Universal credit

Hi Wendy,

I had actually forgot about that, thanks. Still learning about this awful UC.

No problem Denise my last role there was UC Acount Developer so it's something I'm familiar with.

I agree it's horrible and was the final straw that pushed me to retire.

I hated not being any position to offer help when people were suffering so badly 😔

Yes she does because it's over £10,000...

Anything she's claimed since having savings over the amount will be an overpayment. Better for her to ring now and report is, rather that get found out some time in the future.

Your friend should always have been declaring her savings as she is on Pension Credit which if it is Pension Credit Guarantee is means tested.

She should let DWP know asap and will need to provide bank or building society statements. Savings for this purpose include money in all accounts, including current accounts and premium bonds, shares etc.

The local authority will also need to be told as was mentioned she will be in trouble if she doesn't tell then

Good luck

Wendy

No idea what you mean by "they charge for money over £6,000

I think she means anything over £6000 she will have benefits deducted, or is that my take

AA isn't means tested but pension credit and housing benefit are. The lower limit is £6,000 . For pensioners it's £10,000 anything OVER this amount and it affects your means tested benefits.. Reach the max amount of £16,000 and your benefits stop completely. She will need to ring ALL the means tested benefits departments.

She's going to be asked to send in bank statements. I have no idea how many they will ask for. If she doesn't get these monthly she can go into her bank and they will print off the months she asks for.

DWP actually cannot say whether she would be entitled to HB the only people who can decide that will be her local council, I think that if you are related to her then you could actually ask the question, if your not then maybe one of her children could ask for her, she does need to be careful as some of us have said, my dil mother passed away recently, it turned out that she had been overpaid by claiming HB when she was receiving other means tested benfits so they had to pay it back, I checked and unlike years ago certain things have to be repaid even after death

I had 16000 in the bank had to declare every thing and ended up getting nothing my friend truly forgot to declare a small pension from 40 yr ago forgot about it stopped all his money and trying to get him with fraud why oh why should we have to tell them what savings we have it's private

Hi

It can be correct that pensioners on higher rate AA can be exempt from Council Tax and receive full housing benefit.

This lady should be declaring her interest to the DWP in respect of her Pension Credit though.

For your information under UC it is the DWP that determine the Housing Element paid as UC replaces Housing Benefit and pays a monthly amount to the claimant from which they have to pay their landlord. It's one reason that UC has caused so many problems for people who struggle to manage their finances as they tend to spend the rent money.

Hope this helps

Wendy x

Denise that's absolutely correct but with AA in payment at the higher rate it may not effect housing benefit but will give rise to tariff income just as you say.

Cheers

Wendy x

I presume its because imagine how you would feel if you found out that your neighbour say had a stash in the bank, owned a couple of rented out houses and actually rented a house he claimed for, that's why DWP have access to check your bank accounts, hence why we have you have to declare savings ect as all benefits except a couple PIP included are means tested, in theory only those that seriously need it get it.

Hi Wendy actually what I meant to say was that a representative from the DWP doing an accessment for AA or PIP could not state whether someone would be entitled to HB or council tax benefit, they are not there to look at HB or CTB.

To be accessed for those benefits you have to fill out the relevant forms which go direct to the housing and council tax benefit department.

Even the turn to us website gets it wrong as well if the correct info isn't input.

But if you had thousands in the bank you wouldn't actually need HB or CTB and even if your sick those are not the benefit s that you would be claiming, these benefits are for people who live on the breadline or a very low income.

I'm not going to get into the discussion regarding who should be entitled due to nationality' I do think that the government needs to sort things quickly

No your totally wrong I have paid no full rate and never been out off work and worked 70 hrs a week for you to say that think you need to sit back and take a rain check I am entitled to what the poor get so don't your dare start on that also had a bad stroke so I do need lot off help what I can't get

If a person is claim a means tested benefit, whether you or they have paid into the system for x amount of years or not, it doens't matter. Means tested benefits are tax payers money, and for this reason a persons savings/capital can't be private.

If someone is claiming Contribution Based JSA or ESA then savings/capital make no difference because they're aren't counted.

You may consider me wrong but I'm just saying it as it is, if you have more than the government say your entitled to in the bank to claim certain benefit's then you will not be able to claim HB or CTR, benefits because your I'll are not what I'm commenting on, I'm also disabled and unable to walk but if I was renting I would not be entitled to either of these benefits even though I'm entitled to full rate PIP in both areas

I hate that you can't edit these posts, ill comes out as I'll