First Time Claiming UC as a Ltd Director, Previous Earning Question

MaryJaneParker

Hello!
My husband and I have applied for UC since we fall under a category of employment that was not offered any alternative covid support. 
I am now being asked to confirm our earnings a for full year before applying for UC. It says "In the 12 months before you claimed Universal Credit, were the total earnings of you and your partner less than £430 per month at any time?". I'm not sure what to put here.. On average they are over £430 when we add up the amounts that came into the account divided by 12 months. However, as many business owners and freelancers know, there were months where we earned less than £430, and others where we earned more. So I am not sure what I should answer?
Is it an average or are they asking about a month by month earning.

Also, is this earnings as in everything that came into our business account? Or is it profit, after our expenses were deducted?
Would appreciate any help as we are terrified of putting in anything inaccurate! 

calcotti

It’s profit. Ideally it should be on a month by month basis on a cash accounting basis.

these figures do not affect your maximum UC entitlement but determine whether or not the benefit cap is applicable to the amount payable in the event that your maximum benefit entitlement is above the cap 

TheShape

MaryJaneParker said:

Hello!
My husband and I have applied for UC since we fall under a category of employment that was not offered any alternative covid support. 
I am now being asked to confirm our earnings a for full year before applying for UC. It says "In the 12 months before you claimed Universal Credit, were the total earnings of you and your partner less than £430 per month at any time?". I'm not sure what to put here.. On average they are over £430 when we add up the amounts that came into the account divided by 12 months. However, as many business owners and freelancers know, there were months where we earned less than £430, and others where we earned more. So I am not sure what I should answer?
Is it an average or are they asking about a month by month earning.

Also, is this earnings as in everything that came into our business account? Or is it profit, after our expenses were deducted?
Would appreciate any help as we are terrified of putting in anything inaccurate! 

Surely based on what you've written the answer to 'In the 12 months before you claimed Universal Credit, were the total earnings of you and your partner less than £430 per month at any time?' is 'Yes' , because at some time your earnings were less than £430.

This assumes that when you earned less than £430 in some months, that was the total earnings of you and your partner.