Bonus and universal credit

[baap]

I am about to receive a bonus at work (I do not know they amount) but I am worried it may push me over the amount I can earn before my universal credit is stopped but still not be enough to cover my bills (if that makes sense). If I were to sacrifice my bonus into a pension would it still effect the amount of universal credit I revive next month?

I got some back pay which I took over three months so although I did loose out it wasnt all in one go .I've also had colleagues take the extra money but then took a week or two of unpaid leave which meant they got some extra annual leave in lieu of the money .

Contributions to pensions are disregarded as income for UC, so this would be a legitimate means of keeping your income stable and avoiding a reduction UC payments (however, it might cause some disruption in the short term if there is a lag in calculations).

Thank you! If it is disregarded then why would it cause disruption? Sorry for the questions, I’m just so worried about how it will work out and don’t know what to do for the best.

I've heard of instances where income increases have been paid and then put into a SIPP. This wasn't taken into account in UC calculations, so UC payments were reduced. It took a bit of chasing and repeated communications for the reductions to be then paid at a later date.

If your bonus is being paid into your pension by your employer and doesn't reach you as part of your net pay, I'm not sure if you would experience this disruption.