Universal Credit won't be paid in months with 5 weeks. (WTF?) AIBU to think no one realises

[raisinsarenottheonlyfruit]

If you get paid weekly, and there are 5 weeks in a month, in those months your pay will likely go over the Universal Credit limit and your UC will be stopped. You will have to go without that month and apply again.

WTF are they thinking?

Have they never heard of averages FFS? (That's how Tax Credits works). This is going to screw over so many people. It's ludricous.

The people claiming UC aren't any richer that month, they get the same amount of money as if it was paid in 12 monthly chunks.

This will happen to thousands of people every time there's a month with 5 weeks. (I guess they mean 5 Mondays?)

This is farcical.

There's 5 weeks in January, so if you get paid weekly that's you fucked for February.

April, July, October and December also have 5 Mondays.

This is utterly farcical and just plain callous.

Do foodbanks also supply vouchers for leccy and gas meters? That's a way to contribute, too.

Ladyc the publicity thing is difficult. On one side it’s good people should know about UC in their area, have the chance to tell MP their views and know about the system so that they can decide whether to make changes. However general publicity can also scare people who won’t be affected or not affected for at least the next year until the government starts to “migrate” people from the old benefits even without a change in their circumstances. At VAB I’ve also advised someone who misunderstood and thought they had to apply for UC now without any change in get circumstances and is now struggling with an online system.

This government will be the downfall of Britain. The whole ethos of UC is ridiculous. Your expected to go to meetings and prove you're looking for work like you would when claiming Jsa. But most claimants will be in work?!

Your expected to go to meetings and prove you're looking for work like you would when claiming Jsa. But most claimants will be in work?!

Surely only part time though if actually working, full time employees aren't expected to work more than full time.

But Yellow a lot of employers will only give short hour contracts.

I’m not sure if the exact wording but I woulnt put it passed them to make you sign a document saying I’m claiming UC yes I commit to looking mum wage job x 35h.Then if you work 20h still expect you to put a 35h week in job searching same as JSA. When in practise like you say you would prefer them say ok 15h a week actively job centre.

They had show on tv showed people being sanctioned for not looking for a job on Xmas day. Not that anyone will post new jobs for a few days at Xmas. But any thing takes you off applying for x jobs a day is a sanction

Someone also said Disabled people who can’t work still have thank you sign saying same thing even if can’t work. I imagine they can bring it out any time to an action you withif they so wish.

DP and I are both paid monthly. We have had 3 months this year in which we received nothing, including last month. Now this month our claim says we've been paid £6100 between us (we havent, by a very very long shot!!!!) So we'll be receiving nothing again this month. We live in a high-cost-of-living area, over half our monthly income goes on rent. The rest is bills and childcare. We are now using credit cards to buy food as theres nothing left.

The advice I've been given by universal credit is "just don't rely on receiving it". Why would we be claiming it if we don't need it?

My job centre has been a live uc area since june. My advisor told me its fine if i fail my esa medical as i can get uc... ive not to listen to the horror stories as its all lies and uc is the way to go. It isnt from where i stand as a single parent with health issues

Namechanged.

I am on ESA due to severe depression and and anxiety. I got granted a 2 year award at a court tribunal after the DWP lying and refusing my atos assessment.

I hoped to have sorted myself enough within that time to be looking into going back to work after this time but UC has got my anxiety racing and I've been self harming because of the stress. I now plan to try and apply for ESA again even though it means I will be on the 'assesment rate for almost a year like I was last time. It was such a struggle money wise as I'm a single mum but I can't face the trauma that is ESA.

When my Assesment rate ESA got cut off whilst I was applying for the tribunal I was told to claim jobseekrs. But when I called they said it was Universal Credit and started saying all this stuff to me and I panicked and put the phone down.

I opted to go THREE months living off CTC and CB rather than deal with the job centre because everytime I've been I've had a breakdown there.

I'm dreading my ESA time coming to an end.

Sorry the trauma that is UNIVERSAL CREDIT *

So do you have to job hunt if your part time then? Only asking as I didn't realise that. I work 27.5 hours a week and earn the same as I did working full time ar minimum wage. My company can't offer more hours as the housing market is pretty stagnant at the moment and they already have two full time staff (who are on min wage). I'm a newly single mum so just finding my feet. This job first round breakfast club and school pick up which was why I took it when I was with my ex.

There's so much they don't think through, like huge forms for disabled people. This gets me, it might not some, but if you're really very unwell, 2 weeks to fill out loads of info is impossible.

OK you can ask for an extension but 2 weeks is all you'll get. It's so off putting I can't do it.

2 weeks ago they received my report, it specified x/y/z, ironically it has to go through a decision maker, even though a qualified medical professional has said this is how it is. This is for ESA as I've had to seek social housing. Still not heard anything, it's so stressful. (I guess at some point I'll get the PIP forms done.)

I truly can understand poverty, I'm waiting to actually experience it.

I've said so many times & I've told them I don't want to be like this, I want to work, but my body doesn't want to co-operate. I wish people understood that there are those who hate having to rely on support.

There's this agenda everyone's a slob, but it isn't really the case. Crazy suffering for a reward of £100 a week I think it is, I'd rather be working, I'd rather not be in agony with other symptoms.

I wish everyone else in a similar situation all the best.

Henrythehoover I think if you're doing the same as NMW for full time hours then you won't be hassled to work extra hours if you're part time.

Sorry that was a really confusing sentence!

If you're earning the same amount as someone on NMW would get for full time hours, even though you do fewer hours, they won't hassle you. At least that's my interprtation.

Ok thank you. It just seemed silly to have to give up this job to take another for the same money but more hours. I am painfully shy so really struggle with interviews I was very very lucky to get this one.

UC is ideologically, the government doesn't care how many hours you work it's how much you earn.
Higher earners can work part time and claim.
Work cleaning toilets for 30 hours a week on minimum wage and you aren't trying hard enough.

Esa I hope you are managing to get some help for your self harming.

Higher earners can work part time and claim. Work cleaning toilets for 30 hours a week on minimum wage and you aren't trying hard enough

I almost think that's part of it - deliberately so. Look at us, the high earners, we only have to work part time and we're still way above the rest of you financially. Lots of patting on backs and....stupid laughter. Sigh.

Henry The 'agreement' you have to sign seems very standard though. It reads along the lines of 'you must do all you can to look for full time employment' even if you are already in employment and trying to claim the wtc/ctc element. At least that's my experience. I'm sorry but I don't believe that if you work part time on a decent wage yet still need a top of UC they will let you get away with it for long without a lot of hassle/meetings ect . Just a warning. They will pressure you to look for full time employment akin to if you were claiming Jsa.

I think the ideology is, make it as hard and degrading for people to claim UC regardless of whether you're in or out of work.

Just to put things in perspective figure wise for people telling those with childcare issues to just go and work full time:

I’ve started applying for full time roles now my degree is coming to an end. The salary for the entry level jobs is between 16-18k. Taking the top end (which I’ll be unlikely to get due to lack of experience) so 18k. After tax, plus the child maintenance I get from exdp and child benefit, my monthly income will be about the same. At the moment I work 17 hours a week for NMW to contrast the two. At the moment I pay £72/month childcare costs during term time. If I get one of these jobs I will be paying £240/month childcare costs. So I’m already £168/month worse off before I take into account that, during school holidays, I’ll have to cover 5 days a week at £25/day rather than a couple.

I am a single parent so I have no one here to help with childcare to save costs or any other income coming in. After rent, council tax, food, petrol, gas and electric I just about break even most months. The little bit I usually manage to save always only lasts a month or two tops because something will break and bang, there goes the savings.

If I get one of the jobs I’m going for I will take it in a heartbeat. Because yes, I would be worse off short term for a year or two until I have the experience to move on to the next salary rung. But this is a career with prospects so I’d rather rely on credit cards/restrict heating etc for a year or two for the long term gain. Plus, I hate relying on benefits. I’m incredibly grateful they are there but it’s not a lifestyle I aspire to.

However. If I worked full time for NMW, assuming I got no help under universal credits (in fairness, I presume you would get some sort of top up) I’d already be £62/month worse off than in the 18k Job. I’d still have the extra childcare costs to pay and no future prospects of promotion in the next couple of years. Plus I am incredibly lucky that I get regular child maintenance from exdp to the tune of £240/month, which is much better than the pittance lots of people get. So take off the maintenance and childcare plus the monthly loss I wouldn’t be able to afford my bills. There isn’t non -essentials to the tune of that amount I could cut. And that’s for normal months - not ones where I have to get uniform, or pay for school trips or the latest dress up day or birthdays and Christmas. It would mean cancelling DS’ swimming lessons too which I currently pay half towards.

And that’s working on the assumption I’d be able to find a full time job.

As I said, I count myself lucky that I started my degree upon becoming a single parent because I wanted to be able to work a non NMW Job. If I was in my first year I wouldn’t be able to sustain studying around work with the OU plus follow the requirements in Universal Credits. This is mainly because, even though I study at a full time level with the Open University, it’s classed as part time no matter what intensity you study at; so there’s no maintenance loan and I wouldn’t be exempt under UC. The entire reason I chose the OU instead of a brick uni was so I could still work some hours rather than purely rely on loans/grants and benefits. It seems a shame to count people out of doing that in the future.

I also don’t know what I’d do if I was a parent who didn’t receive regular child maintenance because it would count me out of taking the 18k jobs too 🤷🏻‍♀️

It seems insane to me that I actually end up worse off on a salary of 18k when I make just over 6k a year now through actual work. There’s definitely something wrong with that. This is what people mean when they say it doesn’t pay to work. It’s not that they don’t want it to, it’s that you literally can’t pay all the essentials if you take the luxury of a job that doesn’t require benefit top ups.

"There's so much they don't think through, like huge forms for disabled people. This gets me, it might not some, but if you're really very unwell, 2 weeks to fill out loads of info is impossible." Oh they absolutely think it through, it's a deliberate ploy to put people off filling them in, I have it on good authority that the questions are deliberately ambiguous too. They used to be shorter and simpler.

It's JUST struck me - they're trying to make us more American, where it's utterly shameful to receive 'welfare' let alone have an nhs

I have an idea for a modern day version of An Inspector Calls Its been rattling around my head for a while.

EverythingRightNow

2 weeks? It was four... Has it changed? :(

Thanks for the advice. I work in s pretty unskilled roll (typist) so if I go full time anywhere else it will probably be at mw so adding holiday care for 3 children I will likely end up worse off as like alot of others I'm a single parent. I've never claimed jsa so have no idea how that works.

Before anyone jumps on me I'm not against working ft when I was with my ex I worked 8pm - 8am four days a week in a supermarket to avoid childcare costs. It's just so much harder on your own.