Universal credit managed migration thread

[ChristmasCatBells]

Anyone else waiting for a migration notice this year?
Looks like they are planning to move people on tax credits only onto universal credit this year but haven't released any detailed timetables about areas.
Thought it might be useful to share experiences and information on here for those affected.

@DorisJoy even if my income is £1400 per month? My mortgage is £840 pcm but I accept there's no help for that and I agree - UC isn't to pay my bills, it's emergency cash.
I only work 6 hrs a week for pay, as I'm on an NHS bursary (the £1400 pcm) and am a full time student/ in uni / on placement X5 days a week.
Students can't get UC, but they could get TC.

I would try. For various reasons my claim will close next autumn. I was expecting my monthly payment to drop significantly for the next 12 months and nearly did not apply, it is actually a fair bit more than tax credits. You can always close the claim but you should get some sort of transitional protection for a while and right now every bit helps with cost of living.

I just thought I'd update on my experience with tax credits stopping and choosing not to migrate to UC.
I'm self employed, single, straightforward claim, been on tax credits for 20 years or so.
I was told my migration date was 1st December.
Today I checked my bank account and saw a pending tax credits payment for tomorrow, usual weekly amount.
I tried to log in to my online tax credits account, but was locked out.
I haven't received any communication via tax credits re ending.
I phoned the tax credits hotline and was told the payment was still being made because HMRC only contacted them on 4th December to say I hadn't made the switch to UC.
I asked about overpayments and now have an overpayment for this week's payment plus a random £17 amount on my account, although the man on the helpline told me this was provisional until the award was finalised.
He said there is no way to pay back this overpayment until after my award is calculated for the whole of the current tax year, after April 2024.
Then I will receive a threateningly worded notice to repay within 30 days, or it will be passed on to a debt collection agency!
So now I have marked the end of April in my calendar incase Royal Mail lose the threatening letter and send me a debt agency one.
It seems quite a heavy handed way of dealing with things, particularly as I would prefer to pay any overpayment as soon as possible.

@BCSurvivor I think 'wait while we finalise' is inevitable because of the way Tax Credits work.

The amount of your award in 2023/4 is based in income in 2022/3. Where Tax Credits are ongoing you'd get a review shortly after the end of the 2023/4 tax year. If that showed an under or over payment then either your 2024/5 award would be adjusted or they'd recover it via debt action.

On managed migration you're told that your TC claim will end on dd/mm/yy. When it ends TC will do a review. It looks as though, based on payments you've had, there's an overpayment of perhaps 1 or 4 weeks of TC plus a mystery £17. However the review may show, on a year to date bases ending when your claim closed the actual amount due is more or less than you've received.

If that process crystallises an real overpayment then yes, you'll be asked for your proposals as to how to repay.

@Bromptotoo thank you x

@Bromptotoo
Would it always be an overpayment, or would some people get another payment at the end of the tax year? If they were receiving TC but didn't migrate to UC as they were not eligible (£50k savings or something daft).
Not relevant to me, but curious. Will the DWP take money from everyone stopping TC and not claiming UC?

I'm finding it quite stressful - I am a full time student in uni / work placement - first they sent me 2 appointments - a work coach and a commitmehts one - I asked them to change these as clashed with work placement - they changed it and cancelled one. At my appointment my adviser was very nice, but wasnt sure about quite a few things. She showed me that I have been put as "intensive job search" due to have weekly appointments, and she has to speak to her manager to see if they can override this. She said they could be phone appointments though. When I later went to accept the commitments, although she had put that I would spend 0 hours looking for work, it still said I was available for work and would take a job. I then got sent another interview appointment during my work placement hours - I said (again) that I couldn't take calls in the working hours, so they wrote back to agree to call after that but also told ne how it is very important I attend these interviews. I don't understand why I've been put down as looking for work when I declared I was a student.

You say you're a full time student. Do you qualify for UC becuase you have children or becuase you are on a joint claim with a partner?

I think this is the relevant guidance :

https://www.gov.uk/repay-manage-benefit-owed

@Bromptotoo I have children (and am a lone parent)

If you are a full time student in receipt of Student Income (ie a loan from Student Finance England) then you should not be subject to a Work Related Requirement.

How old are your children, how many hours is your work placement and are you being paid for your work>

@Bromptotoo my children are secondary school age - it's 1 full day at uni and 4 full days in placement. I get student finance rather than a salary. I thought my tax credits would cease when I stopped working and started my course, but I still qualified - then I had to migrate and it turned into a bit of a headache! Thanks for taking time to help - I appreciate your advice.

I just dont understand why I have been put as intensive job search and the lady that I had the commitments interview with has to talk to her manager to see if the weekly interviews can be overruled, even though she can put it as 0 hours looking for a job .... just seems v odd

It just sounds like a mistake and that the work coach doesn't know the regulations !

Just got the dreaded letter :( have to move over by first week March was hoping it wouldn’t happen until next year to get us to April at least :(
Has anyone not moved over by the date and do they give extra time ? We have savings over 16k so not happy .
I know we get a one year grace but we still don’t like it due to horror stories of invasion of privacy etc

@Marioplayer I left it till the last minute to claim and after spending some time filling in part of the application and getting all the information required I needed a break and realised I was going to need help unfortunately as I had left it so late I could not get an appointment with a welfare advisor for a few weeks.
I phoned the help line number and explained the situation and they gave me an 8 week extension which I was very grateful for and my tax credits are still being paid which was a bonus.

Someone on another thread requested (and got) an extra 6 weeks because they were bereaved quite suddenly and arranging a funeral.

Extensions can be given provided there are good reasons as per @Marioplayer

If you need practical help during the application and up to checking payment #1 is correct the Help to Claim service on 0800 144 8 444 (England and Wales) can provide guidance by 'phone. They can get you on a three way call with UC and support you.

Funded by DWP and delivered though Citizens Advice.

Any savings are protected for 12 months - you lose some though (per £250)⁹ I can get the figures when I am home.
I ended up cancelling mine though as my widows pension & bereavement allowance means I get nothing even though I qualified for tax credits.
Now they are saying they have over paid the tax credits.
And don't get me started on the capability for work forms for the 17 year old autistic who can't attend college, hasn't left the house in 6 months, receives full PIP - but supposedly can attend interviews & apply for jobs.......

My payment is due Tues 26th Dec and I note from gov.uk that it will be paid Fri 22nd Dec because 26th is a Bank Hol. All good.

But my account says that it will show the sum I'm entitled to on 22nd as well. Will I really not know the amount until the payment day? I’m juggling a tight budget (aren’t we all!) and it would be good to know the sum earlier.

Anyone who’s been paid early due to a Bank Hol got any advice? Thanks.

@Teado is this your first UC payment?

It is. Thank you.

If you use an on line tool like Turn2Us or EntitledTo you should be able to get a reasonable estimate.

They can't calculate the amount you will get until they know what your earnings have been in your monthly assessment period. Unless earnings are always going to be the same or no-one works, in which case you can calculate what you will get.

Hi all
Where do I start.....literally?!
We have our migration letter and we intend to make a claim before the 24 Jan deadline when TC stops
I'm just a bit stressed about doing it all as I have so many questions about how, when and what ifs.
We foetunate to have more than the 16k cut off which I know is disregarded for the 1st 12 months but, someone mentioned there is a deduction for every £250 over that. Can anyone explain that a bit further?
I have also heard about the intrusion of your accounts possibly by UC; is this correct?
I have so many more questions which I feel easier asking to people in forum like this rather than helplines. Dont ask me why, maybe I'm just a people person. Lol
Seriously though, any input would be greatly appreciated.