Absolute nightmare with UC

fluffybuns88

This is a long one so I apologise in advance.

Our first payment was in December.

It was calculated wrong and we ended up with an over payment which we're paying back.

In Feb my partners earnings were recorded as £0 due to it being a short month and how AP fell. We were told not to correct this as it would balance out.

This week I was awarded LCWRA (I'm self employed) and my son was awarded DLA.

I've gone to add the details to our claim and after taking a closer look at our statement found we were given the £404 (pre 25 tax year) work allowance, we get no help with housing costs as there is no "housing element" at all on our claim.

I rang up as I realised that this isn't right, we've had absolutely no mention of housing element on our statements from the beginning.

I did a benefits calculator (I know these aren't accurate) but it suggested we should have £650 housing element on the claim so queried this.

It looks as though it was never added, this has now been escalated to the specialist team.

I've requested all relevant backpay to be added and our claim rectified, but instead we've just been slapped with an overpayment of nearly £700 that we now owe them.

Essentially what I'm asking is how long is this likely to take being sorted out? I'm literally at my wits end, UC has been so stressful.

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

Just for reference, the Work Allowance went up in April. It is now £684 a month without housing costs.

I think what they've done there, to come up with an overpayment, is remove the Work Allowance altogether from before you were awarded LCWRA. Are you saying you should still have been entitled to the Work Allowance before then, perhaps due to your son's age?

There are no timescales for anything like this unfortunately.

fluffybuns88

Honestly I have no idea. My son is 13 so not sure how the work allowance works, there is no mention of housing element on the claim, they've completely missed it off. Just had my June statement and it's not there again, they've escalated it to the specialist team.

OverlyAnxious

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1032503#Comment_1032503

No problem. The Work Allowance is only for claimants who either have health conditions (LCW/LCWRA) or who are responsible for a child.

With a 13 year old, you were entitled to the Work Allowance even before getting LCWRA.

And as you say, there are two levels, £411 for people who get housing costs, and £684 for people who don't.

Hopefully they will get it sorted out soon, but you are correct as far as I can tell.