Urgent advice needed re universal credit please??

[Inbedbynine]

So Iv handed my notice in and next Wednesday is my last day. I’m on WTC etc and get dla and carers allowance due to having a disabled son hence why Iv had to stop work.

Should I apply today (last full pay slip was yesterday) or should I wait until I wait until 29th June when Iv had. My last, albeit small pay slip?

Thanks for asking! Yes it was fine. The lady said that the tax credit payment I’m due tomorrow will be deducted off my first payment but on a Forum I was told that it isn’t the case and it would go to sect management to recover.... so I’m about worried about that. I don’t know wether to get an advance or not. I don’t want to, if uc deduct my first payment for the tax credit I won’t need one but if they don’t then I do need one probably..... pain in the arse!

I don't think overpayments can be recovered all in one go; AFAIK they can only deduct 15-25% of your standard allowance (i.e. not the whole UC award, as you will also get housing allowance and extra elements due to your family's circumstances).

At risk of sounding like a broken record I do recommend that you get an advance payment for peace of mind. But you could always wait and see what your tax credits payment is tomorrow before deciding. You should still get HB next week because of the two week "run on". And you've got a bit of savings to tide you over too.

I only have savings for my rent, not my direct debits.

Would they not take it in one go if I ask them too? Hate to start off in debt to them just want a clean slate!

It would be madness to pay off any overpayments in full immediately, leave yourself with no buffer and find yourself having to use credit cards which have high interest rates. You can pay off overpayments in affordable instalments and there is no interest charged. Same with an advance payment if you get one. I know you are very anxious about owing any money at all but it would relieve the pressure during the transition from "legacy benefits" to UC. As we've already discussed you are dealing with uncertainty for a little while (while you wait for your UC to be calculated and for payments to start) so in this scenario you just need to hold tight and pay your essential bills until it's all worked out. It won't take too long (although it might feel like it!)

If it's any consolation, under UC you are much less likely to get overpayments than under the tax credits system, so you shouldn't have this worry again.

I just don’t want reduced payments for say a year or Whatever due to tax credits not stopping my payment when I told them I’d applied for uc. Iv managed to move some direct debits off the 1st July to 7th but my 2 biggest ones won’t change!

I do t know what to do about housing Ben either.... no idea how long it take uc to tell them... payment due next Thursday but they will suspend my account and payment... whilst they look into it.... if I get 2weeks and I put my xka in last Thursday then am I due money up until next Thursday?

Sorry if I’m duplicating, had such a bad week and this isn’t helping!

Sorry you've had a bad week
Am I right in thinking it was your last day at work yesterday? At least that's done, if so!

"if I get 2weeks and I put my xka in last Thursday then am I due money up until next Thursday?"
Yes that's exactly it.

IIRC the person you spoke to at the council said that if you wait until tomorrow (Friday) to tell them about your UC claim then the payment will still go through next week... they have already received a notification from UC but might not... I think you have two options, just wait and see what happens, or call the council tomorrow and tell them you claimed UC and have stopped working, and you are expecting the 2 week run on. From what I can tell I expect you'd prefer the second option?

they may have

The council were quite helpful last time I spoke to them, so yes will call tomorrow thanks.

Yes today is officially my first day unemployed (don’t know wether to laugh or cry about that). If HB goes through I will be fine. It’s owing tX credits that’s my main concern. I just want to give the payment I have today back!!

Don't give it back you silly sausage
And you're not unemployed, you're a full time carer now.
On that note have you ever contacted Carers Trust? Ever had a carers assessment?

But it’s not my money!! They telling me I shouldn’t be getting it but they couldn’t stop the payment!

No Iv never heard of them? What would I be assessed for?

Well you are entitled to tax credits up until the date you claimed Universal Credit. So most (or at least some) of it is your money! Plus due to the way tax credits are calculated (based on tax years) there is a chance you might have been underpaid and they owe you some money rather than the other way around! So you just need to wait for the final calculation to see if you owe anything and if so how much.

The Carers Trust is a charity that supports carers and a carers assessment is when someone talks to you about whether you need any support or respite.

There's also Contact a Family for families with disabled children: contact.org.uk/

That’s what I thought about the money but when I called them they were adamant that I’m not owed that payment and it isn’t in arrears!

Thanks will have a look. A few years back when dc was trying to kill him self I didn’t qualify for any respite so unlikely I would now! can’t remember who that was through, possibly the council... I’ll have a look though thanks.

Oh dear that sounds tough

Yes hence my worries about stopping work and worrying about money situation right now but it’s the best thing to do for now. Onwards and upwards and all that.

Definitely 👍

About tax credits:
"Normally payments are made in arrears; however, due to the IT system some claimants who are on four-weekly payments may receive part of their payment in advance and part in arrears depending on where in the payment cycle they fall."
revenuebenefits.org.uk/tax-credits/guidance/how-do-tax-credits-work/payments/

Well that doesn’t help anyone does it I’m 4 weekly so who knows! I will try calling tomorrow again when I call HB to try to speak to someone else to try to get an answer!

Thanks for taking the time to get the link.

@anotherEmma Spoke to the model office after ringing tax credit and what a waste of shit load of time!! They said I’m not due to the payment yesterday and I will owe them but they can’t tell me how much! They have to issue a form in the post (I won’t get this before 20th June) and then I have to tell them what I earned between 6th April and 29th May. I could tell him there and then!!!!! He wouldn’t take the information as the form hadn’t been issued! And THEN he says it will take up to 4 weeks to process it! He did confirm it will be taken off UC and not tax credits which at least I got that out of them! I can’t believe how this works!