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UC postal address - sanctions MR (anytime revision)
We have a client with a learning disability we found had been sanctioned twice with open ended sanctions +7 days and +14days in the last 13 months. For perceived failure to attend appts - had journal messages). SAR of his UC account was the source.
Wants to challenge both sanctions.
We can’t do anything on his journal because he is computer illiterate and doesn’t know his username, password, and 16 pin security number. Struggles to get beyond the security questions on the phone.
So having to do a form and post it. I have so little confidence in the UC postal system I last used it in 2018.
There are two separate free post addresses and a Canterbury address.
What is the best current address to use?
His carer is going to ask job centre to upload copies of MR application (anytime revision) on UC account and request an acknowledgement on his UC journal so we have electronic paper trail.
But in the interim want to send off the application. To get things started.
Re. the being locked out of the UC account bit. Things may vary with different Jobcentres but I had a similar situation recently, person with a brain injury who had forgotten all her UC details and her old phone number/email address. I rang UC who advised that she needed to attend her local Jobcentre. She just rocked up with some ID (no appointment) and they assisted her to re-set the account. UC may have sent them a message following my call, so maybe worth ringing UC first and see what they say.
Re. the being locked out of the UC account bit. Things may vary with different Jobcentres but I had a similar situation recently, person with a brain injury who had forgotten all her UC details and her old phone number/email address. I rang UC who advised that she needed to attend her local Jobcentre. She just rocked up with some ID (no appointment) and they assisted her to re-set the account. UC may have sent them a message following my call, so maybe worth ringing UC first and see what they say.
I can confirm this worked for a client of mine - definitely no appointment needed
Also, last time I had to write with an MR I used the Canterbury address and it was received. that was back in March
Thanks both.
He simply can’t cope with a digital account, within the the shadow account there are umpteen entries to that effect albeit with different sentiments. With no adjustments made hence the two open ended sanctions one of which lasted 6 months and the other nearly 4 months.
Hiya Andy
What do you mean by “shadow account”?
If I may- I think shadow account means simply notes being made on file/account by UC staff. Everyone has a shadow account, including people who have phone claims.
Andy, all kinds of alarm bells, starting from Public Sector Equality Duty and necessary adjustments, to what is this work coach doing not calling the client, who, as the work coach should know, may need adjusted approach. MR for sanctions plus complaint. Both to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (which is mostly used for complaints but you can explain why you are emailing them). Also, email the ACSSL for your area.
To reassure you, the Freepost address for UC seems to be OK. Of course slow but seems OK.
Hiya Andy
What do you mean by “shadow account”?
Whatever Jo said Dan.
Very revealing dates and times and contain information that at times raises serious questions as to how decisions were made and much more.
If I may- I think shadow account means simply notes being made on file/account by UC staff. Everyone has a shadow account, including people who have phone claims.
Andy, all kinds of alarm bells, starting from Public Sector Equality Duty and necessary adjustments, to what is this work coach doing not calling the client, who, as the work coach should know, may need adjusted approach. MR for sanctions plus complaint. Both to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (which is mostly used for complaints but you can explain why you are emailing them). Also, email the ACSSL for your area.
To reassure you, the Freepost address for UC seems to be OK. Of course slow but seems OK.
Thanks Jo etc etc. the Equality Act…... sections 6, 20, and 149 are soldered in to my brain circuit boards.
Job centre convinced to upload MR application.
Its pretty much same old same old (alarm bells being the norm) . Whether its escalating via MP, ACSSL, posting stuff on here, sharing stuff with CPAG’s EWS and so on and so forth.
Awful awful cases still keep coming and trying to get the DWP to engage is very very difficult in our DWP district and region.
We don’t have any second tier advice agencies and we are not in terms of welfdom in one the more progressive enlightened united areas of the country. That adds to the dysfunction.
Back to the original o/p - the Canterbury address works. Being an actual address, with an actual postcode, you also have the possibility if required of being able to send recorded delivery, so for paper trail purposes can prove not only posting but receipt.
Back to the original o/p - the Canterbury address works. Being an actual address, with an actual postcode, you also have the possibility if required of being able to send recorded delivery, so for paper trail purposes can prove not only posting but receipt.
Thanks Simon that’s handy to know.
Hi Andy,
Do you have a UC partnership manager that you can contact regarding this claimant?
We use partnership managers for vulnerable claimants and have sent MR’s directly to them with a letter of authority and asked them to forward them to a decision maker.
UC can also treat digital claimant’s as a telephone claim which means they don’t have to access their journal. Again, successful experience with this.
Hi Andy,
Do you have a UC partnership manager that you can contact regarding this claimant?
We use partnership managers for vulnerable claimants and have sent MR’s directly to them with a letter of authority and asked them to forward them to a decision maker.
UC can also treat digital claimant’s as a telephone claim which means they don’t have to access their journal. Again, successful experience with this.
Thanks for your response Zeyneb.
Each UC DWP district varies and UC partnership managers often reflect that. In our locality we depending on the case scenario, are limited to WC team leader, ACSSL, MP etc. We would love to have a partnership manager we could have conversations with about ‘vulnerable claimant’s and ‘sanctions’.
We are working on a non-digital / telephone claim.
Hi everyone
Does the Canterbury address still work? And if yes, is it this one: UCFS Post
Canterbury BC
Nutwood House
Canterbury
Kent
CT1 1ZZ
It is for a MR request for a client who has a new telephone claim without online account. And it is not about a sanction.
Thanks
Hello, can anyone confirm if the postal address above is correct? Thank you
Hi Andy,
Do you have a UC partnership manager that you can contact regarding this claimant?
We use partnership managers for vulnerable claimants and have sent MR’s directly to them with a letter of authority and asked them to forward them to a decision maker.
UC can also treat digital claimant’s as a telephone claim which means they don’t have to access their journal. Again, successful experience with this.
Partnership managers are a bit of a post code lottery. Here the PM is simply so overloaded with queries, complaints etc that she hasn’t sufficient time to respond promptly, if at all. In the interests of getting things sorted quickly, it’s more effective to go through the local MP and by-pass the institutional obfuscation and delays the DWP inevitably deploy whenever a question is raised.
Hello, can anyone confirm if the postal address above is correct? Thank you
I use both;
Universal Credit
Canterbury Benefit Centre
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2EA
and
UCFS Post
Canterbury BC
Nutwood House
Canterbury
Kent
CT1 1ZZ
As that does result in the revision/MR request being dealt with (most recently used earlier this month) I’ve not had occasion to check with Post office tracking which address has been delivered to and the MR notice doesn’t give an issuing address. Just send to both.