Lost temporary job due to Corona Virus lock-down - only got £18 for a MONTH of Universal Credit

makara

Fuming here...after losing my job (full-time temporary) on March 24th, I applied for Universal Credit on March 27th (as I knew the DWP's phone lines would be busy, so left it for a few days).

Come May 3rd, I was given a measly £18 for the WHOLE MONTH of March 27th to April 26th...why?  Because I was not made aware that as I am paid a week in arrears, my last work payment being paid to me ON March 27th itself subsequently got declared by my employers to the DWP...pretty much cancelling out the £400 of U.C. I was due to get, bar that pi$$ing £18.

I phoned the DWP to complain, and the lady said it's not just me   - they are getting calls ALL THE TIME from people who lost their jobs due to Covid, then put in a U.C. claim, waited over a month - and then found they got ZILCH like I did   - all because the U.C. claim system isn't set up properly to warn of this when applying.

The "right" thing to do I was told was to have waited one day later (March 28th) - and THEN put in the claim.  But it's not my (or others') fault   - it's the pathetic system.

When I asked if anything could be done to recover the balance of money, I was told no   - and that the DWP MIGHT address the concerns that she and her colleagues have told their chiefs need addressing to stop people losing out on what they are rightly owed.

Pathetic.  I now see why people who can do so avoid paying taxes by any means.  The government and the DWP should be ashamed of themselves.

NedS

That is how UC works I'm afraid. You have not missed out on anything - you were not entitled because of the earnings you have received in the UC month (assessment period). Next month, assuming you have not received any earnings, you will receive your full UC entitlement.

On the bright side, you will likely make it up at the other end of your claim when you go back to work. Say you started work on 1st June, and are paid monthly in arrears, receiving your first pay packet on 30th June, you would also receive a full month's UC 3 days later on 3rd of July even though you've been working for a month and just been paid a whole month's money - because that's how the system works. So don't worry, you've not really lost out.

makara

NedS said:

On the bright side, you will likely make it up at the other end of your claim when you go back to work. Say you started work on 1st June, and are paid monthly in arrears, receiving your first pay packet on 30th June, you would also receive a full month's UC 3 days later on 3rd of July even though you've been working for a month and just been paid a whole month's money - because that's how the system works. So don't worry, you've not really lost out.

I didn't think the DWP took that into account   - I thought they look at when you START the new job, as opposed to when you get PAID for it?
But if what you say is correct   - then do I assume if I get a job that again pays WEEKLY (and not monthly), then I will only be entitled to around 1/4 of a month of U.C.?  i.e. is getting paid a week into a new job (rather than a month) a "bad" thing in terms of getting U.C. entitlement?

Nannytone

They take into account anything you earn during the assessment period.
So a weekly paid job paid a week in hand, wouldo mean you would possibly be paid twice during that assessment period which was most likely wipe out any entitlement to universal credit for that period, depending on what point during your assessment period you start working

calcotti

makara said:

NedS said:

On the bright side, you will likely make it up at the other end of your claim when you go back to work. Say you started work on 1st June, and are paid monthly in arrears, receiving your first pay packet on 30th June, you would also receive a full month's UC 3 days later on 3rd of July even though you've been working for a month and just been paid a whole month's money - because that's how the system works. So don't worry, you've not really lost out.

I didn't think the DWP took that into account   - I thought they look at when you START the new job, as opposed to when you get PAID for it?
But if what you say is correct   - then do I assume if I get a job that again pays WEEKLY (and not monthly), then I will only be entitled to around 1/4 of a month of U.C.?  i.e. is getting paid a week into a new job (rather than a month) a "bad" thing in terms of getting U.C. entitlement?

Uc works on a monthly basis. If your circumstances are the same the maximum possible amount payable is unchanged.  The actual amount payable takes into account all the money you receive during the month regardless of the frequency of the payments.

TheShape

makara said:

NedS said:

On the bright side, you will likely make it up at the other end of your claim when you go back to work. Say you started work on 1st June, and are paid monthly in arrears, receiving your first pay packet on 30th June, you would also receive a full month's UC 3 days later on 3rd of July even though you've been working for a month and just been paid a whole month's money - because that's how the system works. So don't worry, you've not really lost out.

I didn't think the DWP took that into account   - I thought they look at when you START the new job, as opposed to when you get PAID for it?
But if what you say is correct   - then do I assume if I get a job that again pays WEEKLY (and not monthly), then I will only be entitled to around 1/4 of a month of U.C.?  i.e. is getting paid a week into a new job (rather than a month) a "bad" thing in terms of getting U.C. entitlement?

You are perhaps thinking of how Jobseekers Allowance worked?  That was very much geared around when you actually did work rather than when you were paid.

Weekly pay is only a "bad thing" if getting paid a week into a new job means that payment falls into the assessment period in which you started the job rather than in the next period.  On the other hand, someone paid weekly is, at the start of their claim only likely at "risk" of having a weeks worth of pay fall into their first assessment period rather than a whole month's worth of pay.

makara

TheShape said:

You are perhaps thinking of how Jobseekers Allowance worked?  That was very much geared around when you actually did work rather than when you were paid.

Weekly pay is only a "bad thing" if getting paid a week into a new job means that payment falls into the assessment period in which you started the job rather than in the next period.  On the other hand, someone paid weekly is, at the start of their claim only likely at "risk" of having a weeks worth of pay fall into their first assessment period rather than a whole month's worth of pay.

Ah yes...after replying to "NedS", I wondered if I might be thinking of what used to happen when I was (years ago) on JSA - I didn't realise UC operates quite differently...

Also thanks for your weekly versus monthly examples...I see your point...it could swing either way, depending on the "when" of when you get paid...

makara

Nannytone said:

They take into account anything you earn during the assessment period.
So a weekly paid job paid a week in hand, wouldo mean you would possibly be paid twice during that assessment period which was most likely wipe out any entitlement to universal credit for that period, depending on what point during your assessment period you start working

Yes, getting wiped out is exactly what happened with me now...the DWP lady said had I entered my claim one day later, I would have got the whole month's of UC entitlement - but that many people (who suddenly lost their jobs due to C.V.) weren't aware of that particular way of how UC works.  I guess like me they were thinking in JSA terms perhaps...of when you start / stop work - versus when you get paid...

Nannytone

With jsi there was a 7-day waiting period, tell your claim only actually started from the eighth day after you claimed.
With Universal Credit the assessment period starts the day you make the claim

makara

Nannytone said:

With jsi there was a 7-day waiting period, tell your claim only actually started from the eighth day after you claimed.
With Universal Credit the assessment period starts the day you make the claim

Yes, therefore the irony is...had it been JSA still...me claiming 3 days after losing my job would have been better for me...as I would only have lost around 7 to 10 days...rather than practically the whole month of UC as happened...

tomtom256

makara said:

Yes, therefore the irony is...had it been JSA still...me claiming 3 days after losing my job would have been better for me...as I would only have lost around 7 to 10 days...rather than practically the whole month of UC as happened...

But you could have possibly claimed new syle JSA if you meet the eligibility, have you looked into that?