Starting work on UC

[40sNonBlondes]

I have been SAHM on full Universal Credit for a while and looking to go back to work in the next month. I'm out of touch and with what happens when I go back to work. I'm currently applying for supermarket vacancies and understand that even on a contract of fixed hours, my earnings might vary from month to month. I have a few questions -

1. when do i inform DWP I am starting work, eg 1st day of employment or when 1st paid?
2. do i have to update earnings each month?
3. what if the employer doesn't pay calendar monthly, eg weekly or fortnightly?

TIA

Let them know the day you start.
HMRC will tell UC each period how much you’ve earned so you don’t need to update them or worry about varying amounts.

Good luck with your search

1. You need to inform UC on your first day of working by reporting a change in circumstances on the Home page of your Uc journal.
2. UC will know your earnings each month or week because your employer will report them to HMRC and then Uc will get them from HMRC.
3. If paid weekly then the amount of Uc you receive each month will vary depending how many pay days are reported in your monthly UC assessment period. So if paid weekly , some months you will have four pay days reported and some months five. On the four week months you will get more Uc as there will be less deductions for earnings and on a five week month, less UC.

@Babyroobs

1. You need to inform UC on your first day of working by reporting a change in circumstances on the Home page of your Uc journal.

1. UC will know your earnings each month or week because your employer will report them to HMRC and then Uc will get them from HMRC.
2. If paid weekly then the amount of Uc you receive each month will vary depending how many pay days are reported in your monthly UC assessment period. So if paid weekly , some months you will have four pay days reported and some months five. On the four week months you will get more Uc as there will be less deductions for earnings and on a five week month, less UC.

And if paid four weekly, there would be one month per year where two paydays are reported in your assessment period ad that could totally wipe out any Uc at all so you would need to prepare and plan for when that would happen. this is because with four weekly pay you will have 13 pay days in a year but only 12 UC assessment periods. A lot of people get caught out by this. If you are paid monthly on the same day of the month you will not have problems as UC will be the same each month unless earnings vary each month because of overtime or enhancements etc.

Good luck. I’m on UC but work as well and feel that the top up makes it all worthwhile. I know there are lots of scare stories out there, please don’t let these put you off. When I went to work, I finally got the six weeks that were owed to me from the beginning of my claim.

@Littleants

Good luck. I’m on UC but work as well and feel that the top up makes it all worthwhile. I know there are lots of scare stories out there, please don’t let these put you off. When I went to work, I finally got the six weeks that were owed to me from the beginning of my claim.

Uc is paid in arrears, there is no six weeks owed ??

Thank you.
I'm trying to look towards companies that pay calendar monthly to help with budgeting on UC and have applied for 3 vacancies today.
Does anyone know the pay frequency for Lidl and Co-op?

I actually have an interview!

Good luck for your interview!

First day at work today after 15 years as SAHM. It IS possible!

Oh wow. How was it. I'm a sahm parent. I'll return to work when childcare is less of a struggle when youngest is at school and around dh hours.

Well done. I was also a sahm for 14 years, applied for countless jobs but finally landed one. Been at my job 6 months so far

The time is right for me, dc now at secondary and current labour shortage. It was bloody amazing! I hope I still feel this way in 6 months too