Universal Credit - endless amusement

[MiraculousMarinette]

I have been moved over to UC following after a major change in circs, husband and I separated and I changed the address. Stupidly I've put in my claim around the day I get my monthly salary so every other month I get nothing from them due to two salaries within the assessment period. Rather hilarious but whatever, I get something, just not every month.

Checked my journal today and saw this message about imminent phone call from a 'work coach'! I work full time earning 22k per annum, this is a fairly new job that I started in Sep 2018. It's a good job and I've no intention of leaving it yet. What the hell do I say when this so-called 'work coach' starts yapping on about me 'doing everything I can to earn more'? I can't get a second job because I have primary school aged child with regular but short visits from her father. She doesn't spend a night with him, only two afternoons per week. Do I say it's not realistic for me to work more or do I give him some bs about looking for higher grade jobs? I can't prove it obviously because it's not the case yet. I need to stay in my job for a while longer before I can think about leaving. Could that jeopardize my current claim? I'd like to avoid sanctions ideally.

Thanks for reading and any advice will be appreciated

If you work full time this doesn't sound right. What does it say in your claimant commitment? Also if you have a primary age child you should only be required to work 25 hours a week.

My commitments are to use online service to keep up to date with journal and to report any changes in circs. That's all.

I second what @dirtystinkyrats said. It may be because you has an Assessment Period with no pay at all? If you explain that you work full-time, that should be sufficient for the work coach. Sounds like an error.

There was a recent high court case which found that DWP were acting unlawfully by calculating UC based on the date received rather than by looking at the period to which the earnings relate. The issue is that every time you don't get a payment you miss out on the work allowance for that month.

I would request a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) of every month where they have taken 2 lots of income into account quoting the high court case. If the decisions were over a month ago it will be a late MR. If they refuse to accept the late MR you can then appeal the decisions. I think you have a good chance io success at appeal.

Every time it happens going forward lodge an MR.

The DWP need to change their systems, assuming they are not going to appeal the decision, as a result of the case but this will take a long time I expect.

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/insights/wages-and-the-universal-credit-assessment-period/

You can earn 22000 pa and still get universal credit? Ì know I'm missing the point of your post!

@ihatesandwiches 22k wouldn’t cover rent, childcare and bills. Not even close. I live in the North and it wouldn’t cover all that even here.

You might find they’ll cancel the call and just ask you to review commitments online. Same happened to me a few weeks ago. I’m a full time student with no work requirements yet saw a call like this booked.

On the day I got an email asking me to tick boxes online to confirm my circumstances hadn’t changed. Presume it’s periodical

It may be because you has an Assessment Period with no pay at all?

Pretty much every other month has been with no pay at all, that's since July 2018. Rather random for them to pick up on it almost a year later. However, they're not most reasonable in their decision making so it wouldn't surprise me...

@Fontleroy I’m a full time student (3DC) and haven’t been moved onto UC yet. How have you found it?

@Ihatesandwiches evidently I can. It was a very straightforward claim though, because I'm in full time employment, single and have a child.

@AfterLaughter I wasn't trying to be arsey. I don't live some where expensive. My take home annual pay is less than 22k. Should I be applying for universal credit? I'm a single parent.
I'd just never thought about it!

@Fontleroy that's ok then. I have no problem with talking to them but it's on the whole new level of UC madness if they insist.

@Ihatesandwiches if you're not currently receiving any tax/child credits then apply.

@MiniMum97 I also miss out on reimbursement of childcare fees every other month. That stings.

Thank you, @MiraculousMarinette I will!I
Good luck!

ihatesandwiches you can check here to see whether you can claim

www.entitledto.co.uk/

Are you sure your work coach has it right? I’m on UC and earn £804 per month and have no commitments at all. As long as I’m earning over £690(ish) I’m not expected to look for extra work, same as if it were tax credits.

Also I get my UC on 24th and wages 25th and I still get my UC every month so I’m not sure why you’re only getting it every other month? Can you put it all in writing to them and ask them to formally look into it as it doesn’t seem right to me (I had to do this with UC over a childcare payment dispute. My work coach was insisting she was right and that was that. It wasn’t until I put it formally in writing that someone else looked into it and conceded that I was right).

@DaisysStew it looks like you receive your salary on the same day every month whereas I get paid on the last working day of every month. Unfortunately it makes all the difference.

@AfterLaughter apologies for delay. Honestly it’s been ok. I left full time work which was kind of related to UC so had a little bit of insider info.

Not all of my student loans are taken into consideration and my main worry was that they ignore this but they didn’t. Main delay was due to me applying through clearing and waiting for SFE to provide paperwork but I was offered an advance the day UC received it so can’t complain.

Bit of a pain attending an appointment with a job coach even though everyone knew I was exempt but it only took 5 mins.
Uni finance officer liaised with SFE for me to hurry things along too. All in all I’ve got no complaints

They just rang me (45 mins late) and it transpires the 'work coach' wasn't aware I was in full time employment! Honestly, you've gotta laugh... He asked me were I worked, what my hours are per week and how long I've been working. I told him I was in full time employment at the point of original claim and was made to bring payslips, a letter confirming duration of employment, contract etc. He was very blaze about it. When I asked if it's going to affect my claim he said it might do but not 100% how or whether it actually will. How bizarre.

They really don’t know their arses from their elbows when it comes to UC and people in work.

Glad at least that parts sorted out for you.

@MiraculousMarinette another good reason to do the MR(s) then!

What MiniMum said.

I'm glad they've sorted your claimant commitment for this month but you're probably owed some back payments and it's also worth being prepared to challenge straight away if it happens again.

I just don't get how they can possibly think I'm not working when they get my salary reported to them every month end calculate my award every month. Mind boggles.

They are not fit for purpose.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/may/09/woman-81-killed-herself-after-pension-was-frozen-in-error?CMP=share_btn_tw

The system is an absolute joke, my claim was closed after a month of being switched over from tax credits. This was because according to them I was paid double in the assessment period which I wasn’t. Even with providing payslips, bank statements and a testimony from my employer they still were adamant they were right. I’ve now had to start my claim again. It’s been nothing but stressful with the 6 trips to the job centre in 2 weeks to provide them with countless amounts of evidence for every little thing.