Should I apply for UC now? Maternity leave

[naggy095]

I'm currently on maternity leave. My company pay full pay for the first 15 weeks on mat leave and then it reduces to SMP for the remaining 24 weeks. Based on my personal circumstances it appears I would be entitled to UC.

I get paid monthly. My full pay ends second to last week in October before going to SMP the last week in October, so I get my last full month of full pay end of September. I know there is a 5 week wait from when you apply to when you can expect first payment and that it's paid in arrears. I'm not entitled to UC for the month I get full pay but I am for the month where it reduces. Should I apply for UC now or wait till next month when the pay has reduced? I'm not really sure what happens with UC applications. If I apply now and I'm not entitled to anything because of my full pay will they then close my application down or leave it open and see what I will earn the following month?

You have to wait until the change has happened so you can't apply in advance, they will close the claim.

Ideally you should apply after your last full pay. Is it a joint claim ? If you are not entitled to anything your claim should stay open you would just be awarded zero. Your Uc pay is based on earnings in your monthly assessment period and the payment seven days after the last day of your assessment period reflects that.

@Babyroobs it’ll be a joint claim and my partner gets paid weekly, his pay also varies each week

I'm a bit Confused? You don't become entitled to UC because you are on maternity leave? So were you eligible based on your income before even though you are employed and just chose not to claim any?

So your partner doesn't earn much? Have you worked out household income?

@twinningatlife I know but I will be entitled because of our household income when my pay reduces to SMP. I’m not entitled when I receive my full salary and wouldn’t have been entitled before because this baby is my first so wouldn’t have got the child element before.

@PileOfBooks yes I’ve worked it out based on our joint incomes when my pay reduces to SMP. Online calculators and my calculations show we’d be entitled to something.

based on your personal circumstances you would be entitled to UC

is that whilst receiving full maternity leave pay from your company or after it drops to statutory maternity pay?

if the later then as pp states you can't claim until after your last full maternity pay from company - otherwise your claim will be unsuccessful due to earnings being to high

So basically you mean child benefit then?

How much does your partner earn? Are you paying a mortgage or renting?

For example I used my details using DH salary of £20k a year and paying a mortgage with me being paid SMP and that's it and we'd get £6 per week UC

UC I my case is made up of
Child benefit
SMP
Plus the £6.57....and that's it....

@ivykaty44 thank you, I’ll wait until after my October pay then

@twinningatlife no child benefit is separate to UC I already get that, I meant the child element of universal credit. This is what the online calculator is telling me I’d be entitled to once I receive SMP only and also taking into account my partner’s earnings.

Following because I actually plumbed this in for my family today with two children and it told me I'd get precisely nothing (other than child benefit of course). I've had my SMP in a lump so I have zero income attached to me, DP earns a decent wage but it's not millions by any stretch. Maybe I need to go and have another play with it!

[quote naggy095]@twinningatlife I know but I will be entitled because of our household income when my pay reduces to SMP. I’m not entitled when I receive my full salary and wouldn’t have been entitled before because this baby is my first so wouldn’t have got the child element before.

@PileOfBooks yes I’ve worked it out based on our joint incomes when my pay reduces to SMP. Online calculators and my calculations show we’d be entitled to something.[/quote]
You must have a pretty high rent to be entitled to UC with 2 of you earning?

[quote naggy095]@ivykaty44 thank you, I’ll wait until after my October pay then

@twinningatlife no child benefit is separate to UC I already get that, I meant the child element of universal credit. This is what the online calculator is telling me I’d be entitled to once I receive SMP only and also taking into account my partner’s earnings.[/quote]
I really don't think you'd get £177 a week unless you have a pretty high rent?

@Babyroobs yes I’m in London our rent is more than the local housing allowance rate for our area.

[quote naggy095]@Babyroobs yes I’m in London our rent is more than the local housing allowance rate for our area.[/quote]
Ok that explains it then. Do be aware that if your partner is paid weekly and/ or you receive smp weekly then your Uc will vary each month depending whether four or five paydays fall in your Uc assessment period.

You need to apply for UC the day after you get your last full pay through (or the day after your contractual pay date if that is later). Your UC will then be based on whatever you and your partner are paid starting from the day you apply to one month minus one day later - this is called your "assessment period".

So for example, assuming your next pay is your final full pay, and that your contractual pay date is the 25th of the month, your next pay date would be Friday 24th Sept. Your contractual pay date is later, so you could apply for UC on the 26th Sept. Your assessment period would then be 26th to 25th of each month. You will receive your first UC payment on or around 31st October and this will be calculated based on pay received between 26th Sept to 25th Oct inclusive.

The reason I have said to wait until after your contractual pay date is because employers are supposed to report earnings based on contractual pay date rather than actual pay date where pay dates move due to weekends or bank holidays. Many don't do this accurately, but assuming they do report accurately, waiting to claim until after your contractual pay date ensures that this pay isn't taken into account in your first UC calculation.

1 get paid monthly. My full pay ends second to last week in October before going to SMP the last week in October, so I get my last full month of full pay end of September You need to make the claim on the date that you start receiving SMP.

@8dpwoah you don’t have zero income, to received a lump sum! However the same principles apply to you as OP. If you’ve received enhanced maternity pay from your employer, you can apply for UC on the date that you start to receive SMP. It depends how much your DP earns though as to whether you are entitled though.

That's true, I phrased that wrongly, I meant I don't have a regular sum attached to me if you see what I mean. I don't think I'll be entitled to anything anyway with DP wages and my redundancy pay (until I've battered that of course), it just piqued my interest that OP will get something but the London rent explains that I guess.