Universal Credit backpayment

[Lougle]

Could someone help me with Universal Credit, please? We already get UC, so DH's income is already deducted from our award before payment, so no further deductions should be made.

I applied for DLA for DD3 on 17/11/2023. I received a notification on 20/03/2024 that she has been awarded DLA at the Middle Rate Care (and LRM, but irrelevant). I immediately informed UC.

I got a letter on 24/04/2024 to say that they had considered my 'late notification' and on this occasion they would accept the lateness as a special circumstance.

On 13/05/2024 I received a letter saying that they have decided that from the period 08/11/2023-07/12/2024 (the assessment period in which I made the claim for DLA), I have been underpaid £310.58. There is no mention of other claim periods, or other underpayment amounts.

My payment statements show that there is no amount for the disabled child element on the statements for November, December, January, February, or March. The disability element gets added in April 2024.

So wouldn't I be entitled to 146.31 for 5 months, totalling a back payment of £731.55? Even if they decided to do a daily calculation for the month of November, it would be £585.24 + 13/30*£146.31 = £648.64.

I have queried it and they've replied that there are no further underpayments. Does this seem incorrect to you, and what can I do about it, as they are saying the letter I received was correct.

UC has misunderstood you. £310.58 was the monthly difference between the disabled child element and severely disabled child element last financial year. I would try explaining again, but if that doesn’t work you may need to request a mandatory reconsideration.

Thank you! I'll write another note in my journal and hope they rectify it without a mandatory consideration.

It's hard to understand how they could have misunderstood, because I just clicked the buttons and uploaded the DWP decision letter. Strange.

Also request the carer element is added to
your claim.

Thanks, but we already have that one, at least.

No worries. They don’t tell you about theses things at all!!

You have to write a message in your journal specifically asking to be back payed otherwise they wont xx

OP must have already requested it is backdated otherwise she wouldn’t have received a letter about an AP last year.

Yes, I contacted it to request a back date. They did the wrong thing . I queried it(thanks to
@BrumToTheRescue for working out what was happening), they told me it was all ok. So I've told them there's a mistake. Then they've asked me to redeclare the change, which I've done. Now I'm waiting for someone to look at it.

With UC giving you the difference between the disabled children’s and severely disabled children’s elements, are you receiving the right elements for other DDs? I am wondering if you are not getting the right element for one of them and UC have confused themselves (doesn’t take much) and amended one of other DDs’ amounts.

No, that's the weird thing. They have got the disabled child elements right since March. It's just the back payment they've mucked up.

ho long does it take for uc to back pay

@Jessyjay11 it is a case of how long is a piece of string. There’s no set time frame.

even when Iv had the decision letter

Yes

Bringing this back up...I'm absolutely baffled. I was asked to redeclare the change, which I did. Then I was told that the change didn't match their records, because they'd somehow applied it to DD2, so the date of her PIP award didn't match the date that I'd given, because the date that I had given related to DD3's DLA award. I then spoke to the helpline, who couldn't help me because they don't deal with that sort of thing, and I was advised to request a phone call, which I did on 07/06/24.

Yesterday, I got a message to say that 'it's being looked into'. This is the third 'looking into' that they've done, and each time they've got it wrong.

As it is a month tomorrow since the decision letter, I've added a letter to my journal, formally requesting Mandatory Reconsideration, and have listed all the events in sequence.

Is there anything else I can or should do?

Write in your journal that if it’s not looked at by xxx date you’d like it looked at by a senior case manager. Usually I’d say mention your MP, but parliament is dissolved. Maybe blanket post the same message under every entry category (payments, a change, job centre coach etc).
I help people with claims ( no qualifications just very clued up) and that is the most extreme suggestion I ever give. Also, putting things like “sorry to bother you” and “Many thanks in advance” (not saying you wouldn’t btw) helps.
A lot of people, especially when in desperate situations become frustrated when posting, through no fault of their own. At the same time there seems to be a serious lack of training on their side…. But they are only doing their jobs. Acting like, even if you don’t, understand their “pressure” helps. I have a few friends who work there and they struggle getting through to UC case managers themselves… anyway I digress. Try what I’ve said and feel free to message me if it doesn’t work. All the best.

@Iloveburgerswaymorethanishould hi thanks so much for your advice and information. They still haven’t even replied from Tuesday last week. Could you also help me out do you know about sick pay xxxx

@Jessyjay11 what do you need to know x

@Iloveburgerswaymorethanishould r u online this evening x

I was but only just seen this… i will be on tonight if that helps.