Payment Date Advice - Joint Claim

reece251

Hi all,

I'm looking to move my partner and her two children in with me and I'm trying to plan out our universal credit payment dates so that we're not left short.

We both have separate claims with different payment dates. Hers is the 15th and mine is the 28th.

What's the best course of action to ensure that she can still get her payment on the 15th (if possible) and that we both get a couples payment on the 28th (if possible) rather than going a whole month or more without money.

Thank you in advance.

tacpot12

The best option would be to wait for her payment to land, and then tell the DWP about the change of circumstances the same day. In theory, you should be able to tell them a day after her Assessment Period has ended, but you don't want or need to cut it this fine. The important point is that you tell them before the last day of your Assessment Period. The last day of your assessment period is likely to be around 21st of the month, so telling them on 16th should be fine - 15th December 2024 is a Sunday.

They should pay you based on your circumstances at the end of your assessment period - assuming you join her claim to yours and not the other way around. 

reece251

tacpot12 said:

The best option would be to wait for her payment to land, and then tell the DWP about the change of circumstances the same day. In theory, you should be able to tell them a day after her Assessment Period has ended, but you don't want or need to cut it this fine. The important point is that you tell them before the last day of your Assessment Period. The last day of your assessment period is likely to be around 21st of the month, so telling them on 16th should be fine - 15th December 2024 is a Sunday.

Thanks for this @tacpot12 🙂 does this mean that she'll receive her single claim payment on the 15th but then we won't receive a joint claim payment on the 28th? What happens to my single claim payment for the 28th in this case?

tacpot12

As far as I can see, she should receive her payment on 15th as normal, and you will receive a payment on 28th that is for the two of you. This is one time when the benefit rules work in your favour.

The thing I can't be sure of is how they treat the period when the claims overlap. There might be a deduction/adjustment made, but you might also be lucky and find that they pay the couple allowance for the whole period - they will of course use income for the whole period as well. 

I will continue to look for information that confirms whether there is any adjustment for the claims overlapping.

reece251

tacpot12 said:

As far as I can see, she should receive her payment on 15th as normal, and you will receive a payment on 28th that is for the two of you. This is one time when the benefit rules work in your favour.

The thing I can't be sure of is how they treat the period when the claims overlap. There might be a deduction/adjustment made, but you might also be lucky and find that they pay the couple allowance for the whole period - they will of course use income for the whole period as well. 

I will continue to look for information that confirms whether there is any adjustment for the claims overlapping.

Thanks @tacpot12

Yeah unfortunately it does seem to be a case of just making the change and then having to react to what they decide. It doesn't seem to be a clear process and I was even told by UC themselves that I would need to close my claim and then make a brand new joint claim which obviously isn't the case as they can be merged.

Please keep me updated with anything you find and I appreciate your time so far.

tacpot12

So, I have found confirmation that they will assess your income as a couple over the whole of your assessment period, once your claims are linked together. This potentially means that the UC payment made to your partner in your assessment period will be taken into account (as Income) in the calculation of your UC as a couple. This would be a convoluted way to adjust for the payment she has already received, but there is no information I can find that confirms what will actually happen. Perhaps someone with experience of this will be able to comment further. 

Yamor

If you follow @tacpot12's suggestion, then her UC payment from the 15th will not count as income for the first AP of the joint claim which will be paid on the 28th.

However, her other income will be included in both calculations.

Say you move in together on 20th December. Her UC payment received on 15th December will not affect the the joint UC payment of 28th December. However, any other income she has between of 22nd Nov and 8th Dec will be taken into account both in her UC payment of 15th Dec, and for the joint UC payment of 28th Dec.

reece251

Yamor said:

If you follow @tacpot12's suggestion, then her UC payment from the 15th will not count as income for the first AP of the joint claim which will be paid on the 28th.

However, her other income will be included in both calculations.

Say you move in together on 20th December. Her UC payment received on 15th December will not affect the the joint UC payment of 28th December. However, any other income she has between of 22nd Nov and 8th Dec will be taken into account both in her UC payment of 15th Dec, and for the joint UC payment of 28th Dec.

Thanks @yamor

Is this just going to be a situation where the benefit system would work in my favour?

Would a deduction not be made in January for her payment on 15th December?

Yamor

It will normally be to your advantage. It isn't always though. For example, if she receives a large bonus on 30th Nov, then you could be better off if your joint claim could use her assessment period dates.

There won't be a deduction in January, nor in December for her UC payment received on 15th Dec (if anything, the deduction would have been in Dec, not Jan).