New to Universal Credits and waiting for first payment

HarleyQuinn45

I have a couple of questions if people wouldn't mind answering for me.

I have recently had to apply for UC for the first time due to a job placement ending (contract ran out and there was no more work)

Anyway I applied for UC and now on my home page it says "If you're entitled to universal credit you will be paid in 1 day, How much you will get paid depends on your circumstances from 8th July to 7th August"

So how do they not know if Im entitled or not? I originally thought that it was a week after the entitlement period as it takes that long to say your are or not entitled to X amount and then 3 days for the payment to process through the banks.

Also in 1 day is a Sunday. How am I supposed to get any money on a Sunday? I did ask the job centre and she just said yeah on that day they will decide and pay you. When I again pointed out it was a Sunday she just shrugged and said yeah.

Annoying thing is that if I lived 2 miles in the right direction (different county) or finished work 2 weeks earlier I would have been entitled to Income Support.

Please can someone put my mind to rest and say that I will (hopefully) have money in my bank in time for my electricity DD on Monday.

I did start a new job on 9th August, which I have told UC about so hopefully once this gets sorted it will be fine, Im just worried about this coming week.

Mersey_2

There is a 7 day 'waiting period' for both JSA and UC where no benefit is paid. There's then a 5 week wait for UC to be paid.


Not sure what you mean by 3 days - although this is usually the delay between payment being processed by a JCP and being received.


Have you attended a JCP and handed in docs and had the claim set up as live?


Even though UC claims are dealt with online, they are not fully processed until they are actioned by DWP staff.


But from what you say the online alert presumably means 1 working day. Best calling on Monday though - as they can advance a payment if you are in financial hardship and an urgent one will reach your account the same day.


*Advance payments aren't something they advertise, but due to UC taking so long to reach claimants, this provision is available - but needs to be requested by calling the UC national contact centre. Essentially it gives you the £ you are entitled to a few days/weeks early in cases where delay would cause hardship. It's merely requested over the 'phone, ie there are no forms to complete before it's actioned (as this would cause further delay).

HarleyQuinn45

Yes I had the 7 days as I applied 1st July. The claiming period starts on the 8th July.

The 3 days I was referring too was that's how long it takes for a BACS payment to be made. Someone in a company will arrange a payment to another by BACS (its the cheapest way) and it takes 3 days to hit the bank account of the person receiving the money.

Ive attended 3 meetings at the job centre, the first was to go through the claim then a further 2 shorter meetings about what I was doing in regards to looking for work.

Originally it said something like "you will get paid in 44* days" and this has gone down by 1 every day including weekends.

Im not after an advance as Ive waited 6 weeks as it is. Also that would be no good for my electricity bill due out Monday.

*note to say it might have been a different figure to 44, its just to show that its days not working days.

red_devil

join the facebook group universal credit survival lots of help on there

HarleyQuinn45

Thanks, Ive asked to join. Just hope it gets approved ASAP.

I was hoping that a benefits section on a money forum would have lots of help or at least could tell me what is likely to be going on. Im just wanting someone who has had experience getting UC to tell me if my example is normal and others didn't know if they were entitled till after they were paid or if I should have a decision and a payment amount/date by now. Just seems weird how after 6 weeks nothing has been said if Im entitled to it or not.

[Deleted User]

I really would advise you to cancel the electricity DD until money is in your account. The last thing you need is to have to pay bank charges.

sammyjammy

Cancelling the DD won't work if the payment is due tomorrow.