To be furious and sad about cost of living payment criteria

[NoGolfForMe]

I've just found out that for the THIRD time, the cost of living payment assessment dates fall on a month where I got zero Universal Credit, so I am not eligible for it. The reason I got zero UC is because I happened to have two paydays in that month (I am paid 4 weekly).
I mean, what are the chances? Three time this has happened! I'm on an extremely low income and it would have made such a difference to me.
AIBU to think this is a stupid way to decide who's eligible?

YANBU is there any chance you could speak to someone on your online journal? Explain the situation to them because it seems extremely unfair.
we’ve had this problem throughout the whole time we’ve been on UC (not just about the cost of living payment we’ve managed to have that)
but when it’s around May because there’s so many bank holidays and because sometimes our pay goes in like a couple days earlier they count it as double income and reduce our payment right down to about £300 for the month.

they don’t seem to understand that has to cover two lots of bills, food etc.. I see it as if people are eligible it shouldn’t matter when the payday lands personally.
One of my friends is on tax credits and it doesn’t seem to affect her in respects to when she’s paid from work she just gets the COL payment as she’s eligible, UC can seem like a backwards system sometimes.

Am in this exact same position, it's so unfair and just because of being on a 4 weekly pay we too don't qualify for it either just bevause of when they have picked the assesment period. So upsetting

Umm, seems more than a coincidence! I wonder if this has been planned this way?

I'm also thinking this is deliberate.

That is appalling.

I think that local authorities have discretionary funds they can allocate to people. If I were a local authority and I knew someone was on a low income and had missed out on £900 because their exact payday didn't align with what rishi sunak thought it would I would certainly be diverting funds their way and sharpish. I think it's called discretionary fund or something.

Please ring your local council in the morning and explain that you want to apply for discretionary payments as you are on a low income and haven't had the cost of living payments.

@NoGolfForMe This may actually be up to your employer, there is nothing that can be done if you have two pay days in one assessment period if you are paid 4 weekly as UC is paid monthly - 12 payments a year and you get 13 payments from wages per year, this is something often crops up on benefit boards I am on, however if your employer is paying you early due to the bank holiday then they should be reporting your wages on the day you are contracted to be paid not when you actually are paid, the DWP can only go by the dates your employer gives them and cant be blamed if they are not given the right dates this is what the law says.

In tax law, the date that employers should submit for payments of wages/salary in PAYE RTI FPS is the date in an employee’s contract, not the actual date of payment.
For example, if an employer chooses to pay staff on 18 December 2020, but their normal payment date would be 31 December 2020, they should report the payment date as 31 December 2020.
The same applies where employees are paid a day early or late owing to contractual pay date falling on a weekend.
The reported date is particularly important for employees who claim universal credit (UC), because UC awards are based on the earnings that claimants receive within a calendar month starting from the date they first claimed, rather than what they earned for that month. I would speak to your employer to stop this happening again.

So its not stupid when things are actioned correctly

Sorry @NoGolfForMe it wasn't you who was taking about being paid early due to bank holidays I will reply to the poster who did

@CrazyHedgehogLover if you are being paid early due to the bank holiday your employer should be reporting the dates when you are contracted to be paid not when you actually are if your employer is not doing this then it is not the fault of the DWP as they can only go by what your employer tells them, this is what the law says.

In tax law, the date that employers should submit for payments of wages/salary in PAYE RTI FPS is the date in an employee’s contract, not the actual date of payment.
For example, if an employer chooses to pay staff on 18 December 2020, but their normal payment date would be 31 December 2020, they should report the payment date as 31 December 2020.
The same applies where employees are paid a day early or late owing to contractual pay date falling on a weekend.
The reported date is particularly important for employees who claim universal credit (UC), because UC awards are based on the earnings that claimants receive within a calendar month starting from the date they first claimed, rather than what they earned for that month.

I would speak to your employer to stop this happening again.

That doesn't seem fair at all. I'm on tax credits and got it no problem. I would contact the council and see what else you can apply for. Also apply for the warm home discount.

We miss out as well because i got paid twice In January so no universal credit in feb. Literally earned £5 to much 😪

It does seem, .a ridiculous system because no one is actually being paid twice ,just the dates very ,we are on tax credits ,and ours went on no problem ,although tax credits are far from perfect too!