Ordinary debt covers various overpayments such as DWP debts, this is for all DWP departments, Tax Credit debts & Housing Benefit debts. These debts will be recovered from future Universal Credit payments until they are repaid.
How much will be taken off your Universal Credit payment?
Universal Credit calculate the amount taken from your payment at the end of every assessment period (one calendar month).
It is not possible to tell you how much will be taken before this calculation takes place, normally the most that can be taken from your payment is 25% of your Standard Allowance. If you are repaying back any advances on your current claim for Universal Credit then the advance repayment will take priority, then an amount will be collected for ordinary debts up to the set limit.
If you have no earnings or earnings below your applicable work allowance, no more than 15% of your standard allowance can be taken for one ordinary debt, but no more than 25% of your standard allowance can be taken for the combined ordinary debts and advance repayments in total.
If you have earnings above your work allowance, no more than 25% of your standard allowance can be taken for the combined ordinary debts and advance repayments in total.