Can someone explain this? (Universal credits)

[TiredMummy18]

I’m a recently single mum of 2, work full time but currently on maternity leave.

I’ve logged onto my universal credits this afternoon to see what my first payment will be and it says zero. So I’ve clicked where it says your payments explained and it says this:

Your standard universal credits allowance is: £317.82.

Take-home pay

Take-home pay is what's left after tax, National Insurance and any pension contributions have been deducted

Pay from employment £563.92

Your total take-home pay for this period is £563.92

The total we take off for take-home pay is
£355.27

Total adjustments

We have adjusted your payment based on the details you gave us. This includes adjustments for any income you receive which is not take-home pay as well as adjustments for any capital you may have.

If you need help with this, please call 0800 328 5644 (Textphone: 0800 328 1344).
Total adjustments
£355.2

So what does this mean? That I’m not entitled to anything while on maternity leave?

It sounds like it.

The first £192.00 of your take-home pay doesn't affect your Universal Credit monthly amount. Every £1.00 you earn in take-home pay over this amount reduces your Universal Credit by 63 pence.

What was your total before adjustments? Was it just the £317.82? Is there no allowance for support for 2 children?

I’m on hold to to them at the moment to see if they will explain it to me because I can’t see how they think statuary maternity pay is enough to survive on, it’s not even enough for my rent payment! I’m going to have to go back to work early at this rate.

Looks like they have not added your child element on. They have done this to a lot of people recently.

Spoken to them and that’s exactly what’s happened! The lady at the job centre appointment never asked for the kids birth certificates so I have another appointment on Saturday to show them so hopefully all will be sorted before my payment date on Tuesday!

Glad you got it sorted. A lot of the staff do not know what they are doing !!

Phew!! Glad you got it sorted quickly.

I was never asked to show BCs for my girls, they used my eligibility for child benefit I think. At least now you'll get a fair bit more.

Are they aware of your rent? I also get an allowance for housing benefit.

That’s one of the things I need to show at my next appointment at the job centre, I couldn’t find my tenancy agreement (which is actually out of date now anyway) so I’ve asked my landlord for a letter just stating the address and what I pay. I’m sure on the entitled to website though that I wasn’t entitled to any help towards rent but we shall see.