Universal Credit - when to claim after final pay check?

SP82

Hi all,
My husband lost his job this week - he was the main earner and although I work full-time, I earn a lot less than he did, so I am hoping for some help in the form of Universal credit until he can find a new job (eligibility calculator says we should qualify for this).
He's been told he will receive his last pay check on 20th December. As long as that actually happens, we should be okay money-wise until the middle of January. Do we wait until then to claim, or should we do this straight after his final pay check so there's no delay?
I can't find any advice online about when exactly to make the claim and I don't want to get it wrong and there be a delay in receiving the payment. We really can't afford to live on just my wage.
Thank you in advance!

elsien

It's paid monthly in arrears, so I'd start the claim as soon as his employment officially ends. That way you can apply for an advance loan if you need to.

Icequeen99

elsien wrote: »

It's paid monthly in arrears, so I'd start the claim as soon as his employment officially ends. That way you can apply for an advance loan if you need to.

But the last pay may still be taken into account. OP the answer depends on what date his employer uses in their submission to HMRC. What is his contractual pay date?

If they physically pay him on the 20th December, and you were to claim on say the 21st, if the employer sent the information to HMRC on the 22nd, then DWP would think he received the pay on the 22nd and it would be taken into account in your first UC assessment period.

IQ

SP82

His contract says he will be paid on the last business day of the month, but he was always paid on the third Friday of the month.

Icequeen99

SP82 wrote: »

His contract says he will be paid on the last business day of the month, but he was always paid on the third Friday of the month.

Then it really depends on what his employer sends to HMRC. They might put the date they make the payment. Or they might use the contractual pay date or some other date. That will determine when it will be taken into account by UC.

IQ

Hula_Beula

I hope this isn't too late but put in a claim the day after your husband's last pay. I finished work on the 29th October and I signed on, on the 1st Nov. My last wage went into my account on the 15th Nov, so I wasn't due to receive my first payment of Universal Credit until the 8th January. They closed my claim on the 4th December because I had money on the 15th November and they don't tell you that your claim has been shut down (always keep an eye as they can't be trusted) I found out on the 9th December that my claim had been closed, so now I can't have my first payment until 15th January. I have asked it to be backdated to the 16th November to the 8th December in the payments section of my journal but almost a week later, they have not acknowledged my message.

So in a nutshell, put in a claim the day after payment.

ps get him to ask his employer when they send things to HMRC, it is normally about five days before payment.

calcotti

Hula_Beula wrote: »

So in a nutshell, put in a claim the day after payment

As explained in previous posts, while the principle is sound, that isn't necessarily correct. It isn't the day payment is actually paid that matters. It is the payment date reported to HMRC by the employer which may be different.

Hula_Beula

I also said ask your employer when they send everything off to HMRC. Saying that though. My emploer sent everything off to HMRC on the 10th November but HMRC but the DWP wasn't notified by HMRC (even though they share the same database) until the 2nd Dec, closing my case on the 4th Dec.

calcotti

Hula_Beula wrote: »

I also said ask your employer when they send everything off to HMRC. Saying that though. My emploer sent everything off to HMRC on the 10th November but HMRC but the DWP wasn't notified by HMRC (even though they share the same database) until the 2nd Dec, closing my case on the 4th Dec.

It's not the date the employer sends the information to HMRC that counts either. The employer is supposed to notify HMRC of the 'usual' payment date even if the payment is made earlier or later than usual (due to a weekend, bank holiday etc). Unfortunately employers often get this wrong which then mucks up how the earnings are taken into account for UC.

Employers are supposed to report to HMRC on or before the payday. If they report late I think this also mucks things up.

See pages 3 and 4 here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/839773/English.pdf

OP, ideally your husband needs to find out what day will be reported as the pay day to HMRC. Claim UC after that date.

SP82

Wow, it's a bit of a mine field, isn't it! From his payslips, it looks like although they pay their employees on third week of the month, it doesn't get submitted to HMRC until the last day of the month, so we'll miss out on nearly 2 weeks of UC due to not being able to claim until 2nd Jan. Thank you to everyone for your input

calcotti

SP82 wrote: »

Wow, it's a bit of a mine field, isn't it! From his payslips, it looks like although they pay their employees on third week of the month, it doesn't get submitted to HMRC until the last day of the month, so we'll miss out on nearly 2 weeks of UC due to not being able to claim until 2nd Jan. Thank you to everyone for your input

When budgeting bear in mind that if you claim on 2nd January you will not get a payment until 9th February unless you request an advance. If you do request an advance this is a loan which is repayable over the next 12 months so it does reduce your future payments.