Very anxious about upcoming UC review - anyone have any knowledge?

[Pumpkinpastie]

We have our UC review phone calls on Friday (separately as we have different accounts) and the last day of our assessment period is also the day my partner gets his wages. So occasionally our overall balance goes very slightly over £6k on last day of assessment period, because of his wage, but then reduces back down again very quickly once bills, mortgage and other living costs come out.

Is this going to negatively impact us?

Thanks in advance, really stressing about this

Just wondering if anyone knows anuth My about the ‘rules’
. I’ve got a feeling the wages and benefits don’t become capital until the following assessment period they were received in. But I’m not 100% sure.

We had ours a few months ago, they queried certain transactions on the bank accounts, ie if we'd paid in any amounts of cash. They then put a note in the journal and asked for our bank balances at the end of the assessment period to calculate our capital.

You get UC when you have over 6k coming in each month?! That can't be right?

That's not what the OP said. The balance sometimes (i.e. not always) goes over the £6k.

I would take that to mean that they have a buffer in the account, and when wages are paid in (e.g. £3k) then the buffer plus wages go over the £6k. The buffer might be there for months at a time and might fluctuate depending if the car needs work or if the the boiler broke etc.

Still..

We don't get UC and we don't have any "buffer" or savings for when the boiler breaks. We just have to hope the boiler doesn't break! Surely UC shouldn't be to support people who have enough money to live on plus enough to save for emergencies each month? Or am I missing something?

Yes that’s correct. My DP is on a low wage - gets less than £2k a month. When his income comes in it briefly pushes us over the £6k then goes back down again.
We have a buffer of a couple of grand because we have a mortgage, we don’t receive any housing help so we like to have a back-up in case we end up being unable to pay mortgage/bills. I receive UC and PIP too.

I know these reviews are necessary but they feel so intrusive.

@BudgetBuster we are allowed up to £6k in savings on UC, you can have up to £16k actually but they deduct some each month I believe.

Would it help if for the future you put your buffer in a savings account? Just so they can see what's savings and what's regular income?

I had to take out a loan to fund some home improvements (essentials such as damp, roof and improving security, not a designer kitchen). It was classed as capital from the moment it hit my account and I had to allocate some to living costs as my UC was reduced. They also wanted receipts to show what I'd spent the money on. All above board so no problems as such but it is very intrusive and there could have been a grace period with the loan given what it was for. I will now wait to be told I don't deserve universal credit if I can arrange my own home repairs.

Yes. Any benefits and earned income don't count towards capital until the end of the next assessment period.

Try not to worry. These reviews are very standard and happen to everyone at some point.

The review will want to know things. Because you have money from the taxpayer.
You cannot get money and have no questions asked.

For perspective OP I wish I had had a £2K buffer in my bank account when I was younger. £4 after I got paid one month. I lived on my overdraft pretty much.
Claimed not a bean and would not have been able to then.
So don’t feel too badly about questions asked.

Benefit claimants and "the taxpayer" are not mutually exclusive groups.

Earnings and other relevant income become capital if unspent by the end of the assessment period after the one in which they are received. So you should be fine.

Ignore other posters. It's fine for people to disagree with the benefit rules but not ok to argue them with individuals who are claiming benefits within the rules.

You say 'intrusive', I would say 'thorough' (hopefully). Just remember this is taxpayers money you are receiving, therefore DWP have a duty to review your circumstances thoroughly.

Not a popular opinion on Mumsnet, but I believe the whole benefit system needs reform - when you get to the stage where people are achieving a better income than some middle income earners, something needs to change. Personally I would like to see the income tax personal allowance increased for everyone in order to make work pay.

Make the most of it and count yourself very fortunate that you get help, many working people scrape by. At some point things will have to change - the country can't afford it.

Over a third of UC claimants are working people who are scraping by.

@anneblythe That percentage appears correct, but as to how many are 'scraping by' remains subjective and unproven.

Exactly. Her partner works and maybe she does too. Or if she can't it's because she's not well enough. You can just tell these seething benefits bashers are never far away on here...

Exactly. Here we go with another benefit bashing thread because the OP has the audacity to have savings while on UC.

I personally receive UC and could actually have a take home wage of over £5.5k a month before the UC would stop completely. So many people would actually be entitled to UC if they checked (and put the info into online calculators correctly). But they either don't bother or just assume they aren't because they are "just over the salary threshold". Which doesn't actually exist.

For those who like to pigeon hole. I am not a benefit basher. Whatever that is.
I simply was pointing out that there will be questions because she does get money from the taxpayer. You don’t get it without questions being asked.
Nothing to do with judgements about her situation. Just explaining why the questions happen.

Many working people scrape by

The whole point of the OPs question stems from her partners wages being paid in on the day of the assessment. So clearly at least one (if not both) are working people.

If other working people scrape by and are not entitled to UC, then they earn more than the OPs family.

Yes, it is taxpayers money. You could almost see it as a refund of the tax paid by the OPs partner (and potentially the OP) on the taxes they pay!

Ignore the posters who seem to think you should be stood with your cap in hand, tugging your forelock and making grovelling thanks to your betters for their gift of income tax.

As a PP said, benefit claimants and taxpayer's are not mutually exclusive groups.

It is intrusive OP but, clearly from your posts, you understand the necessity. You've done nothing wrong so they're not going to find anything wrong, try not to stress about it. I often had a buffer of £3000-£4000 in my account because I was student and got three installments of maintenance loan across the year. I would keep these in my account as a lump sum and then pay myself a monthly allowance (basically divided each installment into four equal amounts). DH's wage would bump us over the £6k threshold some months (usually the first two months after my loan installment being paid to me) and it was absolutely fine with DWP as a, I could explain how/why and b, we'd be back under the threshold as soon as that months direct debits came out.

'I can't be a benefits basher because I don't even know what one is'?!

It's people who think 'the taxpayer' and 'benefits claimants' are two completely separate homogenous masses of individuals that never overlap.

OP is the taxpayer and is taking money from herself.

By that assessment of meaning, I can assure you I am not a benefits basher.

Ok that's good. I'm glad to hear it. Though referring to 'the taxpayer' while speaking of UC implies people in receipt of benefits do not contribute to the tax system.