Universal credit help please

[HappiestHippo123]

My friend is due to claim universal credit. She is paid monthly and needs nursery fee help. She is paid monthly and works full time. Earning approx 24/26k per annum. Nursery is £1000.

I understand some people end up not receiving money from UC due to two pay days in one month.
If she claims this week, will this cause issues? Also she is going to ask payroll if they do the run on the same date each month th, is there anything else she needs to ask?

"Ok so the experts at the universal credit essentials forum if you want specifics"

Presumably they were advising a specific individual on their specific circumstances...

I hope so.

People should contact Help to Claim, the advice is quality checked.

@AnotherEmma

"Ok so the experts at the universal credit essentials forum if you want specifics"

Presumably they were advising a specific individual on their specific circumstances...

I hope so.

People should contact Help to Claim, the advice is quality checked.

No, she said we always advise claiming between 2-17 for monthly pay

Well that's bad advice.

Hey, I know this is obvious but has she tried this for childcare costs?

www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs

Thank you everyone. It’s mainly childcare costs that need to be covered. The wages cover mortgage, bills and food luckily. Childcare costs make the wage impossible to survive on.

Does anyone know if the childcare costs are just paid in arrears or do you effectively not get paid the first payment? She will pay childcare next week (I’m not sure if they will wait to the 2nd).

She will try and ring the numbers on break tomorrow.

She has to pay for the first childcare bill herself and will then be reimbursed up to 85% of the cost in her next UC payment. (I'm simplifying but that's it basically.) if she doesn't have the money and can't borrow it from family/friends, my advice would be to ask her work coach if there is any funding she can get and/or contact her local citizens advice and ask them if there are any grants she can apply for. There is also the household support fund which is administered by local county councils. The funds and grants are usually for people on low incomes and she might be above the threshold once she's full time but obviously she has to pay for childcare before getting her full salary, so they might allow it.

For more detail on childcare costs and UC see www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-childcare/universal-credit-childcare-guide

"If you receive Universal Credit you may be able to get some extra support, [eg] Support with upfront childcare costs until you receive your first wage"

From www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/already-claimed/extra-support-you-may-be-entitled-to/

Thanks kebabandchipsplease. Her wage is not enough after tax to cover the childcare and bills/petrol/food etc. But I’m not sure if that is sufficient as an explanation.

It is all due to a recent separation.

Has she claimed yet? Just tell her to get on and claim. There is zero benefit to waiting. She’s monthly paid. Her payroll will just report the date due via real time reporting.

Claim. Report any childcare costs paid when they are paid. It’s all worked out by case manager and system.

She can get a new claim advance too once ID verified. Repayable over 9,10 or 12 months. Interest free.

I'd try to hold off paying the nursery until after a claim, because I think it matters to UC only when it is paid, not when the childcare is used (happy to be corrected if I've got this wrong)

So claim put in but the website won’t allow her to log back on. It says verify password, then when she clicks her email it says password verified. Not sure if anyone has seen this before?

She was asked to attend a meeting at the job centre but cannot log in to say she is working so cannot attend. She works during business hours so it is tricky to call them.

Does anyone know how you are meant to meet them when you work during the week? If she attends her pay will be reduced.

I think part of the UC system went a bit funny yesterday. I'd get her to try again today.
Or to call them during her break.