Payments due to those who receive Universal Credit

[HarleyQuinnFan]

The news keeps posting about the 2 payments people may receive if on Universal Credit. The first should be paid between 14th July to the end of the month.

My question is, if you work full time and get Universal Credit top ups, are you eligible?

Usually the words “may be eligible” means not eligible if you work.

Does anyone who how the criteria is worked out?

Not been able to find out but I work f/t and get UC, no indication either way, nothing on my UC page

It’s annoying isn’t it? Because I’m guessing it’s more than likely that we won’t get it.

Just because you work full time doesn’t mean you can pay all the bills now.

Yes if you ahve a UC award whether working or not you will get the £650 cost of living award with the first payment of £325 due from mid July onwards.
From what I ahve gathered the only reason you would not get it is if you sometimes have a zero award ( because earnings fluctuate ). I think you need to have received a payment of Uc in the assessment period between 26/4 and 25/5 this year. if you ahve an ongoing award paid each month then you will receive the payment.

What makes you think you wont get it?

Because it says may be eligible. Not will be. I’m not eligible for free school meals or grants because I work full time.

Here is the eligibility criteria.
www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment

If you were receiving a qualifying benefit on May 25 you will get the first payment of £326, the qualifying date for the second will be decided later but the payment is likely to be October.

It’s says may be eligible because you I had to have a UC payment during the specific time period.

my partner works full time but we will get it.. you will get it as you are on UC
I’m not entitled to milk tokens anymore as partner works but are getting the grant

You might not be eligible if you get a nil uc payment

personally I think you should budget as if you won’t receive it just to set your expectations. Then if you do receive it, it’s a bonus but not something you’re reliant on

Actually the guidance is 100% clear to me, I’m not sure why you’re confused? It says:

To get the first Cost of Living Payment of £326, you must have been entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of either:

Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022

What don’t you understand about this? You need to go through your universal credit statements and check the dates. If your assessment period ended between 26/04/22-25/05/22 and you received some UC, you’ll get the payment?

If you have a payment each month from UC then you will get it.

It actually also goes to those of us on tax credits too which surprised me.

If you’re working full time, I really hope you do. I’d be raging if I was you and you didn’t get it!

Yes that surprised me considering you can be on tax credits and still have any amount of savings.

frustrating if your payday dates don't tally.
I get paid on the last fri of every month so some months I get paid for 4 weeks, so I get a small payment.
If I get paid for 5 weeks then I'm not entitled.
Luckily if was a 4 weekly wage for the entitlement period.
Same goes for if you get paid 4 weekly or any schedule other than the same date each month.
Can't understand why UC assessment periods are not matched to wage paydays.
I did a calculation previously and with the same annual wage the amount of UC differs with how often you are paid, which isn't fair at all!

I get paid the last working day of the month. And my assessment period is 20th to 21st each month.
I guess I’m trying not to get my
hopes up as I’m not entitled to free school meals or anything because I work.

I’m wondering if Dd will be eligible.

she works but didn’t realise that her high London rent meant she was eligible. She applied in April but due to the time it took to come through her first payment came through at the end of May.

@Comefromaway when did her first assessment period end?

@HarleyQuinnFan free school meals and prescriptions always had a much lower income threshold to qualify.

Is it likely to show on payments when you login?

I'm not sure. On 1st June she texted me to say she hd received the money into her bank account.

I think it is being treated as a blanket payment. There’s been no indication of an income buffer like with free school meals/nhs prescriptions.
when rishi announced it he mentioned those who work on low incomes and receive uc so no reason why we shouldn’t get it.

Oh no, I get paid 4 weekly and although it is august that I get two payments in a month from my employer it was this months award that I didn’t get any universal credit payment as they took my last 2 wages into account. Sounds like I may not get it for that reason. We are very much living month to month with nothing spare recently so it would have been a great help 😞

@Comefromaway it sounds like her assessment period qualifies