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13 August, 2021 Open access

Claimants now being notified via their online accounts of the date of the last payment of their universal credit ‘uplift’

Journal notification also signposts people for help with debt and managing their money

Claimants are now being notified via their online accounts of the date of the last payment of their universal credit 'uplift'.

While notifications began to be issued on 23 July 2021, Work and Pensions Minster Will Quince told the Work and Pensions Select Committee earlier this month that they only advised claimants -

'... of how much of their standard allowance is a result of the temporary uplift that has been provided in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.'

However, with the Minister having added that communications with claimants would be undertaken 'over the Summer' to make it clear that the uplift will no longer be included in their standard allowance, there are reports today that further notifications are now being added to claimants' online accounts.

For example, a copy of a notification shared with advisers via the rightsnet discussion forum reads -

'You have been getting an extra £86.67 each month since 27 April 2020. This is a temporary increase because of the coronoavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This increase will end soon.

Your payment on 27 September 2021 will be the last time you receive this amount ...'

The notification then invites the claimant to 'get help with managing your money' via the DWP's Help with debt and managing money resource.

NB - While Mr Quince had also said that the entry in the claimant's online journal will trigger an alert via email or text, depending on their preferred method of communication, he'd added that 'we are not writing letters to claimants'.