Universal Credit recipients could face court action if they neglect to inform the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of any changes across a list of 19 defined areas. As we enter the festive period, it’s crucial to remember that Jobcentre Plus facilities and DWP call centre timings will be altered.
The extensive list includes updates such as alterations in contact details, bank account changes, new home addresses, and rent modifications. GOV.UK offers official guidance, warning: “You could be taken to court or face a penalty if you provide incorrect information or fail to report a change in your circumstances.”
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It further insists on communicating any changes “as soon as they happen” to secure precise Universal Credit payments and to avert the necessity to repay any excess funds, as noted by the Daily Record. The DWP also cautions claimants that: “Changes in your circumstances can impact how much you’re paid for your entire assessment period-not just from the date you report them.”
To update their status, claimants are advised to log into their online Universal Credit profiles, reports the Express.
As previously highlighted, the opening times for Jobcentre Plus offices and support lines will be different during the Christmas fortnight. Recent stats from the DWP indicate a total of 7.2 million individuals in Scotland, England, and Wales were benefitting from Universal Credit as of this October.
Changes include:
- Having a child
- Changing your mobile number
- Changes to your health condition
- Starting to care for a child
- Your child stopping or restarting education or training, if they’re aged 16 to 19
- Your rent going up or down
- Starting to care for a disabled person
- Going outside Northern Ireland for any length of time, if you live there
- Changes to your earnings (only if you’re self-employed)
- Moving in with your partner
- Changing your email address
- Moving to a new address
- Changing your bank details
- Changes to your savings, investments and how much money you have
- Finishing a job
- Finding a job
- Going outside Great Britain for any length of time, if you live there
- Changes to your immigration status, if you’re not a British citizen