Paid in arrears Universal Credit

naturaljazz

Hope someone can help with this one - I claimed Universal Credit on November 5th 2015. I got Universal Credit on December 23 2015 (6 weeks after signing on). I started a job as a teaching assistant, 34 hours a week £12,100 per annum actual pay, in January 2016. I got some Universal Credit in January and February, less due to earning as you would expect, but non after that. No idea why, the helpline was vague and said I would get a letter. No letter yet. But I am wondering when I will get the 6 weeks Universal Credit money from when I first claimed? Will I now receive it as I no longer am entitled to benefit? It was social housing rent allowance and also personal allowance. I definitely did not get paid for the first 6 weeks of my claim. Thank you

TELLIT01

UC payments are a mess. You will need to keep on at them until they sort it out.
Do check carefully the dates the payments you received were to cover.

naturaljazz

Yes I have checked the dates, there is a 6 week gap. Thank you I will put it in writing to them and keep copies. Thank you

TELLIT01

naturaljazz wrote: »

Yes I have checked the dates, there is a 6 week gap. Thank you I will put it in writing to them and keep copies. Thank you

I would also call them. If UC is anything like as understaffed as other areas, it could be months before you get a reply to a query made by post.
Alternatively, do write, giving a date for response, and then raise a formal complaint if you hear nothing. Formal complaints do tend to get a reaction.
It's a pity that such action is required, but it's the reality.
If issues had been dragging on too long, we actually used to advise people to contact their MP. MP's letters seem to be answered very quickly, although I can't imagine why! :-)

Bella57

You don't get paid for the first 7 days of the claim. The first payment you received in December was for the first month starting on the 8th day of that claim,-called the assessment period (ie 11/11-10/12/15) Each subsequent payment will be for the same month dates (11th to 10th, and is paid the week after (on around the 17th) Earnings received in the assessment period will be taken into account so if your earnings for that month were greater than the amount of UC allowance you won't get any UC. So you need to check again the periods you've already been paid for.