UC underpaid me. Help!

Legwax
Legwax Community Member Posts: 190 Empowering
in Universal Credit (UC)

Hello all,

That exclamation mark is more enthusiastic than I am. I am flat. DWP state that I earned £1k during the last assessment period. I earned £225. Therefore, I have been underpaid by £320. Maybe more, I don't know as I have LCW but no LCWRA.

I made two complaints two weeks ago and have heard nothing back. I was told by the Payment DWP person that they had raised an official dispute and the department that deals with that gives no timescale so I will have to wait.

So, I am back in food bank or banging out a ridiculous APR Capital One credit card which is already costing 60quid a month interest.

I feel and factually have been underpaid by hundreds for a reason that was not my doing and I am expected to wait until somebody somewhere picks up my case and investigates it. I have an employer who stated they didn't report a £1k amount to HMRC/DWP. It is insane. I have no right of reply and if I am not writing here nobody knows this has happened. I refuse to take an advance of my UC to cover my expenses.

I did a bit of research and asked for a special payment, their phrase, to be made to me due to their maladminstration. Guess what, the DWP payment person didn't answer that part of my Journal message. Screwing up my rent, council tax and life which was already limited.

Screwed over and left to rot. The injustice of this is obscene.

Has anybody else experienced this? What did you do?

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Comments

  • Emilee
    Emilee Community Member Posts: 538 Pioneering

    Have you checked your tax account to see what your employer reported? Is it possible that two wages fell into the same assessment period?

    It can take quite a while for them to review payment errors, but you can ask them to escalate the issue once your payment date has passed.

    In the meantime, contact your landlord and anyone else you owe money to and explain the situation. Most companies will try to help, but it’s important to keep them informed.

    As an aside, if the choice is between using a high-interest credit card or taking out a UC advance, the advance would probably be the better option, as it is at least interest-free.

  • Legwax
    Legwax Community Member Posts: 190 Empowering

    @Emilee Thank you for your clear reply, esp re credit card or advance. I didn't consider that.

    I will check. I am unable to work numbers out but as I get paid on last day of month I cant see how I could have had 2 payments in one assessment period. Crossed my mind but last two earnings dont add up to that.

    I am gratefil you replied. Sm feelin v stuck. Thank you.

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