Being told to attend face to face at job centre or claim will be closed because of PIP back payment.

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Comments

  • letitbe
    letitbe Community Member Posts: 344 Empowering

    oh that seems like a lot to deal with and your stuck in a catch 22. Don’t the council have an option of filling in a housing needs medical form form priority ( instead of an in person needs assessment)?
    I have recently filled in one of these form and had no idea about it until I got in touch with my local counsellor who contacted the council and I got the form to fill in, I’m not hopeful about it though and I’m 99.9% sure it’ll be rejected.
    I don’t think I could deal with an inperson needs assessment either .
    it might be worth contacting your local counsellor to find out ?

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community Member Posts: 6,270 Championing

    My council don't own any properties so it's done through a Housing Association in my area. I have to do review forms every 6 months or so but they always reject the need for ground floor property. Strangely they have accepted the need for level access shower though. Would have thought both go together.

    It doesn't really matter anyway though, as I say there aren't any suitable properties locally on their list. My local MP was no help at all, I've contacted them a few times over the years regarding PIP, UC, housing, medical care etc.

  • letitbe
    letitbe Community Member Posts: 344 Empowering

    I hope you’ll be able to find something more suitable and helps your MH and physical health

  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,085 Championing
    edited February 2025

    A government document here on suspension guidelines.

    https://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2024-0442/169._Suspending_Universal_Credit_V3.0.pdf

    Change of circumstances that would reduce the Universal Credit award
    When a change of circumstances is reported and more information or evidence
    is required, the claimant must be told of their responsibility to provide this
    within
    14 days (or longer in certain circumstances) and the potential
    consequences of not doing so.
    If the claimant does not provide the required information, the claim must be
    superseded to remove whichever additional amount is affected by the change
    of circumstances.
    Therefore, suspension is not appropriate and the claimant
    will have the right of appeal.

    Also

    The claimant must be informed using their journal:
    • the reason for the suspension
    • what evidence or information they need to provide for the suspension to
    be lifted
    • they have 14 days (or longer in certain circumstances) to provide the
    required evidence or information
    • if they do not respond, the claim may be closed from the date of the
    suspension after 1 calendar month

  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,085 Championing
    edited March 2025

    I have had the visit now and supplied what they asked for, they really wanted to see breakdown of my PIP award as well for some reason.
    I tried to ask questions about the process but she refused to engage saying the usual ask on the journal, and ignored that they not engaging with me on there or posting anything, this was early this week, and I havent heard anything since.
    Although they insisted on paper documentation, she didnt take it with her, she took a photo off them on her phone instead.
    She also spent ages writing notes and wouldnt let me see those notes.

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community Member Posts: 6,270 Championing

    Thank you for updating us. At least it's done now. Though I don't think we're any the wiser on understanding which capital changes require paper statements or why.

  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,085 Championing

    Well its not done until its taken out of suspension, I dont know if they are going to request more evidence yet, they havent engaged with me since the visit.

  • letitbe
    letitbe Community Member Posts: 344 Empowering
    edited March 2025

    did you have a home visit ? I don’t think I’d want them anywhere near my home .

  • kreacher
    kreacher Community Member Posts: 519 Empowering
  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,085 Championing

    I had a home visit and wasnt happy about it, it was either that, going to the job centre, or closing UC.
    They absolutely refused to do it digitally or phone appointment, the fact she took a photo of it, meaning whoever is looking at it only has a photo anyway, makes the whole thing a farce, and I plan to take it further.

  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,085 Championing
    edited March 2025

    UC is reinstated with no deductions, it had to go to a DM, who accepted fully my submission.

  • letitbe
    letitbe Community Member Posts: 344 Empowering

    when you updated UC with the over 6k amount did it ask if any of it was a back payment ? I’m sure I read In another thread that it does.

  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,085 Championing
    edited March 2025

    Yes it asks after entering the savings amount, and for me it did correctly deduct it. The problem was for whatever reason that was not accepted by my local job centre.

    The final decision matched what was done originally. The decision also noted the documents verified my original savings submission as well.

  • letitbe
    letitbe Community Member Posts: 344 Empowering

    ok thanks .
    was your 12 month pip back payment disregard up and that why you updated your savings amount?
    im in same situation and have to update UC soon with new savings amount- I will be over 6k too but I had a big pip back payment last year and the 12 months disregard is up soon so need to update UC.

  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,085 Championing

    Yes, they disregarded the PIP payment for 12 months. It is what made me update my savings as it took me over 6k. If I stayed under 6k I wouldnt have reported it.

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community Member Posts: 6,270 Championing

    I've been thinking about what you said earlier in this thread about closing the claim before savings get too high. I couldn't find anything reliable online to confirm whether a claim can be reopened within 6 months without having to verify ID again. Just wondered how deeply you'd looked into it?

    This would be particularly useful for people who are about to go over £16k. If the capital goes over then the claim is completely closed as far as I'm aware. But if we chose to end a claim at say £15k, then reopened it 5 months later at £10k, I'm wondering whether that would avoid another ID check? And also whether we would still be entitled to Transitional Protection when reopening? As I say, I've done a bit of research myself but can't seem to find firm answers on this.

  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,085 Championing
    edited March 2025

    Most of what I checked at first was the practicality of closing the claim, it was only after I got some advice I leaned towards keeping it open and seeing how much of a problem it would be. my main concern remains what happens if I am regularly over 6k, and am updating every single month, with home visits and so on, I can see it being a nightmare. I got an apology for the lack of engagement on the journal, and was also told the process is proper for self reported changes of savings. I think there is little recourse on the face to face requirement, as any posts on here would be regarded as "hear say" not evidence that I am being mistreated, the only thing I have really is how they ended up suspending the claim with 7 days notice and for a reason against guidance, which they didnt comment on.

    I never researched TP and ID checks, but I would be surprised if they were preserved. When I was considering closing UC, I made the assumption I would be forfeiting TP eligibility. Turns2us says universal credit ending will trigger a loss of transitional protection.

    https://www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/information-for-your-situation/universal-credit-uc-transitional-protection/when-will-my-universal-credit-uc-transitional-protection-end

    Your Universal Credit award ends (other than because of your earnings increasing). Examples of this might be if you moved abroad or if you got capital of more than £16,000.

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community Member Posts: 6,270 Championing

    Thank you. It's mainly the ID check that I would want to avoid myself as it was so difficult the first time. Though currently I get around £350 in TP, which would be a lot to lose if I found a more suitable property to move into in future. (My rent is fairly cheap currently but the property is not suitable so I'm hoping to move asap).

    My savings do change every month and I was a bit concerned when declaring this months that I would get called to the Job Centre or have payments stopped, but it was the same as usual, not even a confirmation in the journal, just a change of deductions on the statement.

  • worried33
    worried33 Community Member Posts: 1,085 Championing

    I have also found this, it mentions within 6 months it is not considered a full claim.

    https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/universal-credit-reclaims

    Claim again via the existing UC account, only need to report what changed since the last claim, agree to commitments again, and wont have to do the initial evidence interview.

    I can see now why you think the ID process might be skipped. My guess is you lose TP, but they might not ask for ID again. But its only an educated guess.

  • letitbe
    letitbe Community Member Posts: 344 Empowering

    so even though you are over 6k they aren’t deducting anything ? I thought they start deducting after 6k ?