JCP UC knowledge- the tricky bits

As we know, there is a problem with UC Full Service recognising that a recipient of the daily living component of PIP (among other things) should not have a non-dependant deduction/ housing costs contribution taken from their housing costs. This problem was confirmed from Housing Systems’/ HBNotes’ FOI request response:

“When the main claimant is in receipt of the daily living component of PIP, or middle or higher rate care component of DLA, the HCC non-dependant deduction will continue as there is no functionality to enter PIP on the Agent Portal.

The claimant is manually reimbursed if the deduction has been made incorrectly see Issuing manual payments. A manual override of the Housing element needs to be input to pay the correct amount of Housing element without the HCC.”

We also know that under UC, a non-dependant in receipt of the daily living component of PIP is not liable to make a housing costs contribution. Brilliant.

However, the managers at our delivery centre only got the memo about the non-dep in receipt PIP daily living, and are adamant that it makes no difference if the person responsible for paying rent is on PIP daily living (yes, really).

The manager in question suggested we complain.

What should be a case of DWP staff fixing a simple, technical error, has now turned into a complaint and an MR; a worry to the client, and a rather wasteful use of precious adviser time. Why?

This is in addition to a colleague’s post about senior staff not understanding the concept of ‘supersession’ in relation to UC, and insisting that a WRAG client with a much worsened condition submits an ‘MR’. This eventually resulted in DWP producing a UC50A. Still haven’t quite worked out if this wasn’t tailor made.

You’re only at the start of the journey, chief.

Because the adjustment has to be made manually, it has to be made manually for each assessment period. In other words, someone has to actually remember to do it…..

Edit: used ‘eventually’ twice in the same sentence, for shame. Sorted, now.

So it has to be manually overridden every assessment period for the life of the claim? And someone has to be found who knows why they have to do it?  No way! I’d visualised it as a one off manual setting. What has your or anyone’s experience of this been? 

I’m guessing there’s an Excel spreadsheet containing the UC claims that need a manual override. I wonder how long the list will grow before someone fixes the system….

I’ve no direct experience of this happening myself. But we have a fairly useful and regular UC Steering Group for Vulnerable Claimants in this area, initiated by the UC operations manager - and I was at this last week. A number of case managers and service managers were in attendance and one of the main ‘build’** managers from Caxton House. One of the other voluntary sector bods brought it up as an issue and there was acknowledgement from the DWP side of the floor that it was a problem that needs to be addressed. I’ll see if there’s any progress at next month’s meeting.

** - in DWP UC speak, the ‘build’ is the way that the UC database/software works and what it is capable of.

Thank you, that’s really useful.