Hi, my name is catanzaro! why only now they ask me this and if this can affect my uc payment?

catanzaro

good evening I hope someone can help me..I have been with universal for 8 months because my husband and I had a baby girl..today I received uc on my account and on my husband's to confirm our earnings for the 6 months prior to my application for universal... I'll start by saying that my husband and I have always worked a maximum of 37.5 hours for the minimum wage and only now I don't work because I stay at home with my 8 month old baby..so I don’t understand why only now they ask me this and if this can affect my uc payment or if universal can ask me money back for my earning about 6 months before my claim and my husband..I hope so somebody can help me to understand thank you so much to everyone 

Albus_Scope

Heya @catanzaro and welcome to the community.

I'd not worry too much, occasionally UC like to just check details are correct, so they can make sure you're getting the right benefit payments. 

catanzaro

Hi thank you for your answer I hope I don't want them to then reduce Universal to me and my husband or they say that before Universal we earned too much because in the end we worked like everyone else who works full time but we didn't earn millions but I earned a maximum of 1500 in a month and the same my husband and I thought that afterwards they would tell me that before universal I earned well or that they would give me any problem or they ask me money back..I was with worry because they had never asked me about my earnings before universal and instead now I had to give the exact earnings of 6 months of work and now my husband will have to do the same thing so I hope is nothing 

catanzaro

because I could understand if they asked me for my current earnings since I opened universal but they asked me for my earnings for the 6 months prior to my claim and I found it a bit strange

poppy123456

Your earnings before you claimed UC have no affect on your UC entitlement after you claim. UC is based on earnings received each month. 

Very odd that they’ve asked for 6 months of earnings, especially at this stage. Usually they ask for your earnings for 12 months before you claimed UC because this is related to the benefit cap grace period. 

catanzaro

ah so you're saying that I can rest assured and that my previous earnings won't affect anything? I got worried because I don't understand why only now, after 8 months that I already receive universal, we asked me for my 6 months of earnings before both my and my husband's claim... and the only benefits I receive are universal credit and child benefit for my daughter and I don't receive anything else... but in any case I gave my previous earnings as they requested and now my husband will also have to complete it but I still don't understand why they asked me to confirm my earnings but I left a message on my universal asking why I had to complete this

poppy123456

You can rest knowing that previous earnings before you claimed UC will not affect your entitlement. The only thing that could affect them is the benefit cap and that doesn’t apply anyway. 

catanzaro

ok so I'm calm.. I was thinking that my husband hasn't worked from 3 weeks because he lost his job but it's the first time and they know it in fact I've always taken little from universal sometimes I've taken £180 other times £60 other times £7 this is because I was still on maternity leave but now I finish my maternity and my husband has always worked but this month they paid me around £1200 because my husband hasn't worked from 3 weeks and could this have happened?i worry if they come and they ask me money back anyway yesterday I was to the job center and I give to them 6 month of payslip and same have to doing my husband..sorry for the stupid question but what is benefit cap? I’m Italian and is the first time when I hear this thanks 

poppy123456

UC entitlement is based on earnings received each month. Your UC will increase if earnings decrease or decrease if earnings increase. 

The benefit cap is when you are restricted in the amount of benefits you can receive and can lower that amount even further. See link for further information. 

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/benefits-cap 
There’s a grace period of 39 weeks if you finish work before the cap is in place. There’s also exemptions in place too. All advised in the link above. 

catanzaro

ah I don't think this is absolutely my case I only receive universal credit and child benefits.. I stay at home with my baby  and I don't work and I no longer receive maternity pay and my husband recently lost his job and yes it's true this month they gave me put in around £1200 but it's the first time I've received so much because since my husband has always worked I've always received little... I just hope my earnings and those of my husband prior to the claim won't be a problem because it's normal we worked and we earned

poppy123456

As I keep advising your earnings before you claimed UC will not affect your UC payments. UC is based on earnings received each month and that’s what your entitlement is calculated based on. If no earnings are received then you will be entitled to your maximum UC because there will be no deductions.