Living with separated partner (universal credit)

[peakson]

Hi all

Just wanted to find out, lived with partner for a couple of years, incident happened at home so I called the police and she wasn't allowed back home while on bail and was in temporary accommodation, children are in my care and I have a single universal account with my two children added to uc. children are now subject to C.P plan because of ex actions, she has a single uc account with temporary accommodation as her address.

Now S.S are involved and there is a C.P plan in place I am happy for her to return home, but it is agreed our relationship will not continue, we will sleep in separate rooms etc. 

She is back home now, and we are unsure what we do with our U.C claims, do I add her to mine as a joint account again or dose she keep her single account and just amend the address back to normal?

 

Thank you all

 

[BankFodder]

I'm not able to give precise answer to this. This is not an area in which I am experienced. However my best guess is that you should call them and discuss it with them.

Be prepared for suspicion – and I'm afraid it goes with the territory.

However, the best thing to do – even if it isn't to your immediate advantage – is to inform the social security people about precisely your setup so that there is no come back later on if you make your own decision and you get it wrong.
Getting it wrong and benefiting from too much money will just lead to a lot of trouble, obligations to pay back money that by that time you will have difficulty affording.

Phone Social Security and explain the situation. Better still, do it in writing. Send them an email and make it clear that you are laying out everything in good faith and you want advice as to the best way to handle it.

If you do this, they are much more likely to see you as an honest dealing cooperative person and they will then do their best to help you.

Stick around for further advice from somebody who may be knows more about it than I do

[unclebulgaria67]

These issues can be quite complicated, depending on the housing being paid etc. Online advice not recommended as too complex.

To stop you getting into a mess with potential overpayment of benefits leaving you with a debt and possible DWP compliance actions, I would suggest that you call 0800 328 5644 which is the UC helpline and ask for your UC Case Manager who administers your claim to call you to discuss your situation and what actions are required on the claim, before you register any changes.

[tomtom256]

It is and isn't straight forward.

You should not claim as a couple, if you are not a couple. You will both need to provide evidence of no longer being together amd potentially need to be interviewd by a compliance officer, just so there is a formal record moving forward.

This isn't something new, especially with the current financial crisis.

National Telephony will not be able to assist and it is highly unlikely you will get through to an actual case manager. If in doubt drop in to your nearest job centre and make sure you have mentioned it in your journal, just in case it triggers something, later on during the claim. In fact you will probably be told to send a journal message when you call the 0800 number.

[unclebulgaria67]

They call UC helpline and ask for handover for a call back from the Case Manager.

Too many issues here that requires someone to look at claim and confirm all actions required.

Or call UC helpline and request a Job Centre appointment.

[tomtom256]

I do this daily in a jobcentre, people rarely get to speak with a case manager, job centre included. We get 3 or 4 queries a week like this.

What I have posted is what will happen, hence why I said drop into local job centre. All national telephony will do is say send a journal message for you case manager, who will never pick up as journal messages are low priorty.

Edited July 9, 2023 by tomtom256

[unclebulgaria67]

Do remember Tom that you don't work in every Job Centre and it may depend on the size as well as the capability of the Job Centre that the OP would attend, as to whether they could deal with the enquiry effectively.  If the OP attends their local JC, they may just pass on the information the OP provides to the Service Centre.

Things like untidy tenancies needs to be checked.  Perhaps the ex partner was on the tenancy, then left the property, so the OP claimed untidy tenancy when the claim was entered into their single name.  And now that situation has changed.

The OP could send a journal message explaining the change in circumstances.  Sending a journal message, may just end up with many journal messages back and forward.  Which may or may not resolve the claims.  The OP could either send a journal message asking for an appointment at the Job Centre or ask to speak to Case Manager.  I have found that people phoning the UC number 0800 328 5644 leads to the call handler sending a service request to  Job Centre or Service Centre. But Tom is correct that they could tell you to use the journal as first communication option. And if that does not work to phone the helpline.