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Original poster

Universal Credit Incorrect salary reported by employer

18 replies

JasHallo · 31/01/2023 08:42

Hi,
I was working a job and got paid monthly ( paid on 30th or 31st of the month). This was for about 3 months.This January I got paid on 27th Jan. This month on the UC website, I have been put as having earned December and January's pay, all for January, so I dont get any UC.

So the problem is that it says on UC website that I earned too much (December wages and added it to my January wages) so that I am now in Surplus payments of about £350 that will be deducted from my next UC payment :(

What can I do as I am being cheated out of money that I need?

OP posts:

Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 31/01/2023 08:58

Happened to friends (couple) of ours right before Christmas a few years ago. They tried to fight it and asked for them look at it again however UC still classed it as a double payment. So they received no money in December reduced in January. We helped them out as best we could as it was Christmas and they have disabled children like us.

Apparently your employer needs to report that you get paid on the same day every month even if you are paid early otherwise it could happen again.

Many companies are not aware of UC rules. It’s completely ridiculous and unfair it’s not a double payment. My friends were paid a day early that’s all! As normal payday fell on a weekend I believe. I can’t believe they’re allowed to get away with it.

ThreeFeetTall · 31/01/2023 13:38

This is the way UC has been set up. I think it's outrageous and can't believe there is not more in the newspapers about it.

ThreeFeetTall · 31/01/2023 13:39

Also people that gets paid 4 weekly get this happen around 3 times a year! Madness.

JenniferWooley · 31/01/2023 14:08

In theory this would mean you'd not have a payment in your qualifying period for the following month & get more UC but as this is February & a short month depending on your qualifying period dates may not fall in your favour.

If your pay date is supposed to be the last day of the month then that's what your employer should report as your pay day to HMRC - even if that day falls on a weekend or a bank holiday.

Drives me insane when people in my team don't override the system (which automatically defaults to last working day) to correct this... I was repeating it like a mantra in December with all the early payments due to Christmas & yet when I've gone in to run reports I can see pay dates of 23rd & 30th when it should be 25th & 31st!

The only way to correct this is to get your employer to rerun the pay run & report correctly to HMRC which given it's so late in the day & will affect every other employee in the run they are unlikely to do.

LakieLady · 31/01/2023 21:07

If your pay date is supposed to be the last day of the month then that's what your employer should report as your pay day to HMRC - even if that day falls on a weekend or a bank holiday.

There was an HMRC circular about this a couple of years ago. Our payslips now show the last day of the month as the pay date, but include a note saying we'll be paid on the last banking day.

Original poster

JasHallo · 06/02/2023 23:21

So when will I be paid what I am owed! This is thievery from the government!

OP posts:

Badbudgeter · 06/02/2023 23:41

It is a bit awkward with next month being February. I assume your assement period runs to 27-29th? So you have double wages this month, single wage next month and no income in the assessment period in March? I'd write a note in your journal and see if they can shift the payments into the correct assessment period. They can do and there was a case if you google.

JenniferWooley · 07/02/2023 07:08

JasHallo · 06/02/2023 23:21

So when will I be paid what I am owed! This is thievery from the government!

It isn't really - they've followed the correct procedure for the UC payments based on the information they have on income you have received in your assessment period.

The issue is that your employer has paid you early & reported this to HRMC meaning you have actually received 2 salary payments in your assessment period so you aren't owed anything.

I would suggest that you request a letter from your employer explaining what has happened & that your payment date should have been after your assessment period ended for January, upload this to your journal with a note & hopefully they'll move the payment into your February assessment period - however if your assessment period is 29th to 28th then you may end up with the same issue in February if they do this.

UC is a good idea in theory but doesn't work in practical terms if you're paid anyway but monthly & your employer can fuck it up by not following correct RTI reporting guidance.

HumptyNumpty76 · 07/02/2023 07:25

ThreeFeetTall · 31/01/2023 13:39

Also people that gets paid 4 weekly get this happen around 3 times a year! Madness.

I'm facing that this month. Really going to struggle. 😟

unicornsarereal72 · 07/02/2023 08:06

I had this in December. Got paid early. I notified UC in my journal and they shifted the early pay day into Jan. Call them and let them know what has happened. It took about a week to sort. But that was over bank holiday weekend also.

Babyroobs · 07/02/2023 13:52

ThreeFeetTall · 31/01/2023 13:39

Also people that gets paid 4 weekly get this happen around 3 times a year! Madness.

Its not really madness. If you are paid four weekly, there is one month a year where two paydays will fall in one assessment period. This is because when paid four weekly you have 13 paydays form work and only 12 UC assessment periods. In this scenario you get paid more in UC for all the other 11 months compared to someone who is on the same annual salary but paid monthly. So it all works out exactly the same over the year. You just need to be careful to put a bit away on each of the eleven months where you get paid more Uc to cover the month where you get less or none.

Original poster

JasHallo · 10/02/2023 17:17

UC have said that they have done an "earnings dispute" That there is no time limit to the response. This sounds like an absolute con!

What would be the "earnings dispute"? Thanks

OP posts:

Lougle · 10/02/2023 17:57

The earning dispute is that you're saying that you got paid differently to the information they have. Technically, you did get paid on 27th, but you should have been paid at the end of the month.

If anyone reading this has a choice, and is monthly paid, don't make a claim near the end of the month. Make it in the middle, so odd payment dates don't affect you. We deliberately claimed on the 8th of the month to avoid it, having read stories on MN.

unicornsarereal72 · 10/02/2023 19:05

The earning dispute is to raise your query. Give them few days and nudge them on your journal. Took 5 days to get mine resolved over bank holiday weekend

Royaro · 16/02/2023 00:02

Hi did you get the money your owed from universal credit.

my work did the same thing to me and I raised a dispute one week ago and yet to hear from them.

Royaro · 16/02/2023 00:03

My work said they contact and updated HMRC with correct dates and figures. universal credit are yet to come back to me it’s been nearly 2 weeks

Jas5mum · 16/02/2023 00:07

You have to tell them and they can manually move it to the next months assessment period. I used to advise people on benefits at work. Its a stupid system and its caught us out before too.

Royaro · 16/02/2023 00:17

I have told them. And they replied saying they have raised a RTI dispute.

feeling stressed and anxious as it’s almost been 2 weeks

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