UC assessment period and payday last Friday of the month

Islarosie101

I’ve just taken on a job where payday is the last Friday of each month. My assessment period runs from 28th-27th.

I’ve had a look at my calendar and seen that I can be paid by my employer anytime from the 24th-31st. So there’s quite a few times during the year where I will have 2 paydays in one assessment period and a few where I’ll have 0 paydays. 

I’ve crunched the numbers and it doesn’t seem to even itself out even when I get full UC entitlement on the “zero pay” months.

I can already see this is going to happen this month where I am paid 29th March and 26th April, then 31st May (so 2 paydays in one AP and then 0 in the next) 

is there anything I can do about this? I can workout exactly when it’s going to happen well in advance. I’ve searched the internet for an answer but there’s no definitive answer. All the results usually cover getting paid early for the xmas holidays or something, but this will be happening to me every few months.

thank you

kaMelo

If you're paid monthly and end up with two pay periods in one assessment period, you can ask them to reallocate the relevant pay period to the correct assessment period thus avoiding the problem you have identified.

Christmas is often quoted as it will happen to more people due to people being paid early in December, but it's applicable for every assessment period in order to, as the legislation states, "maintain a regular payment pattern" 

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1138/regulation/2/made