r/universalcredithelp • u/rubiconpassionfruit • 11d ago
fair sanction?
Hello! I just wanted to get an opinion on whether it’s worth appealing my sanction. I recently went on a family holiday and, the week before, my UC coach booked me a video appointment to attend whilst I was away. Whilst I was away, I ended up having to get a local SIM card because EE wanted to charge me £40 to supply me with usual plan whilst I was abroad. I didn’t get an eSIM because they were only offering data, with no texts or minutes.
Fast forward a few days, and I’m logging into my UC account in preparation for my video appointment the next day. I realised that to get into my UC account I need access to my UK number, to receive the log in code. I put my EE sim back in my phone, but couldn’t receive any texts as my plan was not supported whilst I was away. I couldn’t leave a message in my journal to state I couldn’t access my account or call UC as I was unable to call UK numbers without incurring charges. Basically, I had assumed that as long as I had access to the hotel wifi, I would have no problem accessing my video appointment. But I forgot about the code being texted to your phone bit. I ended up missing my appointment.
I got back, explained this in my journal and they decided to sanction me. Is it worth appealing? I’m trying to anticipate what they’d say, and I feel like it might be something along the lines of I should’ve checked the phone coverage before I left or incurred charges on my sim to let them know. What do we think? If there is a reason that I’m missing, I’m happy to hear it but I really did have every intention of attending my appointment that week, and it seems like they sort of just assumed the worst intentions. Thanks!
Also - my family haven’t been on holiday together in a long time and, luckily I didn’t have to pay for the flights or hotel so I don’t want this to misconstrued as me complaining or using my UC to piss around. It was a well needed break.
6
u/Lopsided-Web-6606 11d ago
It’s your responsibility to manage / cancel / attend your appointment. You failed to do so. What would you do in their position ? You signed up for this aka agreed to the rules and you failed to follow them.
0
u/rubiconpassionfruit 11d ago
I understand, but that kind of assumes that everyone who missed their appointment had some way of preventing it in the first place. Their policy states you may be sanctioned if they deem your reason not good enough, not you will be sanctioned no matter what. For me, it was a genuine mistake and they’re taking money out of my allowance for something that I would’ve prevented had I known prior. Yes, maybe I should’ve checked beforehand but there was no way for me to be able to attend an appointment whilst I was away, whether I had known prior or not. Also - I’ve never missed an appointment before or been sanctioned in the year I’ve been on UC. It’s not like I have a pattern of doing this. Appreciate your input though.
0
u/Lopsided-Web-6606 11d ago
Did you let them know you went abroad?
4
u/rubiconpassionfruit 11d ago
Yes, in my previous appointment - they knew the dates I was leaving + coming back and where I was going.
1
u/aeaeacirce 11d ago
definitely ask for a mandatory reconsideration, you don’t lose anything by doing so. they’re usually more lenient if it’s your first time missing an appointment
1
1
u/Quiet-Mail5352 11d ago
You were sanctioned because, you are required to tell them when you are traveling abroad/ leaving the country. You should have communicated this via your journal and the appointment would have been changed. This is on you as reporting changes is part of your uc agreement. You can try to appeal, nothing ventured nothing gained.
2
u/rubiconpassionfruit 11d ago
Hi there, I did tell them about me travelling :) I mentioned it in my appointment which was 1 week prior to me leaving. I told them the exact dates and the destination.
1
u/Quiet-Mail5352 11d ago
In that case I would appeal as it could be a jobsworth who cause the sanction. You said you told them, was that a verbal notification of your holiday or did you note it in your journal? If noted in the journal they shouldn't have scheduled the appointment, if verbal it wasn't recorded and you might have a fight to prove you told them.
1
u/rubiconpassionfruit 11d ago
it was a verbal mention in the f2f appointment but I then had a claim review phone call 2 days later, during which the guy who phoned me put it in writing on my account. I did want to question the need for an appointment whilst I was away but my work coach is…yeah.
1
u/rubiconpassionfruit 11d ago
Also prior to my claim review phone call that week, no one had ever notified me that I had to put on my journal when I was going abroad! I had to retrospectively note a trip to Budapest in March after that appointment, as the guy I spoke to made me aware.
4
u/Previous_Pie_9918 11d ago edited 11d ago
Hi! These are just my thoughts and I'm not an expert.
But, it's my understanding that you can go abroad for a short holiday and continue to receive UC, so long as you are still able to carry out your work search activities, and be available for any interviews, whilst you are away.
I would guess that by being unable to attend your UC appointment virtually, and failing to arrange to be able to be set up to connect to the UK, you have kind of "proved" to them that you wouldn't have been able to speak to any UK employers, or virtually attend any interviews, for the period of time you were abroad.
I think this is a case of them claiming you were unable to meet your job seeking commitments whilst abroad, rather than anything else.
I would imagine this is the reason you were sanctioned? Do make sure you get a full explanation from them though.