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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Universal credit administration  →  Thread

When does a claim actually close?

JAS1
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Advice Worker, Gaddum Centre

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Joined: 14 February 2017

If earnings tip over the UC allowance plus whatever elements are added, nilling out the award, how long until the claim is closed? I have a client who had a claim closed in February on his journal but the closure applied from October 2018. Is this normal? Is there a set amount of time or can a claim lie ‘dormant’ in case income fluctuates and dips under again?

Thanks!

Ianb
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Macmillan benefits team, Citizens Advice Bristol

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My understanding is that the claim is supposed to close as soon as there is a nil assessment period but that the journal remains accessible for 6 months. During this time a claimant can reactivate the claim through the journal. A rapid reclaim this way maintains the same assessment periods as before. After 6 months of inactivity the journal is closed and a new UC claim would be required in full if necessary. This will have assessment periods based on the date of the new claim.

Having said there seems to be lots of evidence that is not what is actually happening in practice.

S Taylor
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Welfare benefits adviser - Macmillan Caring Locally, Christchurch

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Can anyone advise where abouts in the journal you make the rapid reclaim? I have a community patient whose final pay from work exceeded her UC but I don’t know how to advise her over the phone where to look on her UC account.

Many thanks

Daphne
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This is what the landlord engagement letter Oct 2018 says (under 3.3 repeat claims) -

Claimants are notified through their journal that they have a nil award and informs them of the option to make a new claim.

The journal will display a new screen that tells the claimant their claim is closed and includes a button to make a new claim.

When a claimant clicks the button to make a new claim it will play back their circumstances so that they do not need to enter details unless there is a change of circumstances. A claimant is unlikely to need to come into the jobcentre as ID should already have been accepted.

A face to face meeting may be required for a claimant commitment but depending on their conditionality group this may not be necessary.

When a claimant makes a new claim within six months of a claim closing they retain the same Assessment Period (AP) as for the previous claim and the claim will be paid from the AP date in which they reapply.

Don’t know if this helps - I haven’t seen it in practice…

JAS1
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Advice Worker, Gaddum Centre

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Total Posts: 367

Joined: 14 February 2017

Thanks all for the clarification

S Taylor
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Welfare benefits adviser - Macmillan Caring Locally, Christchurch

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Total Posts: 61

Joined: 11 June 2013

Thanks Daphne.