AMA I work for DWP

[PurpleDaisy2114]

Just that really! Not in senior management.

So if it was between being in your situation, or working there and not needing uc, are you seriously saying you'd stay as you ar

Yes, I'm saying that 100%

A similar way to look at is, how do you judge a father who turns to selling drugs to feed his family?

Well youre a martyr then and yes id get it, and wouldnt judge him.

No, I have morals.

OP my DP is self-employed and is currently getting WTC. How will UC be calculated? Will he have to reapply every week or do they look at the previous year's earnings? We are absolutely terrified about going on to UC especially as we have a child with SN which makes it impossible for me to get full time work.

Op, when someone is signed off as sick, do you think it's fair that they have to go to meetings in the offices?
I have agoraphobia, so don't leave the house. I had to get a taxi there and back. They couldn't figure anything out, so I had to go back a second time. That cost me £20 in taxis. I ended up so distressed I was in a full blown anxiety attack and crying my eyes out.

Do you think it's fair when people are unwell?

@waterplease that is appalling, you should not have been sanctioned. If you disagree with any DWP decision you can ask for a mandatory reconsideration where a decision maker will look at it again and any new evidence you provide. Trouble is, you may be out of time now but worth asking...

@clueingforlooks yes the budgeting loan repayments will be taken off UC

@feellikeanalien - it’s quite long winded to explain self employment under UC but if they are gainfully self employed then they wouldn’t attend meetings, usually earnings are reported online quarterly. This guide will explain the ins and out- www.rightsnet.org.uk/universal-credit-full-service-guidance

@creepycaterpillar
Dear purple Daisy,
Please can you help......
Single mum, child aged three. Work full time, minimum wage. Leave house 7am for an hour and a half commute on public transport to drop son at nursery and get to work.
Since I've been in work UC keep over paying me then sanctioning me. They Can't get my UC right as paid last Friday of every month and ass periods 28th until the 27th. THIS month they are barely helping with nursery fees and saying next month I won't get anything. On top of this repaying a £60 repayment plus £70 advance per month as had to loan childcare costs upfront.

Does your pay fluctuate ally each month?? That's the only reason I can think of. What are the sanctions for? Please ask for the breakdowns of your payments so you can see what is going on and perhaps try and predict some sort of pattern?
I am so distressed by all of this and I have been in tears. Want to work but UC getting me into debt. My council tax bill has now also gone up to £95 a month, plus travel costs I am getting into a real mess.
Have you told UC what your Council tax payments are?
I can evidence I am applying for other jobs that are closer or better paid and not paid on the last fri of every month. I cannot cope with not knowing what UC I will get and then keep being sanctioned.
If I leave my job will they sanction me and stop my UC.?
You may be yes. It is classed as leaving voluntarily and can affect your benefit/mean 13 week sanction...
I desperately need to and want to work but cannot cope with this stress anymore......I know you can't say for sure but what is he likelihood. If they stop my UC I don't have anyone to help me out......

Jazzhan- you can request telephone appointments instead of coming into the office.

@DavidBowieNumberone
I'm voluntarily making monthly repayments for overpayment of ESA & DLA. There's no formal repayment plan.
I've had to cancel December's payment and will probably need to do the same for the next 3 or 4 months.
I do not live in the UK.
What can the DWP do about me not paying for some months?

I am not certain on this but usual practice would be to deduct some from your current payments but not very much as DLA in particular is for children I'm presuming?
They cannot demand it back in one go and as you have shown willing by making payments it should be ok. I would send them a letter advising them of why you are currently unable to male these payments.

Kikipost- it's so hard to say I've seen much bigger payments. All you can do is highlight it tobstaff and keep evidence that you have done so, to cover yourself.

@feellikeanalien
OP my DP is self-employed and is currently getting WTC. How will UC be calculated? Will he have to reapply every week or do they look at the previous year's earnings? We are absolutely terrified about going on to UC especially as we have a child with SN which makes it impossible for me to get full time work.
Your DP will have to report his earnings for every assessment period and then UC payment will be calculated. It could be that depending. On his earnings your payments are wiped out some months. There shouldn't be any reapplying however, that is another area where UC is better as the claim stays open and adapts depending on circs.
Again, do you get DLA and Carers for your SN child? This would mean you are exempt from looking for work.

@jazzhan
In these circs you are within your rights to request telephone interviews, contact doesn't have to be face to face, digital can work too. I personally wouldn't ask you to come in when it causes you that level of distress and expense.

Thank you for answering @Purple. I'm sorry, I should have mentioned that I'm not receiving any benefits now as I'm living outside of the UK.
The DLA was for myself.
I had a letter ages ago asking if I could make repayments of X amount each month and I have been paying it ever since but, unfortunately, I just can't afford to now.
Can the DWP take me through the courts here (non European country) or could the police stop me at a UK airport if I'm lucky enough to be able to come back for a visit (my family offered to pay for flights)?

If the whole point of UC is to 'get people back to work' what is the point in putting people onto it that are severely disabled on PIP or like wise on Carers allowance ?

Whats your honest opinion of UC

UC isn't designed to make work pay, HJWT, it's designed to punish the poor. Hence, a minimum 5-week wait when they know damn well poor people cannot or won't have a chance to save, forcing people on UC to pay for a month's childcare upfront and then wait to be reimbursed when, again, they know these are the people least able to afford it, and not first instituting strong laws to force non-resident parents to pay to support their children.

Thanks Cat and Purple for your replies. Sorry, I had to go out.

DP has only been self-employed for a couple of years so we're hoping that his business will grow and allow us to get off tax credits.

I've never applied for any carers allowance as, although DD has an EHCP at school, she isn't physically disabled. Her SN are as a result of a neurological condition causing developmental delay.

OP, I have a PIP tribunal very soon and at the last hearing the court adjourned the appeal and gave directions for the DWP to send a presenting officer to the hearing. Do the DWP virtually always comply with this request? And if so, can the presenting officer ask me questions directly, and if so, what kind of questions would they ask me? I do have representation through a welfare rights organisation (for this hearing it will be an actual, qualified solicitor) but it's all a bit informal and I'm still waiting for them to call to talk me through it so obviously I will get advice from them but wondering if you know anything about this? It is in a few days and I am absolutely shitting myself (one of my conditions that I applied for is severe anxiety).

My disability is permanent but fluctuating, I'm currently in treatment to get to the best standard of living I can have with this disorder.

After treatment finishes I won't have any more, so will have no doctors notes or anything to give in as evidence for PIP renewals. Is it likely then they'll consider my disability better as I'm not undergoing treatment and therefore will cause issues with PIP & disability related council tax reductions?

I'm planning on going it alone in the new year so no income from a DP and terrified of how I'll make ends meet without PIP, let alone going onto UC as well.

@Jazzhan just go away now.