Universal credit

[Whatadayyyy]

Hi folks, wondering if anyone can help. I get paid my wages on the last day of the month. As the 31st is a weekend I got paid today. My UC assessment period is 30th-30th of every month, so that means 2 pay periods will have feel within that period. Will I not receive anything for jan then? I’m panicking as I rely on this extra income, especially need it after Christmas

Your employer should report your wages on the date you’re supposed to be paid if it’s a fixed date. If, by chance, they report early then you can request they move the 2nd wage into the following AP.

Lots of people are having this problem but if your employer reports your earnings correctly as the 31st then it should be ok. If they don't report correctly, then you can raise an RTI dispute and ask for the second wages to be re-assigned to the correct assessment period.

Thank you, I checked my payments owed and it’s showing as zero this month so have left a message explaining and asking for my wage to be moved to the correct assessment period, hopefully it can be fixed

Happened to me last year, I used to get paid 4 weekly, so UC take it you have been paid twice
Absolutely awful but had to suck it up as they would t help at all

Your situation is different and there isn’t anything that can be done to correct it if 2 payments fall in one assessment period due to being paid 4 weekly. This is because you get paid 13 times a year where as UC is calculated on 12 assessment periods therefore, you will always have one AP with 2 payments.

In the OP’s situation, being paid early due to Christmas has meant 2 wages from work have fallen into the same AP whereas, had they been paid on the correct/normal date, they wouldn’t have. Their employer should have reported the wages on the normal date, even if paid early.

Thank you, I called UC and they were useless, the person I spoke to said nothing can be done. Will need to speak to HR at my work and ask if they can make sure pay dates are reported on the correct dates even if paid early due to weekend/bank holiday. I asked what happens in feb as only 28 days so if assessment period is 30th - 30th then surely will happen again but they had no clue

The phone staff are useless and so many were taken on during lockdowns that they weren’t given the usual level of training or support when they started so make it up as they go along.

If you’re on Facebook, there is a group called Universal credit and legacy benefits advice, if you join the admin on there will give you something to write on your journal to send to a decision maker.

The blooming case managers aren't much better. I have clients at the moment who are owed thousands of pounds due to elements missing off their claim, yet messages go unanswered for weeks. It's a shambles.

Totally agree! Just a shame they don’t recruit people who have lived the experience and learned how to read the regulations because, when you know what question to ask, the answers are relatively easy to find!! They would certainly benefit from learning how being ignored by work coaches, case managers and decision makers can leave a claimant feeling; or his having appointments made for the same time as school pick up for children and then threatening sanctions if they try to change the appointment because they have no childcare support!!

Have you sent a message on your journal. I had this in December. I phoned and told them I know they can moved the extra wages into the next assessment period. It went into my journal to be reassessed and I followed it up Tuesday and it was recalculated and money in my account today. All in all it took a week to sort. Don't let it drop.