Hi all, I am new to hledger / plain-text-accounting. I get Universal Credit (UC) each month, but I inherited some money that took me over the £6K line (but still below the top-end £16K limit); I didn't report this initially, so when there was a Claim Review, they re-issued previous payment receipts such that I was getting a deduction to cover the amount over £6K. Since then, there's been a further deduction to cover the overpaid amounts.
What I can't quite wrap my brain around is how to account for the amounts I owed.
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You did a good job of itemising the events. Roughly speaking, I tackled it like this:
- Break it down into smallest-possible events/statements
- Sketched out some likely-looking journal entries:
# overview.j
; > I receive £400 UC per month, on the 15th of each month.
YYYY-MM-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
; > I received inheritance that took my total assets > £6K in September 2023.
2023-09-01 inheritance
revenues:gifts
assets:checking £6100
; > I reported a "Change in Circumstances" in May 2024.
2024-05-01 reported change in circumstances
; > As a result, from June 2024 onwards my payments were deducted by £87 per month, so I then receive £313 UC per month.
2024-06-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £313
; > My "Claim Review" is completed in late October 2024 and as a result, they've determined that I was overpaid between October 2023 and May 2024 (8 * £87 = £696).
; > I can pay that now, or if not, they'll deduct some money each month to reclaim the overpayment.
2024-10-30 claim review, £696 of past revenue reversed, now owed
revenues:uc
liabilities:uc £-696 = £-696
; > From November 2024 onwards, my UC payment is further reduced by £50 per month, resulting in me receiving £263 per month.
2024-11-15 universal credit & repayment
revenues:uc
liabilities:uc £50
assets:checking £263
; > In June 2025 I finally twig that it'd be better if I pay off the overpayment, and report my current "circumstances" (report what money I have) in order to have lower deductions.
; > I pay the DWP the outstanding balance of £346 (The original £696 overpayment, less 7 x £50 = £350 they've already recovered).
2025-06-01 pay remaining amount due
assets:checking
liabilities:uc £346 = £0
- Combined these in a more complete journal:
# a.j
2023-01-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2023-02-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2023-03-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2023-04-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2023-05-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2023-06-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2023-07-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2023-08-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2023-09-01 inheritance
revenues:gifts
assets:checking £6100
2023-09-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2023-10-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2023-11-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2023-12-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2024-01-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2024-02-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2024-03-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2024-04-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2024-05-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £400
2024-05-30 reported change in circumstances
2024-06-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £313
2024-07-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £313
2024-08-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £313
2024-09-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £313
2024-10-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £313
2024-10-30 claim review, £696 of past revenue reversed, will be reclaimed at £50/mo
revenues:uc
liabilities:uc £-696 = £-696
2024-11-15 universal credit & repayment
revenues:uc
liabilities:uc £50
assets:checking £263
2024-11-15 universal credit & repayment
revenues:uc
liabilities:uc £50
assets:checking £263
2024-12-15 universal credit & repayment
revenues:uc
liabilities:uc £50
assets:checking £263
2025-01-15 universal credit & repayment
revenues:uc
liabilities:uc £50
assets:checking £263
2025-02-15 universal credit & repayment
revenues:uc
liabilities:uc £50
assets:checking £263
2025-03-15 universal credit & repayment
revenues:uc
liabilities:uc £50
assets:checking £263
2025-04-15 universal credit & repayment
revenues:uc
liabilities:uc £50
assets:checking £263
2025-05-15 universal credit & repayment
revenues:uc
liabilities:uc £50
assets:checking £263
2025-06-01 pay remaining amount due
assets:checking
liabilities:uc £346 ;= £0 ; (not right)
2025-06-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £313
2025-07-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £313
2025-08-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £313
2025-09-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £313
2025-10-15 universal credit
revenues:uc
assets:checking £313
- Run some reports to sanity check it, and adjust as needed. Eg, I checked the history of the balance owed:
$ hledger -f a.j areg liabilities
Transactions in liabilities and subaccounts:
2024-10-30 claim review, £69.. re:uc £-696 £-696
2024-11-15 universal credit .. re:uc, as:checking £50 £-646
2024-11-15 universal credit .. re:uc, as:checking £50 £-596
2024-12-15 universal credit .. re:uc, as:checking £50 £-546
2025-01-15 universal credit .. re:uc, as:checking £50 £-496
2025-02-15 universal credit .. re:uc, as:checking £50 £-446
2025-03-15 universal credit .. re:uc, as:checking £50 £-396
2025-04-15 universal credit .. re:uc, as:checking £50 £-346
2025-05-15 universal credit .. re:uc, as:checking £50 £-296
2025-06-01 pay remaining amo.. as:checking £346 £50
You can see I didn't get it to quite match your description - with the dates I picked there had been 8 payments not 7. (That's why I've left the balance assertion on final payoff commented out.)
I hope this gives you ideas ?