UC - AET

KCJA1989

Hi,

Quick question. My partner and I have been informed we need to apply for Universal Credit. 

I am currently working. My contracted hours are 15 per week, though I often work more. If I have a rare period where I am working only my contracted hours, over a month we should just scrape into the £541 AET. The problem, however, is that I am paid weekly and I understand that some of the AET periods will only accept four weeks while others will count as five weeks for persons paid weekly. Is this right?

Obviously, any assessment period counted as a "five week month" will take us up and beyond the minimum, whereas a "four week month" could leave us just below. 

Does anybody know if they take this into consideration e.g. do they take it month to month, do they average the earnings out over a few months, annually? If we are below the AET for a particular month, what happens next?

I hope I've made the situation clear! Any help would be much appreciated. 

Spoonie_Turtle

You have an assessment period, which is one calendar month (e.g. from the 15th of the month to the 14th of the following month). So it will depend on your individual AP dates - it starts from the date you submit your claim - and how your payments fall between them.

EDIT: Though I don't off the top of my head know how they work out the AET in terms of variable earnings. I just thought knowing how the actual assessment periods work may be useful for making sense of whatever you find out about the AET.

Spoonie_Turtle

Oh, does your partner also work? For a joint claim they look at combined earnings of both claimants.

NedS

KCJA1989 said:

Hi,

Quick question. My partner and I have been informed we need to apply for Universal Credit. 

I am currently working. My contracted hours are 15 per week, though I often work more. If I have a rare period where I am working only my contracted hours, over a month we should just scrape into the £541 AET. The problem, however, is that I am paid weekly and I understand that some of the AET periods will only accept four weeks while others will count as five weeks for persons paid weekly. Is this right?

Obviously, any assessment period counted as a "five week month" will take us up and beyond the minimum, whereas a "four week month" could leave us just below. 

Yes, you have that correct. Earnings are calculated on a 1 month UC assessment period, so if you are paid weekly, some months will have 4 pay periods, and others will have 5. That is how it works.

There are 2 AETs - your personal AET of £338/month which you will always exceed even in a 4 week month, so you will be in the Light Touch regime meaning you will not be required to attend appointments due to your earnings. Then there is the couple AET of £541 which you may fall short in a 4 week month. Depending on your partner's circumstances, they may be required to attend appointments following a 4 week month if your household earnings fall below the couple AET. However, by the time the system recognises this, and your partner is booked in for an appointment, you may be back over the couple AET as nothing happens quickly on UC. Really, don't worry about it :-)

KCJA1989

Thanks for the replies, you don't know how much it means.

My partner isn't working at the moment (she's recently given birth), sorry I should have explained that in the original post. 

I work in retail and hours are being cut left and right, and we're definitely on the quieter part of the year at the moment (from October through the end of last year I was working 30+ hours weekly). Ideally, I'll get enough hours to be well over the threshold and this won't be a problem. 

The "Light Touch" regime's information seems quite vague from what I've read. If we are between the AET and CET, how much interaction would we have with them and what is expected (again, the terms don't seem specific from what I've read - i.e. "I'll do everything I can to look for work"). 

Assuming I've had a "four week month" and have fell below the AET and have to attend a meeting, what happens then? If I explain to them that the next month will be back on track, is that likely to be good enough or will I be penalised? 

I'm just worried about applying for Universal Credit. I've heard so many horror stories about it - we've unfortunately been left without choice. How likely are they to dole out sanctions, for example? I'd hate for us to get in trouble for making a genuine mistake like missing their phone calls or not doing something right on the portal. 

I love my job. In an ideal world, I'd get full time hours every week - I'd snap their hand off - but it's not realistic at this time. My fear is because the hours aren't full time consistently, they'd want to push me into another job - can they do this? 

Sorry for all of the questions! It's been a stressful time. Thanks so much.

calcotti

If your partner is looking after a baby she has no work search requirements.

KCJA1989

Yeah, that's what I thought. It would be solely on me to provide the AET - as I say, on some periods this won't be a problem at all.

Could anybody answer the questions I have on post #5 if possible? 

I can't thank all of you enough. I didn't sleep a wink last night with all of this. My wife was rushed in for an emergency caesarean yesterday when all of this dropped through the letterbox. Mother and baby are doing well, I'm just trying to make sure we still have a home to come back to! It was a crazy day. Thanks again.

calcotti

https://www.uceplus.co.uk/light-touch-regime.html

I think, as NedS has suggested, if you are dipping in and out the inevitable DWP delays in responding to things may well result in you not being affected. However different people with different work coaches may have different experiences so I don't think you'll get a definite answer.

KCJA1989

Would I be likely to be pushed into a "full time job" though somewhere else? Can they do that? I'd love to have more hours in my current position, the more the better, I just fear being made to apply for a job with more hours working somewhere that I would hate.

NedS

No, you will not be pushed into a full time job somewhere else. No one can force you to leave your current job.

If your earnings are more than £338/month they will leave you alone - no appointments, so just accept your commitments and carry on in your job.

If at the end of your assessment period (UC month), the system sees that your earnings are less than £338, the system creates an action for the work coach to book you an appointment. It can often take a week or more before a work coach may get to it. It is then not uncommon for the jobcentre to be booking appointments 2-3 weeks in advance, so if your (un)lucky they may just about get you booked in for an appointment with a work coach towards the end of your assessment period. So you turn up to that appointment, tell them that you're already working, trying to increase your hours, and that last month your hours dropped a little but this month you've already had more hours. The work coach is delighted because (a) you already have a job and are working, and (b) you will likely already be earning enough to go straight back into light touch regime again next month. So the work coach is thinking, great, nothing for me to do here, move along. The last thing they are thinking is how can I force this person who is already working and doing the best (s)he can, into taking another full time job. Especially when that work coach has another 100 customers who don't want to work / haven't worked for years on their caseload. If all their customers were as good as you they would be delighted!

KCJA1989

Thanks for the reply.

As it's a joint claim, am I right in thinking it's £541/month - is this still the case though my wife is looking after a newborn, am I still expected to earn over the joint AET (£541) or because of that am I only expected to earn over the single AET (£338). I expect that I am expected to earn the joint total by myself but just thought I would clarify, if somebody could.

What I do find frustrating is that if I were to be paid monthly, even on my base contract of 15 hours per week I would be nigh on the threshold (i.e. 15h/week * hourly rate * 4.333333), whereas being paid weekly on a "four week month" (i.e. 15h/week * hourly rate * 4) would inevitably leave us slightly under, and the "five week months" (i.e. 15h/week * hourly rate * 5) would inevitably take us well over. Do you think they would take that into consideration? 

Thanks again.