Harshness of uc

Angelina_Soprano

My friend was on ESA, she started work and honestly told the job centre that she was employed from 25th September - she did not start physical work until a week later and because of zero hours work and way timesheets set up and paid IN ARREARS only got paid in November - then over CHirstmas - no pay becauuse sessional in university, then delayed payment in January, then no payment over Easter. Now top this - she applied for benefit becuase of illness on week after working for last time in May this year - UC sent her a letter to say reapply on line - for UC not ESA which she did - heard Nothing - then asked to go for an interview - then still nothing - she got paid IN ARREARS for work carried out in January and April - in June and July so UC said she did not qualify for anything - she now has no money - this system is very harsh and cruel to people trying to make a living on zero hours - she has post grad degrees and works in universities - because the government has interfered with freelancers - the universities prefer agency workers who get paid less than 25% of total income - the wages are not ringfenced. when one speaks of minimum wage that is for everyone but academics are supposed to be paid a ringfenced wage in university and agency workers are feceiving less than half of that pay - before tax and other expences such as insurances, dbs checks, cpd, endless rounds of updates from government etc. It costs her over £1000 to keep uptodate with essential memberships and professional association payments and she doesnt earn enough to pay tax - what a sham this country is - it treats people like this when they have studied 7 years for this work - and all self funded too. By the way, messing about with UC means also countcil tax is messed about with - she can earn £25 one week and then $100 another week term time only - and payment can be 4 months late - simply because students neglect to sign the worksheets off and the agency cannot trust the worker to have carried out the work if the student hasnt confirmed it... what a sham so my friend struggles over Christmas etc and then becuase paymetns in great ARREARS canot claim UC ... surely this should be cleared up - the job centre offer NO help whatsoever via journal or over phone - they say youve had the money - your not entitled - but surely its about not being physically able for work - and the payment is ARREARS .... they were quick on the mark at the beginning of ther emplyoment when she had NO MONEY FOR THREE MOTNSH - surely they can only have one rule - payment or work - not use both rules. sorry 0 spellings horrible - both my retinas not good - but still some physiotherapist on a weeks course at ATOP will know more than an eye consultant surgeon of 39 years, when he.she examines me for health and disability assessment in the middle of this month.

[Deleted User]

Sorry but it would be much easier to read in paragraphs, I lost the plot after the 6th line, if you click the "edit" button on your OP you can make some spaces.

poppy12345

Paragraphs help, far too difficult for me to read that way....

w06

Likewise I lost the will to live halfway through your post, but actually what you're describing is a casual worker for a university and the effect of varying wages.

Almost everyone is paid in arrears, you don't get paid in advance for work generally. But having to claim with a time sheet means that she has an additional delay, that's not UC's fault.

It's far from a perfect system but it's what we have to deal with now.

(i've way more than 7 years of uni education and no job at all at the mo, i do feel your friend's pain)

tomtom256

My understanding is that any money received during an income assessment period is counted as income in that period as that's when it was paid, regardless of what period it was for.


Not sure whats harsh in that.


If she is unable to work has completed the relevant sections in the journal and notified them she is unfit for work?


I think the above covers what you are on about, but it's not overly clear.

calcotti

Once on UC whether wages are paid on time or paid late should make little, if any, difference to the total benefit received over several months. If you are earn in one month but are not actually paid anything you get full UC payment, if the following month you do no work but your earnings from previous work come in then your UC is reduced. Had the wages been paid at the time they were earned the Uc payments would simply have been made in different assessment periods.

Arguably UC works better because it only takes account of earnings when they are received. If the DWP said that because you worked this month we can't pay you anything while you were still waiting for your wages that would be harder to live with.

Weary_soul

Imo UC is a VERY harsh benefit system, that many charities have pointed out is set up to create as much hardship for claimants as possible.

Thats why some are crying out for it to be halted and restructured. You don't have to look very far to see how bad this will be for the working people of this country.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Universal+credit+failings&oq=Universal+credit+failings&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64.6548j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

huckster

Child poverty action group are taking it to court soon to seek a judicial review of UC, as to how Real Time Earnings via HMRC is dealt with.

Think the argument is that when say 2 months wages are counted within 1 assessment period, causing a NIL UC award, that it could lead to children suffering.

Although of course the parents might have received another UC assessment period with a higher payment as no earnings data was considered, I think the argument is that UC should consider their responsibility to the children, when the parents might not have been aware of how UC works or parents due to disability or other issue have not budgeted money over several months.

Will be interesting what Judges decide. What responsibility does Government have in enabling people to properly manage their money over a period of time ?

welshmoneylover

huckster wrote: »

Child poverty action group are taking it to court soon to seek a judicial review of UC, as to how Real Time Earnings via HMRC is dealt with

Will be interesting what Judges decide. What responsibility does Government have in enabling people to properly manage their money over a period of time ?

Don’t wish to be rude but surely it is the individual who is responsible for their own budget/money and not the government?

It will be interesting to read the outcome.

Alice_Holt

One of the difficulties I find with UC is the length of time it takes the DWP to consider a MR.

Since UC now encompasses HB, TC, ESA or JSA into one payment, if the DWP get it wrong then all income into a household can stop - regardless if that household includes children. A a household can be without income for a couple of months whilst the MR is awaiting a decision. If that MR decision is incorrect, then it will be more months awaiting the Tribunal hearing.

This is particularly difficult for right to reside / habitual residence cases. Contacting the (laughably named) UC helpline doesn't improve matters.

annandale

If you are paid a day early unexpectedly like I was earlier in the year it can mean a cut in your next uc payment that you have not planned for. I got 80 pounds taken off my next uc payment as I was paid one day early. How exactly are you supposed to plan for that?