Universal credit / finishing work

[7ardmore]

Hi all :)

I’m 35 weeks pregnant and due on 23/02/2020.
I’m single & in full time employment. I just started this job in November (too good to turn down as it’s a job I’m able to come back into with a perm status after years of doing temp agency work!) not entitled to SMP. After weighing up everything I believe universal credit is the best option for me - been advised I am entitled to £908 a month to include rent - this with my Personal independence payment of 319 a month will be enough for me and baby to survive on ( I had a tumour removed from spine 3 years ago hence Why I’m on a disability benefit ) - May have further complications with birth and be able to claim sickness through UC after 13 weeks I believe. Not overally knowledgeable on the whole benefit system so really looking some advice on the following

• I finish work on the 30th Jan and I have applied for UC just this past week - I get my last pay on the 15th Feb, does anyone know if I will be denied it as I will be due this last pay package on the 15th Feb (monthly pay which will be about 1200) and if I am denied it do I have to start from scratch or can I just report a change of circumstances which will be me not working and due a baby a week later? Hope I haven’t made this sound to complicated. It really is something I haven’t much idea on.

I haven’t applied for Maternity allowance as UC seems the best option as the wait time for MA to even look into a claim where I live is currently 15 weeks plus

Yes it would have been better to have claimed after your last pay day as depending on the amount of your pay it could just wipe out any entitlement for the first month unfortunately. If you claimed maternity allowance then it would only be deducted from Uc pound for pound anyway.

Claiming the sickness element ( Limited capability for work ) element of UC will involve an assessment to see if you are fit for any type of work. If you are currently employed then they may well see it that you can work ( because you currently do )unless your situation gets significantly worse.

Thank you for the feedback :)
My initial question really was whether or not I would have to start from scratch with a new UC claim and would it take a further 6 weeks from the date of my last pay to hear anything or is it as simple as reporting a change of circumstances or a whole new claim

. it is only understandable that I would get NIL payment due to me getting a full months wage on the 15th Feb.

I’m not planning on claiming the sickness element but I may be able to. It will all depend.

Ive been advised that there may be complications with my labour & recovery due to where I once got my spine opened up. - also been told I’m lucky to even be able to carry a baby but I defied those things odds. I hope I don’t have to claim the sickness and element though as I would rather not suffer for a few extra pound after the ordeal i went through before with my health. Health is your wealth!!!

I only work now as my mental health suffered more in the long run then the pain I am in. I cope well but could be on the sick if I wanted to but I made the choice to go back to work a year ago.

Maternity allowance is looking like a 14 week wait for a decision and I think I have left it to late now as I was advised UC from the beginning. I am clueless on this side of the benefit system. I was only ever on ESA support group that’s all I really have knowledge on but I choose to try work and although it hasn’t been easy physically, it has helped me mentally in so many ways and my employers have been great and it’s an office job where I sit down all day

I am worried after my last pay on the 15th will have to do me & baby for the 6 week wait for any UC or decision :( I believe this is where uc disadvantages people

Ideally you should have put in a claim for Maternity Allowance, you can claim from about 29 weeks IIRC, and request for it to start on 31st January (day after your last day at work). Then you would claim Universal Credit on 16th Feb (day after last payday).

Depending on the actual date of your UC claim you might be better off just closing it and starting a new claim on 16th Feb.

That's the best way of maximising money coming in and making sure you're not missing out on the benefits you're entitled to.

Once you are actually on UC you will be able to claim the Sure Start Maternity Grant (but you should register the birth and claim child benefit first).

PS You can and should request an advance payment of your UC, this will tide you over for the 5 week wait for the first payment.

Are you in touch with the father? He should pay child maintenance after baby is born. If he refuses you can call CMS to get it set up.

"Once you are actually on UC you will be able to claim the Sure Start Maternity Grant (but you should register the birth and claim child benefit first)."

Sorry please ignore that last part (in brackets) - you don't need to register the birth and claim child benefit before you can apply for the SSMG. You can apply as soon as you are in receipt of UC.

Ok I will do that then for MA I will submit my form tomorrow. Every benefit advisor hasn’t even mentioned MA to me and has just told me about UC so I really thought it was best.
I will think about cancelling this UC claim and starting over then on the 16th Feb.

Oh I am in touch with him, we didn’t work out but I believe he will pay child maintenance without any bother he does want to be a part of baby’s life

Ps I made the claim for UC on Wednesday

"Every benefit advisor hasn’t even mentioned MA to me and has just told me about UC so I really thought it was best."
Not sure who you have spoken to but in my experience it is unfortunately common for advisors to forget about contributory benefits (mainly new-style JSA and new-style ESA, but also maternity allowance) when they are advising on universal credit - because UC as replaced so many benefits I think a lot of people forget to consider the benefits that still coexist with it.

In most/all cases it doesn't make much difference in the end. As a PP said, your MA will be deducted from your UC so you will get the same in total. However, it is relevant at the beginning because you are eligible for MA from 31st Jan whereas you are only eligible for UC from 16th Feb. Also MA is paid every 2 weeks so in theory (if the bastards weren't so slow at processing claims!) you would get some MA payments from 31st Jan onwards which would help while you are waiting for the first UC payment (around 23rd March, although as I said you can request an advance payment before that).

AnotherEmma - Do you think it may complicate things if for example it takes weeks for them to process the MA claim then it gets paid in a lump sum and needs to be deducted from UC ? How is it deducted. I can't say I've ever helped anyone in this situation.

I always do advise people to claim for example new style ESA if they have entitlement to it as circumstances could change and the person may no longer be entitled to Uc for example if they inherit money or move a partner in who earns well.

Babyroobs
Excellent question and I was wondering that myself. I have no idea if they would count it all as income for the assessment period in which it is actually received, or whether they would go back and recalculate the UC award for the previous assessment periods (ie when the backdated MA payment should have been received).
I have colleagues in the "help to claim" team with more detailed knowledge of the workings of UC, I could ask them.
My guess would be that a backdated lump sum would only be counted in the assessment period when it was actually received (therefore no UC entitlement that month) but it's just a guess and I would want to look into it to be more confident of my answer.

Looking at gov.uk maternity allowance page, it says

You should get a decision on your claim within 40 working days.

That's 8 weeks. But of course the page is probably not updated with current processing times.

I guess it could be a large back payment and would be counted as an overpayment which needs to be paid back. If only counted in the assessment period that it was paid then it could be carried over as surplus earnings. I just worry that claiming MA could perhaps just cause more problems.

I agree, it might do.
OTOH, claiming Maternity Allowance from 31st Jan should make OP about £338.90 better off overall (MA for period 31st Jan - 15th Feb).
Not sure whether that is worth the risk of causing issues with the UC claim.

Thank you ladies for the advice. I will submit my MA form tomorrow.
There was honestly no mention of MA to me until I got rejected for SMP just the other day.