To rant about universal credit

[rollingonariver]

Universal credit have fucking let us down again.
We only claim childcare but the whole process is ridiculous. You have to call them every time you make a childcare payment (even though we pay the same amount, on the same day each week). it's at least 45 mins on hold to get through and I have a boisterous toddler to look after!

You then send them 'receipts' every now and then but when you call them they can't give you a straight answer about 1. What those 'receipts' are and 2. How often I need to send them. We also can't send them receipts by email and we live in the middle of nowhere and don't drive, so I have to find a postbox - a harder task than people realise.

We get paid the same amount each month and pay the same amount of childcare and yet this month they've decided to only pay us £100, we have bills that come out today and they've fucked us. It's not the first time either.
I'm so. So. Stressed and upset. We don't need this. It's so fucking depressing they can't get their shit together and just pay us what we need to survive. Fuck.

Do you not have an online account/journal?

I report my childcare on there and since the introduced being able to upload proof of childcare cost/payment I've found d it even easier than before.

If you think they've worked your payment out wrong ask them to reassess it

National Audit Office Both we, and the Department, doubt it will ever be possible for the Department to measure whether the economic goal of increasing employment has been achieved. This, the extended timescales and the cost of running Universal Credit compared to the benefits it replaces cause us to conclude that the project is not value for money now, and that its future value for money is unproven.

I volunteer for cab and think universal credit is horrendous. It can work, the trouble is that when there are delays or problems it can be very hard to get corrected. We are full service and that can help, but only if you are computer literate and have funds for the internet/fare to regularly be at a library to get on a computer.

www.thecanary.co/trending/2018/06/22/the-dwps-esther-mcvey-is-blasted-for-giving-incorrect-statements-to-parliament/

No @amy85 ! It's so frustrating we have to call them constantly and as I said the people on the phone don't even get proper training - they're always polite and it's not their fault id imagine they're pretty frustrated too. I'm in an area where we'll get the online account in October, some people will have to wait until 2019! It's a shambles it really is.
@ChickenOrEgg6 it's a shame it's meant to help people get back on their feet and it feels like they're fighting you instead of helping you. I'm so sorry it's been so shit for you.

I feel your pain. Not on universal credit but the dwp have decided that my ds2 isn't disabled anymore. Ds2 didn't get that memo so we are really struggling to meet his needs without his dla. Financially we would be better off with neither me or dh working but we try and do the right thing and dh works while I am a sahm/carer

This is so horrifying OP. HMRC buggered up tax credits at renewal for me - and I’ve veen struggling since/ in spite of assurances it’s beung dealt with. Dreading UC ...