Good evening, everyone, it has been a good few years since I have posted so I hope everyone is well. I have had great help from this forum in the past and I am hoping you can help/advise me once again. I will TRY and be concise and as brief as I can. After a period working full time, I had a breakdown at work due to a family bereavement, financial problems and a relationship breakdown. At first work were supportive but things got bad and I ended up having a full-blown breakdown at work. I decided at this point that my health was more important and resigned due to the pressure being too much even with modifications to my role being made. Since then (May 2023) I have claimed Universal Credit (ESA element) including housing costs. I received my WCA questionnaire and completed it and had my WCA mid July 2023 (6 months ago) and have still heard nothing – is this normal? I know I will almost certainly not have enough points so am reluctant to call and ‘remind them’ could it have been lost and I will eventually need to have another WCA when they see I have not been processed properly? In addition to this I have been getting periodic 3-month fit notes from my GP for clinical depression, anxiety and OCD. Although the DWP UC accept these my ‘work coach’ who I see every 3 months whilst on fit notes has referred me to the RESTART programme who, after investigating, seem to be like an organisation I had horrors with many moons ago, being INGEUS. My question is, can a WCA outcome ‘trump’ a fit note from GP and when I have my first appointment with RESTART (tomorrow) and outline my limitations and illnesses and having a fit note can I be mandated to search for work with a current fit note? My so-called work coach has also mentioned they will put me on CV courses, interview skills etc, all capabilities I have from past roles where I am proficient but not at the moment. Although I am mandated, I find this a tick box exercise but I guess to keep my benefits I have to play along. Whilst I want to eventually work again, I think a tailored return would be best so can I say because of conditions I find it difficult to travel long distances and only want to work part time? I guess this is what I discuss when formulating a plan with RESTART? Also, and I apologise for the long post, WHEN the WCA does come back and I inevitably fail am I entitled to appeal this via a mandatory reconsideration and whilst this is ongoing will I still receive my UC payments? With my anxiety at an all time high this is starting to stress me out so some advice would REALLY be helpful. Thank you

Ah so my earnings pw fall in to that category, that is good news So basically all I need to do is report the changes (weekly or monthly?) and the company do the rest? UC will fluctuate based on assessment period as I expected but at the end of the day I will be better off so all good. Lesson for myself - once started, report changes as and when they happen and let the rest take care of itself!

unclebulgaria67 This is a great help and thank you for replying. Indeed as you say it would be strange for the government to encourage work and not help with contributions and I will check this. I actually just done an Entitled To calculation and it came to £121.48 UC but it may have taken in to consideration 5 week months - whatever it is I will be around £150.00pm (at least) better off so more than happy with that from a mental stability and financial point of view. Would I report the changes weekly after each pay day or monthly? For example if UC was calculated for me on 5th of each month and I am paid 4th that could be a big impact and if reported on 5th or 6th I would be 'better off' Would I be better reporting say £597.60 as a monthly total? After reporting good news about not doing anything else as you say the employer will report to HMRC direct Sounds positive

Hi all it has been a very long time since I posted here so with this I will try and be brief. Currently on UC which oays my shared room rate and basic allowance which comes to £534.49 per month. I have an opportunity to work part time 9 hours each day 2 days a week at £8.30ph getting paid weekly so 18 x £8.30 = £149.40pw and over 4 weeks around £597.60pm which is more than I get on UC. The job is a 10 min walk from home so I do not have to contend with fares either. I understand UC will take £0.63 from my allowance for every £1 I earn so in effect I will get £0.37 UC frfom my current rate? If I have done my maths correctly my UC should be around £197.91pm which I know can fluctuate due to being 5 week months etc. Also, if I work more because I was asked to or less sue to sickness or a holiday like Xmas Day being a day I would normally work I guess my UC will be worked out based on this so I do not lose out? Can I also ask what hapoens with regards to my 'stamps'/NI being paid as I won't be liable for tax either due to not earning enough. Presumably as I will be paid weekly I declare this on my UC account but should I do this weekly or at the end of the month? My statement date for UC is 5th of month and payment date 11th of month Thank you

Good to hear you got it sorted. Also, I am with you, of courseit was done on purpose in the hope people would not fight it or take it further. Just another sorry twist from the Nasty Party in belittling people who are most in need and are eligible for certain benefits/help. Their hope is say 10,000 were affected, only a small % would take it further and thus saving the DWP money - the DWP are a nasty piece of work make no mistake. It is not the minions it is the policy makers and those in charge. Slightly changing the subject - when my work coach (lol @ work coach) said I should apply to be a work coach I simply said "I couldn't do it, although I do not make the rules, being part of the system I would hate to put people through what many are going through and have to enforce dictatorship rules and policies" Anyway, off on a tangent, good you got it sorted and I hope anyone else in the same situation follows your lead.

Thank you to the site team for deleting the reply from yet another troll. I saw it last night and simply ignored it. I seem to attract them these days. I know I sometimes go off on a tangent and that is through sheer frustration so please let me know if I need to tone down my posts. I guess as this has not been deleted/altered it is ok. I do find this a great site to vent as well as get valuable advice - it is just a shame, I guess like most sites, with people who can remain anonymous and hide behind keyboards they can get away with saying what they want provoking a reaction. Keep up the good work guys and gals! P.S What is this I now have under my user name "I record my calls.Do you?"

Yep, all par for the course I am afraid, especially under the juristiction of the nasty party. No one, and I mean NO ONE will get through a WCA unless you are literally at deaths door these days. Yep, the assessors reports will be full of lies, mine was as well as are most people's. Still, the assessor and oik at DWP know you and your condition(s) better than your GP and health professionals so console yourself in the fact that you should be happy that you are FIT FOR WORK like many others suffering. Apologies for the sarcasm, it just makes me sick.

I need to be brutally honest and I am not a troll as I have been/am in the same situation. I was on ESA and called for a WCA based on my anxiety/depression/mental state. Needless to say I scored ZERO and shoved on to UC even though my GP says I am not fit for work. Just console yourself that some practitioner who does not know you and some oik at the DWP knows you better than your GP and can say you are FIT FOR WORK. Unless you are a danger to yourself, have loads of evidence from a mental health team etc you WILL NOT keep ESA after the WCA. Sorry to be so brutal about it but it is best not to worry about the WCA, you WILL NOT pass it and keep ESA just on depression and seeing your GP as I was in the same position. Hardly anyone passes the WCA so you are not alone. Simply it is the nasty party and DWP setting you up to fail and make you iller than you already are ... As I said, I am not being nasty just truthful based on my own experience and the experience of many others. You will be shoved on to UC. I know you did not want to hear/read this but it is best to know what is goingto happen than over worry about it.

That's right, our lovely DWP and JCP who want you to get back in to employment but when it comes to the crunch are unwilling to help you when you need a little bit of help and this set you up to FAIL! As you know I am on UC, I lost £95.00pm when moved from ESA and HB so am struggling. I have been applying for work but getting nowhere my work coach (work coach LOL) says to me "try registering with agencies and seeing if they can help" ... OK, I email a few agencies and I geta reply from Hays and speak with them on the phone about my work history and background etc. They tell me that they may have a few openings and would like to meet me - fine, train fare to town return is £9.40. As I am on UC almost £10 means a lot of food shopping and it is an amount that I can hardly 'lose' at the moment given my financial circumstances. I email my 'work coach' and say I have arranged an appt with the agency and I would like to claim my fare back. Guess what? DWP WON'T PAY IT as it is not an actual interview just registration. So I say "if I want interviews I need to register so I am on their books" - the answer (like a robot) "No we cannot pay your fare" Fine, end of story, appointment cancelled - you want to know why I have not been doing as you say and seeing agencies? BECAUSE YOU (DWP) ARE NOT HELPING ME AT ALL WHEN I AM TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE FINDING WORK!!!! What part of I am on UC and struggle with rent/food do you not understand? Want me back in work and off UC then HELP ME WITH A LOUSY TRAIN FARE! Angry? Yeah, expected this? Yeah ... DWP ... no help at all, just keep cutting peoples money and offering no help at all. Pathetic.

You have it 100% spot on my friend. From the age of 13 I was working - I am 43 now in those 30 years I have been out of work (through no fault of my own) 3 years. In that time whilst employed in what I call proper jobs in the city working full time, pension, bonuses etc I dread to think what I have paid in to the system. I then get ill and claim ESA and am then chucked off of it for daring to be ill. I then lose £102pm in benefit income which is MY MONEY from my payments in to the system, not THEIR money and now my depression and anxiety is WORSE. Even my GP says I am too unwell to travel to work and do a full day but that is OK I should do any job to help with my UC - yeah, great. I have no social life now, I just about get through the month. Luckily my parents have contributed to food and bills to help me get through this but why should they have to? I have actively seen claimants bullied at the JCP, luckily I can stand up for myself but others less fortunate cannot. One claimant on a desk a few meters away from me was threatened with a sanction because he was 10 mins late for an appointment because he dared to help an old lady who fell over in the street and call ambulance for her. Some WCs are OK and just want you in and out, others get a kick out of manipulation and bullying. I hope some of them end up on UC and suffer!

Just catching up on this. Yes, I made sure I claimed 'off cycle' They of course did not offer it but I knew my rights about only paying to comein fortnightly. You want me in weekly? Pay for it! As my WC is part time I am not back now until January 3rd. I have heard how they speak to some claimants there - it is disgusting, luckily they cannot do that with me as I throw the book at them with legislation and rights. Basically (so far so good if good is the right word for being on this awful benefit) I am left alone - hopefully it stays that way. Why should I complain anyway? I have £62 to last me until January 11th. Oh well, more money off the credit card that won't be paid anyway within a few months. Bad credit score? Got one already and will never need a mortgage anyway so no harm done! Yes I know I sound like a baby and really angry - I never used to be, it is the DWP that had made me like this

What you do with your payment is up to you. Of course you should pay your rent in you get a housing element and any other bills. What you spend your money on (and it is your money if you have a history of paying in to the system) should be nothing to do with them. If I can I occassionally treat myself to a McDonald's or something off Ebay - SO WHAT? When I claimed UC I wasn't evenasked for bank statements - just ID etc. Let them look, it is more about seeing if you have large incomes coming in to ensure the benefit is eligible for you.

My Work Coach on UC (work coach, LOL) is part time 3 days a week. I go to see her and sit down, say what I have been doing (a few real applications and cover the rest of the time in one click apply applications) but she is not interested anyway - she is a pussycat (so far and I hope it stays that way) - I am in and out in 5 minutes - fact is, most cannot be bothered to adminster the 35 hour rule and have no way of checking. Just tow the line, show you are doing something and job done. From experience to date (been on UC 7 weeks and to the job centre every week since claiming as you have to go weekly for the first 13 weeks of the claim) they know very little about UC and my WC even told me once a month to see me would be good enough but the rules are in place to see me week UC in principle should work, in reality it is a farce

Sounds familiar - they (the DWP) simply do not care at all. I have not had ONE PENNY for 6 weeks and am now in debt to the tune of £382 to my Father and £500 to a credit card (SO FAR) Basically the DWP are killing people and making them homeless and that is a fact

First of all, I genuinely feel for you - this whole regime is nothing short of a disgrace and verging on a dictatorship set up to make you feel worse than you do already and make you feel like you have nowhere to turn. I myself was chucked off ESA amd on to UC - I am now £102.57pm worse off than I was, have not had ONE PENNY since October 30th and won't get a penny until December 11th. My ESA report arrived and I went through it properly and it had 16 pieces of transcript in it that were not discussed or assessed or blatant lies. They get away with it because they can and no one has taken this government to task about it because people have not got the strength to do so and they know this. To date I have had 9 brown envelopes all contradicting each other from HMRC, DWP and UC and I am totally confused. I think I have been on the phone to various people around 4 hours these last few days and still nowhere near sorting it. The answer is, appeal if the law says they are wrong but personally I had no fight left as I was getting iller by the day and on the verge of a full breakdown. My GP saw me and said my BP and pulse was up - 160/100 and 110 and I was not well so he offered to sign me off. I said no point as I was kicked off ESA and found fit for work. Best of luck

I have no savings! Anyway, I called UC again, they said still nothing on system - I was told they can legally take 15% of the base element as overpayment so this would be around £47.67pm putting me right in the sh*t to be honest and this would be for around 26 months. This stress is not good for me - having lost around £100pm anyway they now want to take another £47 from me - when will it end? I simply cannot survive like this! Anyway, I cannot over worry yet as nothng has happened but a member of the family is so worried about me that they said they would help me and pay it off for me and I can pay them back a nominal amount each month. Can I, once I get the letter about overpayment deductions, offer to pay the overpayment off in FULL and request my UC payments go back to the normal rate? I do not, nor does the person helping me, want me to owe anything to the HMRC or DWP. I just want this done with. If the HMRC would have givenme time to respond rather than automatically passing details to DWP this would have been easier but no, they sent this to DWP straight away without so much as giving me a chance to discuss a repayment plan or offer to pay the whole amount this making it even more difficult. If I do pay in full do I pay on line to DWP and if so how do I get proof of a £0.00 amount owing?

Sorry for another thread but I really am in a bit of a mess/state at the moment and really need some help/advice. After sorting out my UC claim I totally forgot about a WTC overpayment I had from last year and forgot HMRC said to simply wait until I heard from them. Well today I got in from town to find a brown envelope from HMRC saying I owed £1,227.31 from when I was employed as an overpayment. I do owe this and am not disputing it. So, I call HMRC and they tell me that they have passed the 'debt' over to DWP (UC) for them to deal with and they could not tell me any more and I should call UC. I call UC and at this moment in time they say they have no notifications of this on their system however it can be updated at any time and that legally they can take up to 40% of my base award as payment towards the overpayment which works out at £127.13pm My UC award is £572.82pm and there is no way I can pay this amount each month for around 10 months with rent and bills to pay. What makes it worse is that the letter to me could cross and a deduction could be made with nothing I can do about it! HMRC said I should ask UC for an income and expenditure sheet to fill in so I asked UC for this and they said they could not do anything yet as nothing was on their system. I am now in between HMRC and DWP and do not know what to do howeber HMRC said I should be able to come to an agreement with DWP. I done an I&E sheet anyway and worked out that I have £13.92pm after all bills are paid which includes rent, utilities, food etc. What do I do now? Wait for the letter from DWP and then contact them to arrange a repayment plan on what I can afford based on my I&E. Do they have to agree to this if I can prove outgoings or can they really attach a larger amount as a repayment against the overpayment? If it is the latter I am 100% screwed and basically homeless or will there be some compassion based on my circumstances? One part of me is saying I should pay the balance in full by credit to DWP by doing a cash transfer to my current account as it is obviously better being in debt with a bank than the DWP and HMRC the other part of me says surely they cannot take what I do not have. I am very worried about this, what should I do?

I guess that is a fair assumption. I have emailed my LA anyway to set the 'ball rolling' as it could be a case of people not claiming what could be rightfully theirs as an entitlement. This way I have asked the question and they need to answer based on what information they are given. I suggest others in a similar position do so as well.

After the news in today's budget and the back tracking on certain UC policies it seems that if it CAN be done then WHY WASN'T IT IN THE FIRST PLACE? Originally, if you transfer from another benefit or a new claimant - NOT A PENNY FOR 6 WEEKS apart from an advance of 50% when claim approved Now: - No 7 day waiting period on new claims - Advance now full amount (not 50%) paid back over 12 months instead of 6 - Previous HB claimants now get 2 weeks grace on HB from their LA when claiming UC So all in all no waiting period and a 2 week HB grace and a cut in time for your first UC payment. Although still not great it is certainly better than before. So the question needs to be asked, and someone in power needs to ask it, WHY WAS THE INITIAL POLICY IN PLACE ALLOWED TO BE PASSED? I am certainly (as a new UC claimant from 2 weeks ago) going to contact my LA and ask the question whether I am entitled to this 2 weeks HB as what is classed as a 'new' claimant given todays budget news? Does it mean from today? last week? a month ago? define 'NEW' I am still £95.41pm worse off under UC than ESA and HB but I would not have been so ill or stressed knowing I had less of a wait and some HB to tide me over plus a full advance. Yes, UC has made claimants ill - I am one of them!

Re UC and Today's Budget: - Advance claims can now be for full award (not 50%) paid back over 12 months instead of 6 months - If you received housing benefit you can claim 2 weeks HB from your council while claiming UC helping with rent costs rather than have it totally stopped OK, so as I have just moved from ESA and HB to UC does this mean I can contact my LA and ask for 2 weeks HB as I am now in some arrears or as I have now claimed and the budget is today have I missed out?

Update 21.11.17 for Apple19 and anyone else interested. It seems it is the luck of the draw who you get. I went to my first real UC appt this morning, had a 'pussycat' who knew absoloutely NOTHING about UC and even admitted she had moved from JSA claims so her knowledge was poor (as I mentioned, these so called work coaches are usually less well educated with a less diverse work history than a lot of claimants) Anyway, we conversed (when I could hear her) - she said my CV was excellent and my job search spreadsheet and 35 hour (LOL!) job search was also well set out - this is the same 35 hour job search that took me all of a few hours max and with jobs that I got an automatic rejection from 10 minutes after application because the job 'owner' or site 'owner' is too lazy to update the position or delete it if it has gone - or has forgetten that they left a fake job on there! Anyway, I said, "so you are happy for me to send my job searches in a day before we meet each week like this" she replies "yes that is fine" She then says "you have not granted permission to your UJM account" I thought "here we go, we are off, I had this when on JSA do I really have to go through this AGAIN?" so I say "that's right, I do not use it and will not use it as it is unfit for purpose - as you can see I record my searches on my own spreadsheet so no need for UJM" she replies "That is fine but we still need access" WALLOP! I hit her with all the regs etc and gradually watched her as she went redder and redder and gave in! I think she has the message now, leave me alone each week and I will stop being a pain with you. I want in and out and you want me in and out. I will job search at MY leisure and apply for the REAL jobs that I WANT and just fill the rest of the speradsheet up with total one click apply crap for jobs that probably don't even exist. The unfortunate part was hearing a 'work coach' literally bullying some poor 18-20 year old lad with regulations and the 35 hour spiel. I have my own battles to fight though, but rest assured, these so called work coaches are asked to bully and manipulate the weaker and less well educated claimant as that is where they get their sacntions from. Unfortunately for them it won't wash with and educated, diverse background, up with the rules and regulations, willing to stick up for themselves 43 year old MAN.

I honestly think it is about two parties playing 'the game' The work coaches (who know NOTHING) have orders to follow as do claimants. I have done 3 proper applications today and they took me 6.5 hours in total. That would mean I still had 28.5 hours to fill and that is only if the vacancies are there! Remember, a lot of jobs are the same jobs on various sites so you could also risk duplication. The way I see it os if you are doing an application properly for a reasonable full time job it should take 3-4 hours the time you read the job description, person spec, on line application, tailor CV and letter etc. My last full time job the application process took me nigh on 6 hours - honestly! What I refuse to do is job search at weekends so my time will be spent Monday to Friday so essentially that would be 7 hours a day - I am sorry, that may be the time spent ina full time job but job searching? Nigh on impossible nor advantageous or helpful. If I was to do say 2 proper applications per day at say 6 hours in total I MAY be able to reach 25-30 hours but not 35. My argument to my work coach when I see her next week will be that I am spending time looking for the right job and applying properly. If needs must I will simply put written stuff in like "went to library" and "got paper and searched job pages" to 'fill' time this wasting MY time and THEIR time. I live in a rural seaside town, my nearest main town is 25 miles away, that is the only place REAL jobs may exist and even then people I know that are working there are beingmade redundant left right and centre. The true FACT is there are not enough jobs available to apply for at 35 hours per week. After a few weeks you would have exhausted all avenues and then what? Follow up? OK, I will follow up even though that is a waste of time as it clearly states "unless you hear from us in xx days you have been unsuccesful" or you get an email saying you have been unseuccesful. The way I see it is if both parties, claimant and DWP, agree you are looking for work properly the 35 hour rule is nonsense even though I and others had to sign the claimant commitment otherwise no pittance paid - so what do you do? I am going to show a spreadsheet on what I have done, does that mean if I only done 25 hours sanction? Really? If this is the case I will simply lie about what I have done to fill the hours up - unethical yes, a neccesary part of the 'game' you bet! In addition to this, I have professionaly written CVs, have been an interviewer as well as interviewee, have vast experience in business administration, presentations etc - want to send me on a pointless course? Fine, DWP can pay for it and less hours for me to waste filling in the 35 hours. There needs to be a two way common sense approach between claimant and work coach - if not and you end up with a dictator it won't work. Basaically, UC in principle should work, in reality it doesn't and is an unfit, inhumane regime that ultimately makes people ill and worse off!

Luckily I can 'jobsearch' at home but this whole 35 hour rule is ridiculous. It is impossible as jobs stay on a site for around 4 weeks and also same jobs on most agency sites. So what are you supposed to do after a few weeks jobsearch? I just do one click apply on CV Library even if the job isn't relevant to simply fill the search and then do maybe a few job applications I actually wouldn't mind properly. All very well actually doing a job 35 hours a week but 35 hours job searching and applying? NOT REALISTIC OR FEASIBLE!

I came off ESA as my WCA said I was fit for work (yeah let's not go there) Ironically had my first UC appt today, it was horrid, made to feel like a nobody. Not going to lie, the whole process makes you feel like sh*t. After all this I am around £120pm worse off than on ESA The main thing they get you on is 35 hours pw job search. No real biggy, one click applications say you amended CV, letters etc and you can do it all in a few hours. No one can sit for 35 hours a week job searching as there won't be enough suitable jobs to apply 35 hours per WEEK. I will do about 10 hours on 3-4 jobs and one click apply the rest to make up the hours - simply it is not feasible to do 35 hours when the jobs are not there WEEKLY! For the first 13 weeks of the claim you go in weekly. I said I cannot afford that as it is £5 bus return so £20 a month off the £120 I lose so I made my work coach (also known as a know it all that knows NOTHING) agree to pay my fares and got it in writing off of a senior manager especially as I get nothing for 5 weeks. Unless you need it DO NOT take the advance, it is only 50% of the projected award and serves NO PURPOSE at all plus you have to pay it back over 6 months so less pittance for 6 months than the pittance you get anyway and puts you in MORE trouble. If you can take it from credit card like I am as less likely to get in trouble from bank than DWP! Basically, I have had an hour of it and am fed up of it already - it is a total farce and they know it. Happy to chat on PM if you need to, you are not the only one that this inhumane benefit is affecting!

I had a thought last night - not sure how relevant it is. As my HB is worked out as 1/3 as there are 3 of us in a 2 bed bungalow it is £785/3 = £261.67pm. My Father gets his half rent for him and my Mother at £392.50pm Now, if our tenancy agreement shows all of us would it be feasible for us all to claim £261.67pm making up the whole rent or because my Father and Mother share they can only get their £392.50 for the one room? - they are exempt from reductions as they are pension age and on DLA I think the answer is no because I claim for the one room and they claim for the other room but I am asking as we are JOINT TENANANTS so thought we may be able to claim individually? Also, if anyone can help, as I am now on UC my H|D has reduced by approx £120pm so around £30pw. Is it worh trying for DHP or will it be rejected as what I am getting is what is deemed 'fair' as 1/3 of the rent? Sorry for so many questions - a mixture of anger and not knowing what to do next so looking for any help possible