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

RTI is an earnings feed received from the HMRC to UC when an employer reports earnings. It’s the only way UC picks up what someone has earned- the system wouldn’t know otherwise. The high majority of RTI disputes are employers reporting incorrectly.

I don't know anymore

I get paid on the 15th of every month. My first assessment period after employment was 14/02-13/03 but no deductions were made
This month my assessment period was the 14/03-13/04 and that's when the deductions have been made. Is it because they didn't deduct last month??

Real time information. It's how your employer reports your earnings to HMRC and what feeds into UC system.

A complete nightmare apparently as employers often make lots of mistakes using it.

That will be it then. You've had 2 paydays in one assessment period.

@Myusernameismud so will the calculations on their end be right and will it go back to normal next month?

It could be that- especially if the employer didn’t report it on time in the first month. They could have just added both wages together and reported it as a lump sum.

@CatToddlerUprising thank you for your help. The thing is, if it's an employment error (which I think it is and I think what you suggested is what's happened) then will they be able to do anything? or will I miss out because my employer made an error?

This is my month not to have any UC. It should tell you what your employer has told them you earned in the last assessment period. Does it look like your wages for the last 2 paydays? I’ve been paid twice this assessment period so it looks like I earn double what I actually do.
I get paid 4 weekly and was told this would happen once a year.

I had a similar situation OP and unfortunately I got zero UC that month. I raised a dispute and that got me nowhere. They said it was my employers fault and that they could only act on info from HMRC. Therefore I got nothing back. I’m in council tax, mortgage and utility arrears thanks to that cock up. My wage is static and doesn’t vary. My sympathies but I doubt you’ll get anywhere. You’ll get told to budget for a variance which is an absolute joke.

The first thing to do is to ask the employer to report the earnings- if they refuse them ring the service centre and ask for an appointment to raise a dispute. Or if you feel the employers won’t be willing to help- just ring and ask if an appointment. The HMRC can then deal with the employer. Turn around times can vary on this. It may be that nothing can be done with the lesser UC amount as you received two wage payments in one assessment period but it is worth a try.

Also my wage never falls within an assessment period it was that my employer failed to actually put me on the sodding payroll for nearly 3 months and gave me emergency payments instead.

I think I've been really stupid and I'm sorry if I've wasted anyone's time

I started my job near the end of February- got paid for that week and a half added onto March's pay. Of course I updated UC when I started my job on what my salary was, hours etc. However last month my UC wasn't deducted at all. This month's UC has reported last months wages as being this months wages. I'm not sure why that is? But they think I earned X when I definitely didn't this month. I don't know who's in the wrong now- me, UC or employer but they've claimed this month I earned last months wages, which I definitely haven't. I'm so confused now

So last month you got the full entitlement and you shouldn’t have? So they’ve taken it out of this months, as well as what should be deducted? So over the 2 months it has evened itself out?
Could that be it?

UC (and I know it isn’t a perfect system) wouldn’t know about your wages unless your employer reports it to the HMRC. Because you were paid once but with extra earnings that’s why the deductions are higher than you were expecting.

@PersianStar I think that could be it but nevertheless my employer has still given the wrong information.

It isn’t your fault either!

@CatToddlerUprising even though that was for last month?

Unfortunately yes- as you were physically paid it all as a lump sum. It would be different if you received some wages for Feb during the Feb to March assessment period but the employer didn’t report it until they paid you again in March

This gives abit more information- data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-0759/Real_Time_Information_v5.pdf

If you had no deductions for wages the first month then you would have got more uC however you would also have missed out on the work allowance ( if you get one ). So it does sort of balance out but you lose that.

Is there any point in me going then?

Rti depends on employers reporting promptly though we have 5 days I think to report following payday. Ideally you uc window shouldn't be so close to payday, ask them if it can be altered

Its just travel for me and DH to the Jobcentre is £30 there and back (hours bus each way and car is broken down) so I don't want to waste that money if there's no point

Been to Jobcentre.

They said there has been a glitch between them and my employer and they'll open a case but it won't be sorted for this month I'm also potentially getting a rebate in the next few months but they said it'll affect UC- another thing to look forward to.

A rebate will only affect your UC if it's from this tax year and comes through your wages. And I'm fairly certain because it's a new tax year now, that won't happen. DH is due a rebate but he missed the cut off to ask for it to be paid in his wages, so it'll be a cheque at some point in the next year. That won't affect our UC at all, but had it come through earlier it would have.