Need some help

avakarlsson

Hi

I am on universal credit as yet I haven’t received any payments, when looking through my journal just now it’s got old info like my wage, how many hrs I do I need to change that so I clicked on where it says report a change and then I select it then after it comes up saying “ from which date would you like to change it” do I do it from when I first went sick from work or when my company sick pay finished? 

Hope to hear shortly 

thank you 

thespiceman

Hello @avakarlsson Please can I ask have you spoken to Universal Credit team is that Job centre plus .

Ask them, see what they say.

Hope that helps.

@thespiceman

avakarlsson

Hi 

yes I phoned universal credit and spoke to someone and I asked if they have received the form and they said no not yet, then I phoned the people who deal with the assessments etc and they said no we haven't got it yet, but they said phone back Friday (today) and see, so I don’t no if they will say yes I have got the benefit of not, or they will say what group I am in. 

poppy123456

Are you still receiving SSP? If you are then your SSP will reduce the amount of UC you're entitled to and because you are under 25 then it will be reduced to zero.

The work capability assessment form you returned was only returned about 1 week ago. I know you're anxious but you really do need to give it some time because a week isn't long enough. Once they receive the form back and someone has looked at it, they will send you an appointment for a face to face assessment but this can take several weeks and sometimes many months.

If you ring them today they won't tell you whether you've successfully been placed into one of the groups. Most people have to have a face to face assessment before a decision's made.

avakarlsson

Yes I am still getting statutory sick pay, I thought I would need to update my details as it still says I’m doing 16hrs a week and my pay is still the same as when I was working, I just thought I would need to change it to what is currently happening.

poppy123456

You can change it yes but they will know you're receiving SSP because your employer will report your SSP earnings to HMRC and DWP check what you receive with them through RTI. Just so that you know, changing those hours doesn't entitle you to any UC payments each month because your SSP will still reduce it to zero.

avakarlsson

Oh I see, I thought by updating it, it would let them know and that’s it, I didn’t realise my employer would report my statutory sick pay amounts to HMRC and DWP will check to see what I receive through RTI. 

poppy123456

An employer must report payroll information to HMRC and this includes SSP, which is how DWP know how much UC you're entitled to.

avakarlsson

Oh I see, as my payment I get now is different to when I was working.

poppy123456

They will know what you receive. Even though you receive less money now, it doesn't mean you're entitled to any UC each month because it will still be reduced to zero meaning you're not entitled to any UC each month.

avakarlsson

Oh I see so for now there’s no need to update it. By me doing the questionnaire form etc hopefully I will get it, and if they say you can’t work then I change it on my account and update it so they know, what if I just changed the part where it says you do 16hrs a week should I change that and say 0 or I can’t at this moment due to ill health? 

poppy123456

If you weren't receiving the SSP then you would be financially worse off each month because you're under 25 then your UC payment would only be £251.77 per month.

avakarlsson

Yes course I would be receiving it.  But if I change my hours on my universal credit to say 0 due to ill health will I get the payment? Or not even payment but they know? 

poppy123456

No, i'm sorry but that's not correct. Changing the hours on your journal won't affect the amount of UC you're entitled to. As i have advised a few times, your SSP reduces it to zero and you're not entitled to any UC each month.

avakarlsson

Ok now I know I don’t need to change it for a bit I will leave it. Sorry I get confused. Yes it’s the SSP that stops me getting the universal credit. Where I did the questionnaire and I if I did get the benefit, SSP would stop and it would just be the universal credit claim and my pip I would get. 

poppy123456

Your SSP is only paid for 28 weeks and will stop after this time. Then you would receive £251.77 per month UC.

Once you've been assessed for the limited capability for work, if the decision is LCWRA then you will receive the extra £336 per month, if the decision is just LCW or fit for work then you won't receive any extra UC payments each month.Of course if you're not happy with the decision then you can request the MR.

I realise you get confused and you're really anxious but please try to relax and forget about the work capability assessment until you hear something because stressing yourself isn't going to make the assessment happen any quicker and i realise that's very difficult to do but try to think about something else. When i'm waiting for a work capability assessment i try my hardest not to think about it because if i did then it would make my condition so much worse.

avakarlsson

Yes I understand what you mean, I’m not worried about the assement I just want it all to be done and sorted then if I get the payment that would be good, just have to wait and phone them later the assessment place as they said to me On Tuesday I have to ring them back today, so hopefully I will have an update etc.

avakarlsson

And also do universal credit know I am not currently working or do I need to tell them as they think I’m doing 16hrs  

poppy123456

Make the changes on your journal, no need to ring them but they will know you're not working.

avakarlsson

Is that what I should do, do you think? 

poppy123456

Yes, just make the changes.