UC is a means tested combination of:  Income Support; Job Seekers Allowance; Employment Support Allowance; Housing Benefit; Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.

Anyone of working age, on a low income or unemployed with less than 3 children.

It’s paid once a month and in arrears into a bank account; post office or credit union account.

One calendar month and 7 days after the claim has been submitted. Subsequent payments will be paid monthly thereafter.

Yes – an “advanced payment” can be requested at the claimants JobCentre. All advanced payments are a loan and must be repaid from ongoing UC payments within 12 months.

It’s when Soha, or the claimant, can ask for UC to be paid direct to Soha if the claimant meets certain vulnerability criteria. Soha can also request “third party deductions” for rent arrears.

Every claimant will have an individual MAP based on the date they first made their claim. For example a claim made on the 10th of the month, with no waiting days, will have a MAP running from the 10th of one month to the 9th of the next month.

All changes in circumstances must be reported to DWP immediately to avoid a loss of payment. The changes can be reported through the clients online work journal.

We are here if you need help: 

• making a UC claim  
• to chase a missing UC payment      
• to confirm housing costs  
• setting up a bank account   
• setting up an email account

 

Please contact us on 0800 014 15 45  or contact the UC Helpline direct on 0800 328 5644. (Freephone)

You need to log onto your UC account every day! 

If the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) need any information from you to help them process your claim, they will add an entry on your journal asking you to visit your “to do list”.  Please consider your journal to be the new Facebook or Twitter, you must look at it every day. 

Your “to do list” is exactly that. A list of questions and instructions from the DWP that you need to complete so that they can assess your claim.

Your “to do list” can be accessed by clicking on the tab at the top of your “home” screen.

When you complete your UC claim, you will be asked how you want to be notified of a journal entry. You can choose either email or text. 

You will need to log into your UC account. This will tell you when you will be paid. Five days before you are due to be paid you can click on the “Payments” link on your Home screen.

If possible, we’d recommend you receive the payment of Housing Element of UC (rent) and pass this payment onto Soha, as the payment pattern used by the DWP can be confusing and will affect the balance on your rent account.

Although the DWP calculate your UC benefit for the calendar month, when your housing element is paid direct to Soha, regardless of your payment date, the DWP will pay your housing element (for the month) in line with their 4 weekly payment cycle.   There is a further delay between the DWP advising you they’ve paid Soha and Soha actually receiving the payment to your rent account.  

For example:

Mrs Smith receives her personal element on 6 January 2019 for the month 30 November – 29 December 2018

On 6 January 2019, the DWP also release Mrs Smith’s housing element (for the month) however they do not make the payment until their next 4 weekly payment cycle, on 28 January 2019.

As Soha has to wait for confirmation of the payment details to be received from the DWP, there is a further delay (approximately 7 days) before the payment can be added to the rent account

Also, as your Housing Element is paid every 4 weeks, payment of the Housing Element will not be received to your account every month, which will affect the balance on your rent account.  Therefore, you should make additional payments to avoid recovery action being taken for rent arrears. 

No. Soha has absolutely no access to view your claim; to check if you have any tasks to complete; to see when you are getting paid or to ask any questions on your behalf. The DWP will only speak to us if you are sat with us and give your permission. Any permission is only for that single conversation, it is not permanent permission.