Universal Credit wanting to review my claim-extension rewarded during lockdown and selling my own assets

[dx100uk]

there are no relevant 'periods' or 'assessment points', nor any start, nor any end for any period. not sure where you are getting all that from......

you must not have +£6k savings.

thats what they simply state and thats the criteria their systems or whatever they have to monitor your bank accounts will use as a trip flag. as your bank accounts are the only way they can check on you.....

dx

 

 

[mummytiger]

i am going to do the calculations, so the £6k rule is the 'balance' in my accounts etc at any stage, not 'savings', as i am seeing them as two different things. 

Just an example for how i am going to calculate: (not my true amount as such at this stage) just so i can understand:

On the date i sold the car i had:

Car sale-£6.2k (cash)

Uc payment bank credit-£800

is that £7k that day?,

they would calculate the £1k to deduct £13.04 amount from my uc (4 × £250=£1k) for the assessment period i was £6k over?

But how is that 'savings' if the benefits part is being used throughout the month to live on?

I would say that is more of a 'balance' (part savings).

Surely, it would be the £200 over that would calculated, not the entire £1k as its part benefit payment?

After i understand that part, the rest will be fine to calculate, as the funds were diminishing over time and remained below £6k. 

The trip flag must have been the £3k cash i deposited from the car sale. I wasnt concealing it, that is why i deposited it.

I just was unaware back then of the £6k rule (i take full responsibility).

Now i am aware. I am worried about the implications of the rule and what will happen to me. 

[dx100uk]

you need to forget this beginning or end to any assessment period and your differing labels of savings or balance or natural monthly wastage of the benefits given too you.

that's not for you to decide, that's their job if  their system picks up you 'did' attain +£6k at any point over all your known bank accounts and IF  they want to do anything about it.

look at it this way, p'haps the penny might drop...some people that get these benefits dont use them, so their bank balances rise and rise, they then get to the point whereby they have +£6k and get pulled up about it, they then scream, but you gave them too me, not my fault, im sorry ive not spent them!! you cant do this to me...its still +£6k savings!

in your case you sold an existing financial asset, a car, from your past, bought with your past money, it's not an additional new asset inflating your worth. it's called asset stripping, you are quite entitled to do that, and in most peoples eyes this is a big negative marker to your ongoing financial stability. you dont now own that valuable needed asset possible causing further future financial expense.

The DWP if they were to ever be interested would also see it this way. they would also see that the payment of their benefit contributed too and took your savings over their +£6k threshold.....  there is no way they would ever do anything about it, 1 down to that above. 2. because any excess above £6k would be within the £'s sums they had recently paid you. 

now and this is where some people come unstuck when employing asset stripping, is they repeat it again with another asset and bounce again in/out of £6k over several benefits cycles and that might raise an eyebrow, but if its the truth and you tell them the truth and are open, they will not be concerned, SHOULD THEY EVER ASK!! 

you are seriously getting far too worked up about a nothing burger.

as has already been carefully explained....

dx

 

[mummytiger]

Yes, that makes it very clear now.

I intend to be very truthful and transparent during this current review i am having with them...  

I guess i am concerned about how serious the implications of not declaring it, as its my own fault, that is what is stressing me.

[dx100uk]

you have not to date stated that you HAD actually received a letter stating they ARE seeking a review?

so they have contacted you?

dx

[mummytiger]

No letter, a message appeared in my journal stating they are reviewing my claim and wanted various documents/paperwork (hence my other thread in this forum).

Edited October 30, 2023 by mummytiger

[dx100uk]

three threads merged for history - title updated.

 i see these roads have been travelled before and the same answers given.

they are not 'out to get you'.

as stated before i agree it seems more like a 'are you getting all you should help'.

p'haps your ocd etc has other impacts upon you may not be aware of.

dx

 

[mummytiger]

I have been trying to work out my balances every day since i recieved the car funds (its an accumalation of cash and funds in my account due to benefit credits) i am finding it quite overwhelming,as i dont see my benefits i am spending to live on as savings but i did see my car funds as savings (that diminished over 5 months).

What do i do about cash spent on household items/day trips/toys for disabled child etc that i no longer have receipts for or didnt get a receipt to start with? How will they calculate it as a 'deduction' with no proof? Will they not allow it as a deduction?

I do not even have a copy of the receipt i gave the buyer for the car sale, all i have is a copy of the advert (asking a little over what i accepted/sold it for), they only have my word for what i recieved, what happens then?

On 04/05/2023 at 07:12, tomtom256 said:

It wouldn't/shouldn't be treated as income, as you are selling personal items and not running it as a business.

You can sell as many personal items as you like.

You were indeed correct, they werent interested in this, although they did state it was classed as 'regular income'.

Edited November 2, 2023 by mummytiger

[dx100uk]

so what happened then...

[mummytiger]

The reciepts i had were shredded around 6 weeks ago with all other general documents that were no longer deemed necessary,,just kept an up to date utility bills, council tax bill etc, minimal (some items had perished,damaged etc so didnt see the point in keeping the receipts as the return date had expired and was no longer valid for items i still have)..

Or i didnt get a receipt at all, as didnt feel i needed it, as it reduced my anxiety/ritual behaviour around paperwork (Ocd). I didnt ever think i would need them.

Having a paperwork clearout clears my head.....and now has complicated this matter. 

The car reciept, i forgot to keep a copy of the receipt i gave the buyer.

Edited November 3, 2023 by mummytiger

[mummytiger]

The other 50% is accounted for, as i credited it to my bank 4-5 months later.

[unclebulgaria67]

Just provide all of the information available to you that they are asking for.

[mummytiger]

Hi,

i need advice for the next stage of my uc review,

Just a recap:

Lone parent-Recieving uc lcwra and PIP enhanced (Care & Mobility).(Physical)

Disabled child-New award DLA HRC and LRM. (Physical & mental)

In the last UC review tel call, i was told to report two changes immediately in my journal whilst on the phone:

1.Caring-that i care for my child more than 35 hours per week.Despite me stating that I have family support for the physical part of my childs care that i am unable to do (daytime) and i do the night time care but no physical intervention (more my childs disturbed sleep-mental) but was told even sleeping hours count as care and that i would get CA, which now i realise i wouldnt, as i get LWCRA (cant claim both, i am fine with that).As no 1 family member helps more than 35 hours per week CA isnt an option for them either,which is fine.

2.Add child new DLA HRC award-which i did. 

Now they are asking when my health changed (seeing me as a full time carer) physically caring but i am not, my health hasnt changed. I think they are looking at removing my lcwra and applying an huge overpayment. 

How do i deal with this please? 

If they take my lcwra and put me as a FT carer, will i lose my PIP too?.

It seems i am being penalised for having a disabled child. 

[unclebulgaria67]

Does not make sense.

The only way to remove LCWRA is for a new decision following a new work capability assessment.

So a UC review team cannot remove LCWRA.

[dx100uk]

[mummytiger]

That was my understanding too. So do i ignore their message asking "what date did your health change" and just send a journal message stating it hasnt changed?

[unclebulgaria67]

Yes you can send journal stating no change to own health.

[mummytiger]

UC have prompted me to do a change of circumstance and report i am a carer for my disabled child,as the CA gets deducted from my uc standard allowance, it doesnt make any financial difference, can i cancel it and state i do not want to claim CA?

I believe if the CA claim proceeds, this will flag up my own pip claim and i will lose my PIP, as its seen as 'how can you care for someone else but not yourself',

I understand that but it isnt that black and white, our needs are different and i have family to support me with what i struggle with my my child) but PIP just see you as a carer and do not care how you say you adapt/navigate it and take away your PIP.

Can i stop the CA going through? 

[dx100uk]

32 minutes ago, mummytiger said:

i will lose my PIP, as its seen as 'how can you care for someone else but not yourself'

Utter rubbish!

where did you read that?

dx

 

[mummytiger]

Online.

When many disabled parents (on PIP) themselves make a claim for CA, their PIP is flagged and taken away as PIP say you are a carer and thats it.

Edited December 31, 2023 by dx100uk
unnecessary previous post quote removed

[dx100uk]

where post a link.

dx

[mummytiger]

I just wanted to thank you all that helped with the first part of my uc review (bank statements etc), that has been satisfied and above board and now onto the next part, dealing with the two 'report a change' that came up,

1.Informing them that my child is now in receipt of DLA HRC,so that i can get severe disabled child (SDC) element added to my uc claim.

2. Stating i am a carer (assuming they want to put a CA claim through).

They seem to be withholding my SDC element back payment until i declare my position of current health/care duties towards my child.

I thought they would process that part regardless or do i have to get CA in order to get the SDC element?

Question 1

Carer’s Allowance: Your 5 top questions answered 

CONTACT.ORG.UK

---

Almost 100 parent carers took part in our recent Facebook Q&A about Carer’s...

 

[dx100uk]

the advice says:

However, please also be aware that where someone claims Carer’s Allowance for another adult (rather than for a disabled child) this can lead to the disabled adult losing a means-tested benefit payment called the severe disability payment.

[mummytiger]

I understand that.

will the CA claim i had to do under 'report a change', will it trigger my own PIP? 

Edited December 31, 2023 by dx100uk
unnecessary previous post quote removed

[dx100uk]

just type no need to keep hitting quote!!

............................

you are not caring for another adult, but a child, i doubt it very very much.

dx