Universal Credit review and savings over £6,000 for private surgery

[LilyLily1999]

Hi all, I’m really stressed out at the moment and getting into a right state. I receive universal credit and currently don’t work due to mental health difficulties, I also receive pip. I’ve been trying to save money for reasons I’ll mention below and uc have now told me I need to update my details (I assume they’re going to review my account). I’ve just gone over the savings limit and I’m now really scared they’ll stop my universal credit.

I’ve always been really anxious when it comes to money as I’ve previously been in debt due to a bad relationship. Start of last year I was told I most likely have endometriosis and I’ve not been able to convince for nearly 2 years, I’m on a nhs waiting list but the wait times are very long. I was originally trying to save some money to buy myself a car as I struggle to get out the house with my anxiety/paranoia so it’d help, however after being told about the endometriosis and having fertility issues I decided I instead should save for private surgery. I desperately want surgery as I’m scared the longer I wait the worse it’ll get and I’m scared I’ll be fully infertile.

Universal credit have my old phone number and I’ve been unable to update my number as you have to do it in person and I struggle to get out the house. They sent me an email two weeks ago about a note in my journal, I can’t login due to no longer having my old number so I had to call them to see what it was about. I had another email today, called them again and have been told my account needs updating and as I didn’t reply to the message on my journal they’ve suspended my payments. I’m waiting for someone to contact me in a few days to talk about my account details etc but I’m terrified they’ll stop my uc due to the savings I have. I had 7.5k saved but after bills etc I now currently have 6.6k so I’m just over the limit, as mentioned I’m trying to save for private surgery, my partner told me that I can save on uc but after now researching it seems you have to declare anything over 6k and I’m over that amount.

I’m beyond anxious and panicking that they’ll take my savings or completely stop my payments, obviously I was using some money to save but a lot of it was for basic things in life and I wouldn’t get by without it. I’m dreading the person phoning me and I know I’m going to be a mess when they’re talking to me, I really wanted to save for my surgery as not being able to conceive is killing me but I don’t know what will happen now.

The capital limit is £16k

Your UC will be reduced by a small amount, not stopped But, you need to get your number updated as a priority.

As above. Have you had any conversations with the nhs about the surgery to see how long it would be? Or has it confirmed that it’s preventing implantation and there isn’t another issue? Also be aware that endometriosis often needs repeat surgeries.

and, preparing to be flamed, but have you considered how you’re going to raise a child if you’re unable to work, leave the house, and rely on UC? That sounds impossible to manage.

@Lifejigsaw It’s a common sense kinda question 😬

Tbh you need to invest time and effort into sorting your mental health out and getting back into work or study rather than focusing on conceiving. You'd be no good to a kid by being stuck inside currently and no stable job or mat leave etc

Could you transfer some money to a trusted person to hold it for you or out into cash so you're under the savings limit again? Otherwise your UC may go down but not completely and totally.

Do you have your license then? You should be able to afford a car ASAP that'll bring your savings down again and it gets you out and about.

@Lifejigsaw Frustratingly when I try to contact my hospitals waiting list number it goes to voicemail and says it’s full so I can’t even leave a message, been like that for months, I’m completely left in the dark about when it’ll be. Don’t want to get too into this topic but I managed to conceive before however had an abortion as I wasn’t ready at the time and ever since I’ve been having endo symptoms and struggling to conceive again so it appears the abortion triggered my endo. I understand multiple surgeries would be needed but it’s my only hope to concieve so I’ll do whatever it takes.

I appreciate your comment and I was expecting someone to mention this. I can get out the house by myself but it’s a real struggle which can often trigger panic attacks so preferably I go out with somebody with me. I also don’t work but my partner wants me to be a typical housewife while he’s the one working I also help him with one of his businesses he has from home sometimes by taking pictures of items and packaging items(don’t get paid). Many people with bad anxiety/who don’t work have children and it may a little spanner in the works at times but it’s definitely do able.

@Keroppi Thanks for the honesty, I really appreciate as my mum also says to me the exact same thing about how I need to work on myself.

I could give my partner my savings but I know he’ll spend it on buisness purposes…when I eventually want the money back he’ll give it to me but it’ll take a while for him to gather the amount back so I’d rather not do that. I believe uc will ask to see my bank statements so there’s no point in me taking any money out now as they’ll see I’ve done it or should I do that🤔.

Yes, have my license and was previously driving but due to the debt I got into in my previous bad relationship I had to sell the car. Having a car would definitely get me out more and help a lot with my anxiousness.

Everything about this post is so wrong 🤦‍♀️

I just want to reassure you that an abortion can’t trigger endometriosis. It progresses with age. And multiple surgeries are rarely needed. My friend was told 18 month wait for a laparoscopy but it turned out to be 7 months. Can you go back to your GP and ask them about how you can find out about the wait times?

Have you mentioned you have a partner to them? If he earns so well, you may not be entitled to UC anyway 🧐

(I work with someone who earns 36k, has a child and her partner doesn’t work and he can’t get UC as they live together based off her earnings)

Absolutely nails it. It’s all about how to squeeze as much as possible out of muggins the taxpayer.

Why? OP is saying that she doesn’t want the endo to worsen. Having the surgery doesn’t necessarily mean she wants to have a kid right away. But it would be very helpful if she has the surgery so that the endo isn’t progressing while she works on herself, n’est-ce pas?

I hardly think that’s fair. OP has mental-health issues. That’s what benefits are for - to help the vulnerable.

OP has been TTC for 2 years.

You can log in using a code sent to your email you dont need your phone number

@SlightlyTerrifiedButPolite Thank you for the reassurance! I believe I’ve had endometriosis for a long time but it went undetected and didn’t cause any issues…as mentioned straight after my abortion that’s when it all started and obviously abortions can be traumatic for the body (I needed 2 as the first didn’t work) but literally a month after that’s when the endo symptoms started. I’ve put two and two together and it really does look like the abortion triggered my endo, dosent make much sense to me otherwise but I guess I’ll never really know. I’m really hoping surgery will be soon, I did try to contact my gp but they’ve said I have to talk to the hospital which is no use.

Op I get it, my anxiety was so bad at one point I couldn’t leave the house, even to go down the drive! Now, with medicine and therapy and time I live a near normal life. However, I wouldn’t call your level of anxiety - such that couldn’t go sort out an issue with your phone number that was linked to your income source - manageable. Children are anxiety inducing, and need to be out on the world as they grow.

what fertility tests have you had? Your gp will arrange those after two years of trying. and your gp will be able to help with the voicemail issue, as would the hospital switchboard. Keep trying.

please PLEASE do not become a housewife without being married if you do have kids. You would be completely screwed if your partner upped and left. Especially if you are contributing to the business.

@morgan56
I don’t currently live with my partner so I’m not living off his money and have to pay bills etc with my own money. Id only need to tell uc if we lived together.

So
you can’t get out the house
you’re thinking of a baby
with a man you can’t trust with money

I think this is the least of your problems op

And sorry one more thing - you say you’ve been told you most likely have endometriosis and waiting for surgery, but there are a lot of steps in between - blood tests, scans and medication . Have you not been advised on any of this? Are you still waiting for a diagnosis?

The £6k youve saved for multiple endo surgeries is not going to be anywhere near enough. You would be better using that getting yourself some private mental health support.

Not necessarily. I didn’t have any medication except pain relief while I waited for surgery. One ultrasound which gave me the diagnosis, one MRI then straight to surgery. Still waited over 18 months

You don’t live with him but you’ve been trying to conceive with him for two years?

I work in this area. Uc is tapered for £6-16k savings. No entitlement after this. If you used capital for surgery, a decision maker would need to decide if this was reasonable expenditure. They could make a deprivation of capital decision and your UC would be calculated as if you still had it.
How are you actually going to afford a child if you're already on a low income

Wow I had no idea! Sorry for mis info, I thought hormonal treatment was always tried first

What sort of life can you give to a child? I genuinely don’t get it. If you have such poor mental health that you can’t work or leave the house, it would be cruel and cause lifelong damage to the child. Will your partner do all the parenting?