Swapping jobs

Marta123

Wondering if anyone could help - I am in employment at the moment, put my notice in on Monday and my last day is friday the 17th August. I wanted to go to see my family for a couple of days before starting new jobs on monday the 3rd of sept. So my question is when do i inform Universal Credits about leaving my old job and starting new ones? We receive universal credits as my husband is ver poorly and doesnt work at the moment. My wages wont change. Can universal credits sanction us for me not working for 9 days? Would they take it as intentional making myself unemployed? Thank you in advance

Marta123

Anyone can help?

Ineededaname

The problem here is that you are voluntarily losing pay because you want to take two weeks off. By voluntarily losing that pay your universal credit payment will be higher - basically you are asking the taxpayer to help fund your two week holiday!

If this was picked up on then yes, it could lead ot a sanction. You should report the changes in your circumstances when they happen, so you report that your work has ended on your last day of work and then report that work has started on your first day in the new job.

What you have to do for universal credit is dependant on your earnings, so reporting you have finished work doesn't necessarily mean you would be booked into an appointment. By the time the lower wages have registered you will probably already have started your new job. It's possible that all this will happen without any contact from Universal Credit. Impossible to tell you for sure without knowing exact wages, dates etc.

So in simple terms - yes a sanction is possible, but possibly rather unlikely.

Marta123

Thank you

Comms69

Its normal to have annual leave left over, could you not have used some of that?

naturaljazz

I would have thought you have holiday due to you? So using that for the gap is understandable. If your new job starts on Sept 3rd then you are making yourself unemployed, leaving a job voluntarily. That can be tricky as it is sanctionable for 13 weeks if its the first sanction. 17th August to 3 September is not a couple of days, so DWP will not look on this favourably as it leads to loss of earnings. But as the new job doesn't start until 3 September you will be attending the JC and doing work searches anyway, even with the job lined up you must show willing to take any work. If it was me I would jump through the hoops at JC and go away for a few days in between appointments.

Marta123

Thank u all for replies. My last day is really on friday the 10th august then i have 5 days holidays left therefore i said my last employment date is friday the 17th. It turned out that my new job starts now on tuesday the 28th. So i really have 5 days off without any job. In that time i would like to go and see my family. So when do i tell uc that i have finiahed and starting new job?

calcotti

https://www.gov.uk/report-benefits-change-circumstances Says report changes straightaway.
I don’t think you’re going to get a definite answer to this but I would be inclined to report the change on 18th August. Include details of new job, employers, hours etc.