Forum Home → Discussion → Universal credit administration → Thread
UC Rapid reclaim?
Does anyone know if there is/will be the equivalant of JSA rapid reclaim for UC within a certain period of time or will claimants have to start all over again proving housing costs etc?
You stay on the system for 6 months with no payment if over scale so if become re-entitled you only need to notify change of circumstances - no claim needed - or if down to change of wages RTI system should notify it for you.
Hi Have I missed something here? I know the original idea was that when someone loses UC entitlement due to earnings then becomes entitled to UC again in a six month period they did not have to make a new claim. However, I thought this was changed in November 2014, probably due to the forthcoming surplus income rule. ADM 26/14 (November 14) gives a very clear actual example, albeit to demonstrate how the AP stays the same:
‘David’s award of UC runs from 3rd of each month to 2nd of the following month. His current award is reduced because of earnings. On 30th October his earnings increase sufficiently to terminate his UC award from the first day of the assessment period in which he received the earnings i.e 3rd October. David’s earnings reduced on 28th February. Under these new provisions David has to actually make a claim, which he does on 15th March…..’
The guidance only applies to digial service claimants at the moment - but that will be all of us soon if you believe the roll out timetable!
Surplus earnings rule for digital service comes into force April 16?
I suspect that there are likely to be a number of changes. consequent to the tax credit changes being trailed at the moment, to earnings rules for Universal Credit in the near future. I’m about to post some speculations in the UC forum.
Surplus earnings rule for digital service comes into force April 16?
That’s correct. As things currently stand the surplus earnings rules won’t come in until April 2016 (and then only for Digital Service claimants).
As Barbs1000 says - reg 6 of the C&P Regs ( which allowed UC to restart within 6 months without needing a new claim) was revoked in November (by SI 2014/2887) but with savings so it’s retained for the Live Service.
(Subsequent Live Service commencement orders have extended the savings retaining reg 6 and similarly SI 2014/2887 has been extended cover the Digital Service expansion up to November 2015 so it looks like that split will continue.)
Sorry, not sure I’m following this, have I got this right: for a UC claimant whose earnings rise, who is not yet in the Live Service, the six month “stay on the system” rule no longer applies. I.e. they would have to make a full new claim if income subsequently drops?
(If so, I guess answer to the original question is: ‘No, there isn’t any provision for a rapid reclaim’ ..?)
the ‘live service’ is what most people are on - it’s only the very few part post codes in sutton that are the digital service - so unless you have claimants there the six month ‘stay on the system’ rule still applies
Ah, that makes sense, thank you.