Universal Credit

[Kay1953]

I have recently requested for my U C payments be paid fortnightly and it has been accepted. My next monthly payment is due on the 27th of October. As I thought U C is paid in arrears, I thought I would receive my full month's payment on the 27th (a month after my first payment) and any future payments would be made every 2 weeks. I've been told instead that the payment on the 27th of October will be half of my monthly amount and the other half will be paid on the 10th of November. I don't really understand. I would have been due a month's payment on the 27th. I now have to pay a month's worth of bills with half the amount of money.
Can anyone explain how this works please?

I'll try and help you understand.

• everyone has an assessment period which is one month long
• your assessment period is 21st of month 1 until the 20th of month 2
• you get paid (normally) once per month, 7 days after the end of the assessment period.

For you, that normally means:

• 21st January - 20th February, paid on 27th February
• 21st February - 20th March, paid on 27th March

21st March - 20th April, paid on 27th April.

The money you are paid each month has to last you right around until the 26th of the next month, when you are paid again.

You have asked for twice monthly payments. So now, it looks like:

• 21st September- 20th October, ½ paid 27th October, ½ paid 11th November
• 21st October - 20th November, ½ paid 27th November, ½ paid 11th December

You're still getting the full amount. It still has to last you one month. But they are splitting your payment in half to help you budget, so you can't spend all the money at the beginning of the month and have nothing left at the end of the month.

"Then, I thought instead of waiting another month for a payment, (so the 27th Nov) after approx 2 weeks, I would have received a half payment for 27th Oct - 10th Nov then on the 27th Nov another half payment and so on."

You will receive the half payment on 11th November, but it is just half of the amount that you are due for the month before, saved up for you.

How much do you usually get ?

if your dates are 27/26 you would usually get paid I’m guessing around the 4th of month ? It’s usually a week ish from the assessment date weekend depending

or are you saying you get paid on the 27th of each month so your assessment period is actually more like 21/20 of each month

I do understand where you’re coming from - but it’s because the assessment period remains monthly. They won’t assess how much you should be paid for 27th Oct - 10th November until 27th November. They can delay half of the monthly payment to help you budget, but they can’t shorten the assessment period and assess and then pay more frequently. You’ll still be getting the same amount of money.

Lougle

Thank you.
So you get paid a week after your assessment period ends?
I think this might be why I'm getting confused.
It makes a bit more sense now.
Thank you for taking the time to write your detailed post x

Yes it’s about a week later

mine is 26/25 and I get it on the 3rd

Can anyone request to have half every two weeks and is it easy to ask for or does it increase the chance of issues this may make it easier for me to budget but I don’t know

Yes. People who are paid monthly, once per month, receive the money that was due during their assessment period one week afterwards. Our assessment period finishes on the 7th of each month and we get the money due on the 14th.

People who are paid twice per month will get ½ of their money 7 days after their assessment period finishes, and ½ of their money 22 days after their assessment period finishes.

Anyone can ask, but it's not guaranteed. Bear in mind that, as @Kay1953 has found, if your rent is due at the beginning of the month and you ask for 2 payments, you'll only have half the amount of your UC to pay for it.

Another way to get twice monthly payments without splitting UC, if you work, is to claim UC mid-month. We deliberately started our claim on the 8th of the month so that our payment would be on the 14th of the month, because DH gets his wages paid at the end of the month.

So your assessment period ends and you would usually get full payment. Now your assessment period ends and you get half payment then a couple of weeks later the other half. If you were given full payment now then half payment a couple of weeks later, your half would be essentially getting paid early. UC is a monthly assessment period so the monthly period needs to pass before payment can be made whether that's 1 or 2 payments

You didn’t receive the full months pay THEN request for it to now become paid every two weeks. You requested BEFORE and DURING a month of assessment, so they have split it straight away on your next payment whereas I think you thought that would be splitting on the next monthly period.

Sorry for the capitals, it’s to highlight the difference on where I think you have misunderstood