PIP back payment and UC disclosure PLEASE HELP

tito78

I am on UC and have been since 2020 and was on basic PIP for both parts after several hospitalisation and being diagnosed with epilepsy PIP awarded me a back payment of £9200 in March 2025 and I chose to be paid by monthly instalments. I was extremely happy and did not realise it has to be reported on my UC journal as it was PIP and believed it does not count as savings. Every month since my current account never exceeded £6000 and that is with even transferring my step mother £750 per month to repay so many loans including 2 stints at rehab costing alot of money ( I am also 2 years 7 months sober) . I read somewhere that I still have to report it and my last PIP instalment is coming up on te 6th October. I am extremely worried and anxious ..should I report it? will they suspend my benefits? I am very confused..Please help as I am very confused and prone to frequent seizures sue to extreme anxiety

Kiki23

I think if you were to let UC know you received notification in March from PIP/DWP that £9200 was going to be awarded to you as back pay, and sent them a copy/letter proving this, you should be ok, as anything "OVER" £5000 is disregarded for the lifetime of your claim for means tested benefits which in your case seems to be UC.

Try not to worry and all the best 😊

P.s Well done on being sober for 2 years and 7 months!!!

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

You say your current account never went over £6000. If this is the only account you have then there was never any need to tell UC about this, and still no need to do anything now.

If you have more accounts and the total across them has exceeded £6000 then you should declare the total amount on the first savings page, and put the backpay in on the next page which is about disregards.

As above, backpay over £5000 is disregarded for the length of the claim, but should still be included on the overall savings declaration, which should have been made if account totals ever passed £6000.

Catherine21

It's disregard for a year so after march 2026 is when you need to be aware of it going over six grand I know this as had two paybacks and in 2019 gave my daughter some for all she does for me they asked for bank statements a year after the payback god I was terrified but all OK as was within the year

Catherine21

Ps well-done on sobriety can relate

OverlyAnxious

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1069131#Comment_1069131

The 12 month limit is only for backpay of less than £5000.

Backpay of more than £5000 is disregarded for the entire life of the claim.

Catherine21

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1069136#Comment_1069136

Oh OK I didn't know that thankyou