UC 5th week payment ?

kid_from_yesterday

Hi I was wondering if anyone could explain to me what happens with the fifth week when you’re claiming UC I understand that after your assessment you are given a date say  you were given the The 10th of each month as your pay date what happens to the fifth week as some months have five weeks do you get more money that month or is it just the same monthly payment. 

HillStreetBlues

kid_from_yesterday said:

Hi I was wondering if anyone could explain to me what happens with the fifth week when you’re claiming UC I understand that after your assessment you are given a date say  you were given the The 10th of each month as your pay date what happens to the fifth week as some months have five weeks do you get more money that month or is it just the same monthly payment. 

It's the same monthly payment

kid_from_yesterday

Thank you , So if there is 5 weeks in that month you don’t get extra . So you would be better off having your money paid every 2 weeks or do they just spilt the monthly payment in half . I only ask as our rent is paid weekly and some months have 5 weeks but if we don’t paid them 5 weeks who’s pays the extra week rent that month . 

KxMx

Each UC payment including Housing Element is for a calendar month, there are 4.3 weeks in a month. So you get 4.3 weeks worth of Housing Element, not 4.

Usually what happens is by the time a 5 week month occurs, either your rent account has already had that bit extra which adds up to another weeks rent, or your next payment tops up a bit extra and makes another weeks worth of rent. 

Does that make sense? 

kid_from_yesterday

KxMx said:

Each UC payment including Housing Element is for a calendar month, there are 4.3 weeks in a month. So you get 4.3 weeks worth of Housing Element, not 4.

Usually what happens is by the time a 5 week month occurs, either your rent account has already had that bit extra which adds up to another weeks rent, or your next payment tops up a bit extra and makes another weeks worth of rent. 

Does that make sense? 

Thank you , the whole process is very confusing there is so much information to remember our local CAB office has huge waits for appointments so can’t access advice from there and I keep reading about things like transitional protections, Carers premium, housing elements ect . I’m just trying to figure out what to do for the best my husband is in the support group of ESA. I am a carer for my adult son as I understand it when we apply as a joint claim. I’ve got to make sure that in the journal we have put that he is in the support group from ESA and make sure that I carry on claiming  careres allowance and not have the carers element added to the universal credit to get my stamp paid for I think I’ve got that correct but probably not lol .Thank goodness for all  the lovely people on here or I wouldn’t have even known that information. 

Rubyroobs

kid_from_yesterday said:

KxMx said:

Each UC payment including Housing Element is for a calendar month, there are 4.3 weeks in a month. So you get 4.3 weeks worth of Housing Element, not 4.

Usually what happens is by the time a 5 week month occurs, either your rent account has already had that bit extra which adds up to another weeks rent, or your next payment tops up a bit extra and makes another weeks worth of rent. 

Does that make sense? 

Thank you , the whole process is very confusing there is so much information to remember our local CAB office has huge waits for appointments so can’t access advice from there and I keep reading about things like transitional protections, Carers premium, housing elements ect . I’m just trying to figure out what to do for the best my husband is in the support group of ESA. I am a carer for my adult son as I understand it when we apply as a joint claim. I’ve got to make sure that in the journal we have put that he is in the support group from ESA and make sure that I carry on claiming  careres allowance and not have the carers element added to the universal credit to get my stamp paid for I think I’ve got that correct but probably not lol .Thank goodness for all  the lovely people on here or I wouldn’t have even known that information. 

You should still have the carers element of UC added. Carers allowance is paid separately to UC and deducted in full from UC.

KxMx

When you apply for UC you need to report being son's carer, otherwise you would be expected to look for work.
This will mean you are automatically eligible for Carers Element under UC which boosts your award (before deductions) by just over £200 a month.
It's only Carers Allowance gets deducted from UC.

Citizens Advice have a Help to Claim service, they can support you before during and after your claim. This is national service operated by web chat & phone, and not linked to your local branch.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/contact-us-about-universal-credit/

Newcad

kid_from_yesterday said:

Thank you , So if there is 5 weeks in that month you don’t get extra . So you would be better off having your money paid every 2 weeks or do they just spilt the monthly payment in half . I only ask as our rent is paid weekly and some months have 5 weeks but if we don’t paid them 5 weeks who’s pays the extra week rent that month . 

To answer the specific question it's 2-payments a month and not a payment every 2-weeks.

ie. You get half the payment on the due date (7 days after your AP end unless a weekend/holiday) and half the payment 2-weeks later. The next half payment is on the monthly due date again, so longer than 2 weeks.

some months have 5 weeks

No they don't - What you mean is that some months have 5 'rent due' days (usually a Monday if it's a Social Rental).

Your Housing Association (or council if it's still council housing) are aware of how UC Housing Element is paid and will want you to get your rent account into credit, so that your rent account holds 5 weeks payments after your UC is paid each month and you pay your rent.  That means you don't go into arrears before you get your next UC and pay into your rent account again.
eg. I paid an extra £18 a month for 2 years, which was enough to get my rent account a full 5 weeks in advance each time I now pay in my rent monthly. (Of course until I had done that my rent account was at first in arrears, then was dropping into arrears in the 5-rents-due months, but they were OK with that as we had the plan in place).

Of course if you want to keep the UC Housing element in your bank and pay your rent manually each week, or each 4-weeks, then that's your choice too.

It's easier to do it by monthly direct debit though, my UC goes into my bank each month and money for the next months rent straight out again by Direct Debit on the same day. I don't have to do anything.

Talk to your Housing Association/landlord and tell them you are moving to UC, they are well used to it now and can help you keep things on track with your rent payments.

PS. Don't forget that you will get 2-weeks run on of Housing Benefit after you claim UC and don't have to pay it back.
That means that there will actually only be a 3-week 'gap' until you get a full months UC Housing Element.
It all helps.

KxMx

I aimed for 4 weeks in credit for my rent account and it's always worked out by the time a 5 Monday month occurs - I either have 5 weeks credit by that time, or my next UC payment clears the £20 odd arrears (on the account a matter of days) plus 4 weeks rent.