when to make UC application for unpaid part of Mat leave

[Sailawaygirl]

I had my last Mat leave pay check last week and I am now on the unpaid part of Mat leave for 3 months. I have some money to live on for next few months before i go back to work in November (but pay check wont be until end of November or even December). On benefits calculator I am entitled to about £170 UC a month (which would really help).

Can I put in my claim now for this month (August) as pay check was for July or does July pay count as income for August?

Its been a while since I've claimed benefits and not got experience of UC.

If this is a new claim to UC the people to speak to are Help to Claim.

Universal Credit is, as you probably know, calculated and paid monthly. Each month is called and Assessment Period (AP).

If you claim today your first AP will start today and end on 31 August with a first payment on/about 07 September.

If you receive any salary during an AP then, subject to Work Allowance and the taper, it will affect what you get. Nothing you received in July, which I understood to be when your last Contractual/Statutory Maternity Pay was paid will affect what you get in an AP starting now.

If however you get (say) some arrears of holiday pay during August it will count though, as you get a Work Allowance, it would need to be several hundred pounds to actually reduce what you get.

If I've understood correctly claiming ASAP is the way to go.

@Bromptotoo thank you for clarifying. I will put in claim today