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Universal Credit ???

pianoworldstage100
pianoworldstage100 Community member Posts: 4 Listener
edited May 2020 in Universal Credit (UC)
Hi, 

I recently made a new claim for Universal Credit which has come back as approved. I'm told on my UC online account the final step to complete the claim is to book an appointment by phone. This is virtually impossible! after endless hours and days calling, the phone is continually cut off.. saying all lines are busy.

The first UC payment won't be recieved until 5 weeks from booking the appointment! Calls are cut off.. emails can't be sent.. and no face to face appointments at the DWP due to the Coronavirus. As you can imagine, this is insufferable.. could anyone offer advise or help.  
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Comments

  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,935 Scope online community team
    Hi @pianoworldstage100. This is an ongoing problem and it's been worsened by their reduced open hours. 
    Have you put a note on your journal at all? They can book the telephone call with you this way. 
    When you go to add a note on your journal, you can do this in two ways. One will be to leave a message for your 'work coach' and the other is to send a message about 'payments' or 'service issues'. The latter two go to your Case Manager and the former goes to your work coach. It's worth sending the same message through to both to cover all bases.
    Community Manager
    Scope
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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,922 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi and welcome,

    I do believe that they will call you but it could take a couple of days for them to do this.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
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  • pianoworldstage100
    pianoworldstage100 Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    Thanks Adrian, helpful. Thanks Poppy.
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  • anisty
    anisty Community member Posts: 354 Pioneering
    Yes, dwp know the problem with phonelines just now and there is no need to keep hanging on trying to get though as they are checking in on online journals and they are calling any claimant that they can see has started an online claim and then not proceeded further.

    Hold tight and they will call you
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  • anisty
    anisty Community member Posts: 354 Pioneering
    I heard a tip about this from someone that called into jeremy vine show on radio 2 yesterday.

    Put your phone number into the journal entries and they get back to you quicker (next day quick, not within the hour!)
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  • feir
    feir Community member Posts: 397 Pioneering
    You can get a loan for the payments you should get before the 5 weeks is over. You pay them back over the year, bit stupid really but i don't get why they just don't claim back the loan when the 5 weeks backpay comes?
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  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,935 Scope online community team
    Hi @feir, UC isn't backdated it's paid in arrears. So after that initial period you only receive 1 month's money which is to see you through the next month. So if they took the loan back at the end of that first month you'd be left with nothing for the month ahead. 
    Community Manager
    Scope
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  • feir
    feir Community member Posts: 397 Pioneering
    Didn't know that @Adrian_Scope thanks for the info.
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