Anyone on universal credit? Extra rent due to leap year?

[CoralMoose]

So today I had a phonecall with my landlord she told me that because of the leap-year I would have to make extra rent payments.
Universal credit will only pay for the 52 week year not 53

She said I need to pay £50 a month from this month until March,I only found out about this today

I don't understand how it's so much? It just one week?

Anyone else had this ?

Don't know how I'm going to afford it

Had a couple of interviews this week so praying I get those 🤞🏻

Your landlord is havering. Leap year is one extra day. There are still 12 months or 52 weeks in a year.

UC pays calendar monthly. 12 payments.
If your rent is paid to landlord calendar monthly you will make 12 payments to them in the year.

If your rent is 4 weekly you make 13 payments to landlord in year.

Your UC assessment each month for housing is your annual (52 wk) entitlement divided by 12, so each payment covers slightly more than a 4 week period.

If your rent is 4 weekly you will eventually have a UC assessment period where they pay you one housing payment but two 4 weekly periods will fall due.

It's not one extra day, it's one extra Monday. For five or six years there have been extra days that haven't been paid for. This year that extra day is Monday so if it's your rent day then you will make 53 rent payments this year instead of 52.

@oviraptor21 This has gone over my head. If there are 52 Mondays in the previous 3 non-leap years, how have they had "free" days? If not and there are 53 Mondays on such a regular basis that there are apparently free days (surely the most would be 3 years and not 5/6?) which then have to be paid for by the service user out of money they haven't budgeted or been prepared for, despite it being a known problem to the service provider, then that service is not fit for purpose.

There are always 12 months in a year and 12 1st of the months. Why don't they move to a monthly system?

It's real unfortunately, I'm just confused about how much I actually should be paying

OP...it's not a 53 week year! A Leap Year has one extra DAY (not week).

Normal year = 365 days
Leap Year = 366 days

(One extra day)

My council has the same policy as this

I have been paying extra a month since April I am in council property they explained they do this every leap year it seemed odd to me but they said they have this every leap year
They said its because how universal credit calculate housing and it doesn't add up right for leap year

I believe it's one weeks rent as I am paying just over a 5 a month x 12 isince april and I think my monthly rent is 70 a week I pay monthly 1 bedroom flat

I wish my housing association had done this, they literally just told me, I had no idea.

I'm. Rent officer, this is correct. There are 53 Mondays so you get charged 53 weeks rent. It happens about every 7 years.
Your HA should have told you in April though so you could spread it over the whole financial year. HAs, councils, charities and Shelter have all complained to the DWP but they refused to budge and will only pay UC over 52 weeks.
They have to charge you though as full rent payers pay the 53 weeks and it would be unfair to only charge you 52.
You need to ask them for an agreement to pay it back over a longer period of time as they should have told you in April.

I’m social housing, and I have to pay my rent monthly. I don’t get benefits, but surely it should all tie in?

Hi, thanks for the information. So it's correct that I have to pay a whole month extra not just one week extra?

No it's one week extra as UC will have paid for 52 weeks so you will need to pay one full week on top.

Well that would be sensible, but when it comes to various benefits it is a wibbly wobbly timey winey thing.

I went to uni in my 30s when I became disabled. If I claimed the maximum student loan I kept my benefits. If I didn't then they reduced the benefits by the amount I could get from the student loan company.

I'm in a two bedroomed HA property which is designed for disabled people, so low light switches, wide doors, high plug sockets.

I get my full rent because I have a carer. If I didn't have a carer I would pay the bedroom tax. Or I could move to a one bedroomed place, not suitable and apply for it to be adapted.

It's the same for me except I'm on legacy benefits, my rent is usually 50 weeks because we get 2 rent free weeks at Christmas but this year we have to pay 51 weeks. It doesn't matter to me because I pay by standing order 52 weeks to build up some credit for when I move to UC & don't get my rent paid for the first 5 weeks.

It's not the same for you actually. Housing Benefit does cover the 53rd week so if you're on HB then you won't have a week's shortfall.
Building up credit ahead of moving to UC is a separate issue.

Thanks, I'll give them a call on Monday

You will only be effected if you are on a weekly tenancy.

Universal Credit work out your rent by taking the weekly rent and dividing it by 52 and paying it on a monthly basis.

This financial year there are 53 Mondays/weeks, UC legislation does not recognise the 53rd week but it's there and rent is due for it unfortunately.

Its an anomaly that happens approx every 7 years.

If you are on a weekly contract you will need to make payment for the 53rd week not covered by Universal Credit.

@CoralMoose I can't see that you've answered this anywhere, it's important - is your rent per calendar month, or weekly? What does your tenancy agreement say?

I know UC pays it monthly, but when does the tenancy agreement say it's due?

It says weekly

Bugger. I was hoping you'd say monthly and that would mean you don't need to pay any extra!

But if you are charged a weekly amount I can't see any reason whatsoever that they'd think you'd need to pay a whole month extra! Perhaps it was a slip of the tongue when she was on the phone to you?

It's true.

Mine called me and I had to amend my direct debit by £15 a month to cover it because there are 53 Mondays in the year and UC won't cover the extra

Will they be putting it down after do you reckon? Swines!