Will UC fix this and what do I do for the rest of the month?

[UCNIGHTMARE]

Hi all, bear with me while I explain this.

We depend on UC (unfortunately) to make ends meet right now. However, this month they've been given the wrong earnings from my employer of around £200 difference (they think I've earned about £200 more than I have). As a result, they've taken nearly £300 off UC (this is including paying them back from our advance) and we're due to be paid on Thursday. I'm going to the job centre tomorrow with my payslip to prove how much I've earned this month, but realistically, they're not going to fix this before Thursday are they? what am I going to do for the rest of this month? Feeling so stressed right now

They're not going to be able to fix it that quickly, no. They can make same day payments if it's wrong, which has happened to us before. We moved house and our rent was over £200 more. When they didn't pay the difference, I called and it was paid by the end of the day.

That doesn't sound right anyway. They only take 63p in every £1 you earn so you should only be £126 down not 300. I'd be double checking that too.

I will definitely ask them to go through it and check it but I've looked again and it's definitely nearly £300 they've taken off so when you had your problem, they managed to fix it the same day? Or am I reading that wrong?x

I just don't know how we're going to make ends meet if they can't fix it tomorrow

Because they'd made the mistake and not us they paid the money that should have been paid the same day. So yeah, they fixed it immediately, but I don't know how different that is to your situation.

I'd be asking why they took so much, it's only meant to be 63p in every £1.

I have to add that aside from that problem when we moved house, we've never had any problems with UC and we're definitely better off than we would have been on tax credits.

Tbh I don't know who's fault it is. I put in my earnings when I got the job (three months ago) but my employer has reported a lot more than I have earned. So I'm panicking they'll say it was your employers fault, not ours and therefore they either don't have to do anything or wait until next month

How often are you paid ? If you are paid four weekly then there will be one assessment period in the year where two.pay days will be counted. Could this have happened ? If you are paid weekly then again payments can vary.

Four weekly but it's a salary divided monthly I believe.

Ask for a foodbank referral when you attend the Jobcentre. It doesn't solve the payment mess up but will give you some support in the meantime.

Not sure what you mean when you say a salary divided monthly . If you are paid four weekly then it could be that you'vw been paid twice in your assessment period. If so theres nothing that that can be done as that 's the way UC works.

When is your uc period?

Do more than two paydates fall into it?

Okay I've checked my payslip and work payroll yesterday and I've definitely only been paid once. Sorry if I confused you; I'm on (a low) salary and I get the exact same every month. I definitely haven't been paid extra from my employer and I haven't done any overtime so I don't know why they reported my earnings to be something completely different to what I got

I also get paid on the same day every month. Universal Credit is four weeks, normally on the same day every month.

Universal credit is montly not four weekly.

What does your online journal say?
That's the best way to check how much your payment is going to be and how they've calculated it.

Well it's always been paid on the same day every month, so yes I think you're right it being monthly. My journal says I've earned X when I haven't, hence them deducting Z. Really hope they can help tomorrow, the job centre is an hour away by bus

Btw I'm going to the jobcentre after contacting them via the journal on Monday and that being their reply today.

The earnings for UC come from the HMRC. You can request an RTI dispute but you’ll probably first be asked to contact your employer to check if they reported your earnings correctly I.e. on time to the HMRC. UC has no way of knowing your earnings without your employer reporting it to the HMRC. If your employer refuses to look at it- ask for an RTI dispute to be raised. Check your last 2/3 pay dates, do more than one fall in your assessment period? The assessment period will show on your UC statement

If you need an RTI dispute- take copies of your payslips to the Jobcentre. But you may need to book an appointment first- the form can take a little while to fill in. It then goes to a different team who liaise with the HMRC, they will then ask your employer to correct it.

Case manager raises a RTI dispute. This goes to RTI dispute team who contact HMRC. HMRC contact employer to confirm earrings and tell them off for not doing real time info correctly.

Your employer needs to report your wages properly. Could takes between days to a week or so.

If it creates an underpayment then that will be paid before your Next UC pymt.

Make sure you check with them why your payment was 300 less from apparently earning 200 more. It should be 126 less.
Hope it goes well tomorrow, keep us posted.

A Work Coach in the Jobcentre can raise the RTI also as it asks for copies of payslips to be scanned in and attached. It’s worth ringing the service centre and speaking to them directly and they can either arrange for you to upload the payslips to your UC account or an appointment to go in to the Jobcentre. Unfortunately it happens frequently with employers.

@Myusernameismud I will do, it wasn't bang on £300 but very close.

The only thing I can't think of is my assessment ended two days before payday for this month? But that shouldn't make a difference if I earn the exact same every month, should it?

What's a RTI?

Were you definitely not paid more than once during the assessment period?