Universal credit counted last months wage again

[Googoodoll87]

Hey, hope I’ve put this in the correct place. Hope someone can help me.

I have just logged on to view my universal credit account to see I am being awarded £0 for this month. It looks like they have counted my last months wage together with this month.

My assessment period last month which was the first time I’ve applied for UC, was from 29th of January until 27th of February. I was paid on the 28th of February. And I received a payment based on this.

This month my assessment period was the 28th of February until the 28th of March and I was paid on the 28th of March. I’m always paid on the last Wednesday of the month apart from in December when paid early.

I don’t understand why they would count my first wage again when I’ve already received a payment calculated from it. I think that’s what they’ve done anyway.

Can anyone help? Will they put this right? I’ve left a message on my journal but of course it’s closed bank holidays so I can’t call until Tuesday.

Thank you

They do not have access to your bank account. They take the date that your employer reports your earnings through HMRC.

But there were 29 this year.

I feel really sorry for you. It's absolutely shit and as a single working parent they did this to me. I ended up having to cut my working hours down so I didn't earn too much which sorted it out some how. It was years ago now so I can't quite remember how the reduced hours helped (and my kid was in nursery). Under this rule with UC I ended up in a lot of UC debt and fines (not debts I had taken out) as they were counting 2 lots of pay in one assessment period many times and my employer refused to change the date I was paid.

The problem I had was the same as yours.

They can't change assessment period dates . You will just need to ask for an RTI dispute each time it happens but if the problem is that your employer is not correctly reporting earnings then it should be easily solved by them doing this.

I fear you may have this a lot and will have your UC manager on speed-dial!

Actually I see it a bit differently, from the employers side, when the wages are submitted correctly to HMRC as part of payroll is not always the problem.

Plus paying employees, a couple of days early as a goodwill gesture for Christmas, shouldn't cause such a problem, but it seems to.

Having worked with many companies who have both payroll in house, or with an external accountant, or ADP, this still happens.

I've spoken to 5 UC Managers, in charge of cases for 5 employees. All say they have this endlessly, all the time. They have to adjust the settings, post a salary received into the previous month or into the next month, so it's within the employees correct claim period.

If 5 UC managers say it's a recurrent problem that they have to address it all the time, what does that tell you?

They all told me to tell the employee that if it happens again to contact their case manager. (Up until then none of them even knew they had a claim manager!).

You need to try to keep some of your UC back for when you get a month with a zero award. I get paid every four weeks so get paid twice once a year.

It didn't stop them making our assessment period end on the 27th when really it is the 29th. This meant it looked like my husband wasn't paid so obviously we got a very large amount which we have split and kept back for this month's zero award. It smacks of laziness not to note the length of February this year and keep it to the 29th.

Unfortunately you made the error of applying for UC too near any potential pay days. It's advised to apply a week either side of you average pay day. No help to you but for others reading this who are yet to migrate over.

Surely it should be 28 feb to 27 March

Then 28 March to 27 April

Hiya. I've been messed about so incredibly much by UC with wages and APs. They basically told me they can't move wages forward into the next AP?! Anyway been going on for months and 2 out of the past 3 months I have received less than £50 UC putting me and family in extreme financial hardship
What is the process of taking them to court like? How much does it cost? Do I go get half hour free with a solicitor?
Thanks

They will be going off the date that is on your payslip not the physical date that you got paid

There would be no point. It won't change anything.

Hi how do you check this iv downloaded the hmrc app and i cant see where is says they reported earnings to uc iv had to report my earnings my self and i dont no why as im
not self employed