DWP to cut Universal Credit payments and 'you'll see it on your statement'

Universal Credit can take money off your payment if you have a debt. You will see this on your Universal Credit statement.
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The Department for Work and Pensions could cut your Universal Credit payments if you owe debts. Universal Credit can take money off your payment if you have a debt. You will see this on your Universal Credit statement.

To find your statement, sign into your online account and go to ‘Payments’. On your statement, look for ‘What we take off – deductions’. Types of debt include a dvance payments (t his is your repayment of a Universal Credit advance) and Universal Credit overpayment.

This is when you have been paid too much Universal Credit. To find out more about your overpayment, sign into your online Universal Credit account. Go to your journal and look for a message about overpayments. If you believe you have been overpaid but have not heard from Universal Credit, you need to contact Universal Credit to tell them about this.

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Tax credits and benefit overpayments is when you have been paid too much for any benefit other than Universal Credit. It includes tax credits and Housing Benefit overpayments. Penalties can be added to a benefit overpayment, the DWP said.

If you have been overpaid, you will have a journal message or letter explaining what the overpayment is for. If you believe you have been overpaid but have not heard from DWP, you must report it immediately. If not, you may be prosecuted or have to pay a penalty.

You can apply for a hardship payment if your Universal Credit payment has been reduced because of a fraud penalty or sanction. You will need to pay this back once your fraud penalty or sanction has ended. When the amount you pay back has been agreed it cannot be changed.

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Third party deductions are when money is taken off your Universal Credit to pay your debts for things including utilities, like electricity, gas and water, Council Tax, child maintenance or even rent, service charges and court fines. Only 3 third party deductions can be taken at any one time.

Universal Credit will send you a message in your online journal when a third party deduction starts.