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.

It is happening because if my or DP's payday falls on a Sunday, we will be paid on the Friday before it and UC's system then tells them one of us has received double their monthly salary in that month.

This happened last month (I was paid 24th Aug then 22nd Sept so twice with a 31 day period) so we received nothing at all. We assumed that their records would therefore show that this month I received no salary at all within the 30 day period (22 Sept to 24th Oct - that's assuming they go by the number of actual days in a calendar month) however, somehow, this month they are suggesting that DP and I have earned more than double our joint monthly income.

We have both spoken to them. They spoke to me as though I were an idiot and I ended up getting really frustrated and hanging up. They told DP that we will need to take 6 months worth of pay slips and bank statements to the job centre to show we were each only paid once per month, and then we will receive a back payment (which may take several weeks) and they stressed that this WON'T prevent this happening again the next time the dates fall like this.

They have yet to explain to either of us how they have come up with the £6100 figure.

^^ that post was intended for @Firesuit btw

Cherries no the other parent would need to earn nmw x55. 35 hours plus 20 hours for child under 13.

"They told DP that we will need to take 6 months worth of pay slips and bank statements to the job centre to show we were each only paid once per month"

Ha! And let me guess...........one of you will have to take time OFF work to do this.

To put it politely, the Tories are nasty bastards.

This is purely driven by their hateful, disgusting ideology. There is no need for a 6 week wait, or a 55p a minute phone line, or the removal of the disability elements meaning the most disabled in society lose almost £70 a week.

They are scumbags. They designed Universal Credit to make people suffer, and it's working exactly as they hoped it would.

They don't care about people at all. There was nothing wrong with the system as it was before, but they were hellbent on 'fixing it' (i.e. farming out contracts to their mates)

But I'm not surprised - people voted for them, which is why they're doing it. The media enabled this crusade against anyone who needs help. They called people scroungers and claimed disabled people were trying it on. But people voted for them, even some on this site, knowing what they would do, but they didn't care because it didn't affect them.

This will be May's Poll Tax, and I can't wait to see that evil, horrible harridan to be out of a job. She stood there on the steps of Downing St. claiming to want to help people who were struggling, and making sure disabled people weren't persecuted. But she's a liar. She doesn't care at all.

The UN released a report (after visiting) that said this country was violating the human rights of disabled people and found the Tories committing 'grave and systemic' abuses of the system to deny help to people. But the Tories ignored it, and claimed the UN were wrong, and it's not even been in the media, because nobody cares as long as it's not them.

I’m so shocked that they’re allowed to treat people like this.

In my mind, yes, the UK is rather shit, shit in a lot of aspects... But I always thought it fair and not unreasonable.

Clearly not. How sad. I no longer feel safe in my own country and I don’t even claim UC/Any time of benefit

Argh

N.B. My brother is on ESA with severe MH issues. He gets PIP too. I'm right in thinking this 5 week thing won't affect him when they eventually migrate him over, right?

Unfortunately it will affect your brother although not in regards to pip.

Sorry I thought you meant 5 week wait! No if your brother has nil earnings it won't affect him.

It effects everyone! I’m on esa I know PIp will still be paid. BUt rverythimg else stops when you move to UC. You think given thy are paying you the same esa plus housing it would transfer over but same for everyone.

Only good thing is PIp isn’t included but I’d like me Council take most of PIp for care costs or
If you have mobility car that takes all that money it dosnt leave you with anything. Quite funny given I’m an employee for carers I’m supposed to heat work place etc or I’m breaking the law. Yet if I can’t afford to heat it for me- that’s no law broke at all.

Thanks, MyDCAreMarvel - I can calm him down a bit with that now. He only claims ESA and PIP. So I'm right in thinking he'll still have the 6 week initial wait for UC, but the month with 5 weeks thing won't affect him, as he isn't working? I presume his PIP doesn't count as 'earnings'.

Luckily we'll be able to feed and look after him during the initial waiting period, and he has a council flat with low rent which we'll cover. God knows how people who don't have family support will manage.

Its only when the ripple effects are felt that realization will dawn.

Re. part time workers So you could be served your morning latte by someone who hasnt showered for a week due to not being able to afford to put the gas/electric on.

Ditto the care assistant who cant afford to come into the nursing home to do the Christmas Day / Boxing Day shift because they havent recieved anything for weeks so cant afford to pay for that expensive bank holiday taxi to get in to do that shift or even afford the bus IF there is one running.

There are actually people who are going to be inadvertently affected by this and a lot just cant seem to see it!

Yes Babychamp your db will have the six week wait, but not the weeks in a month issue.
One thing to be aware of is, he will eventually lose any disability premium he receives, if he lives along and claims enhanced pip daily living.
If that's the case certain changes in circumstances after he is on UC, will mean he will lose transitional protection.

Glad you brother has you for support Babychamp. The consequences for others can be as high as losing their life.
Vulnerable people - someone's brother dying for the sake of the Tories latest ideological policy.

Luckily he lives with my nephew who looks after him 90% of the time. Saves the govt. a ton of money on carers, but they still continue to cut his money!

I no longer feel safe in my own country

Same here

I feel very uncertain about the future, in a way I never have before.

I have no faith in our government to look after my interests or my DC's interests. Brexit terrifies me with this lot in power - nothing to do with the EU, but everything to do with the level of power that will be handed to the same callous people who have designed this evil system.

May I ask a question? what happens if you are a couple and both work part time? Are you assessed on your joint monthly income? or your individual incomes? If one person works 25 hours a week and the other works 26 hours a week both at more than NMW but not each earning the equivalent of 35hrs at NMW will they still be expecting them both to look for more hours? And do they expect people to apply for a job with more hours even if it's a temporary post and then expect them to leave a permanent post of less hours to do it if they were offered the job?

Is ESA moving to UC??

Linnet you are assessed as a couple. Assuming you have a child aged over 12 you will need to earn nmw x 70 between you.

"And do they expect people to apply for a job with more hours even if it's a temporary post and then expect them to leave a permanent post of less hours to do it if they were offered the job?"

Yes they do.

Yes gym ESA is moving too that's what I'm on dreading it.

It is SOOOOOOOOOOO fucked up!

Gym
Income related ESA is replaced by UC in the relevant areas. Contribution based ESA is not replaced - so if you are working the right length of time and pay NI then you would apply for Contribution based ESA. If you have savings or a partner who works that might be all you apply for. If you need help with housing costs or support for children for example because you can’t work and have no income/savings you claim ESA and UC. If you don’t have NI contributions then any payment benefits due to illlnes would be based on why you can’t work and your income/savings so all come under UC.

I had no idea. I thought ESA was 'safe'. Fuck :(
I feel sick.

When is this happening?