PIP backpay, savings and Universal Credit

Hello,

Please can anyone clarify how Universal Credit view PIP and PIP backpay in relation to savings? In December I was awarded PIP and received £3k backpay. I also receive 4 weekly PIP (high rate living, standard mobility) on top of Universal Credit and my husband’s salary. Universal Credit ask for updates on savings and start making deductions for anything over £6k, but don’t give any guidance at all as to how they view PIP and PIP backpay in these calculations, they just ask for total amounts in bank accounts. It is therefore impossible to tell them the distinction between what is actual savings and what is PIP. I am keeping the PIP and PIP backpay separate as it is being used for ongoing treatment and support.

Please can I ask if anyone knows how to go about reporting my ‘savings’ without PIP or PIP backpay? It has been suggested that the backpay is disregarded by UC for a year - is this right? I am under the £6k limit but don’t want to accidentally get penalised for inadvertently declaring the wrong amounts.

I have asked on my Universal Credit journal but have received no answer after 2.5wks.

I hope this hasn’t been asked before - I’ve searched but not found an answer.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks very much for your help
Gary.