Failed Habitual Residency Test

Hi everyone, I recently applied for Universal Credit and just found out that my claim was denied because I supposedly “failed the Habitual Residency Test.”

What’s confusing is that the system says I failed on the very same day I applied — before I’d even had my Job Centre appointments, ID checks, or the phone interview.

For context: • I’ve been living in the UK since 2019 (with a 2-year gap during COVID), and I’ve been back continuously for the past 2.5 years. • I have pre-settled status. • I graduated from a UK university this summer. • I currently have a part-time job, but I only get one shift a week — not enough to support myself. • I’ve been attending all my Job Centre appointments and updating them about every job I’ve applied for.

The “Habitual Residency Test” call only happened last week, and the person only asked me three questions: 1. How much my rent is 2. How I’m paying for it 3. If I have a job

That’s all. A few days later, I logged in and saw that my claim had already been marked as failed since October 17 (the day I first applied). It feels like the decision was made automatically before anyone even looked at my situation.

Has anyone dealt with this before or appealed it successfully? Should I wait for the letter before sending a mandatory reconsideration, or start now?

Any advice or experiences would really help — I’m feeling a bit lost with all this.