers, I was asked to do a claims review a week or two ago, I have submitted the documents requested but heard nothing more about it.

Currently working full time and get UC as a top up of wages as I’m a single mum. I have been trying to get a second job for MONTHS to get off UC, I just hate the stress of being on it and to be honest for all I have complied with the review it has felt so intrusive and dehumanising.

Anyway, I have been offered a second job today and I’m over the moon! The job will wipe out my entitlement and so I’d like to close my claim and be done with universal credit, but can I do this mid review? They have all the documents requested including my bank statements.

I’m unsure if it’s best to just wait, but I’ve seen some people waiting months for their review to take place and I don’t want to have to wait months to be free from them.

I haven’t had a phone call for my review yet or even been asked to have one, if I tell them about my new job in my journal will this trigger them to finish my review so I can close the claim if I’m unable to do so mid review?

Kimmy87

You will still need to go through the review, so they can make sure the payments you've already had were correct and you don't owe them any money through being overpaid.

I fully appreciate how intrusive these checks are, having been through one myself.

After 6 months of zero entitlement to UC your claim will close automatically anyway.

The review should be complete well before then, so personally I wouldn't manually close the claim until the review was over.

Jimm_Scope

Hey @Avolu57, welcome to the community 😊 I do believe your claim would remain open until after the review is complete, as part of it is looking at what you've already received over the past few months, not just what you will get in the future.

Best of luck with the job!

I don't know if it will help much but we do have an advice section that covers Money and Finances. It has a lot in there about help with utility bills, groceries and more: Advice and support | Disability charity Scope UK