No work, UC

LucyLou221

Hi,

My partner was given a "short time working" letter in May, he has worked up until 10 days ago and has not heard anything from his work, he has not been paid for his last week he worked and he can not see this week on his tax account online. As per the short time working letter he has been available for work and his employer has not said anything. Will Universal credit see that he has not been working and sanction us? He is just doing what the letter has said, his boss has been unavailable to talk. It was spoken about in recent weeks about the company going into insolvency but this has not happened on companies house yet.

We go abroad in 2 weeks and need to know what's going to happen. Or if there's anything we should do now? As he is in limbo and doesn't know what to do.

Thanks in advance

poppy123456

If he receives no earnings in an assessment period then that may change his claimant commitments depending on circumstances. If commitments change and he's expected to either look for work or attend appointments then he will be expected to do this even while you're away on holiday, even while abroad. He will need to tell them he's going away if his commitments change. If he doesn't comply with his commitments he could be sanctioned.

Unless he's claiming carers element and then he has no commitments.

LucyLou221

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/891996#Comment_891996

Thank you. For this assessment period which runs up until the day before we go away - he will have 2 weeks pay and he did work another week which so far is not on his tax account, he has sent an email to the hr which has yet to be responded to. The first 11 days of the next claim we are away and then he will hopefully have started employment. Will the commitments change even though he has had 2/3 weeks pay for this month, or will it be after a month of no pay that the commitments change? He is still waiting to hear about everything.

We claim the carers element however that is me, I do have a job lined up but with my line of work my start date is September 2nd.

Thanks

poppy123456

The Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) for couples is £1,437/month. For individual claimants it's £892/month. As you're claiming Carers element then his AET will be the lower amount. If the earnings that he's received are more than this amount then his commitments won't change. They will only change if they are less than this.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-earnings

LucyLou221

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/892051#Comment_892051

Thank you. Yes his earnings will be £1020 for this month, if he doesnt get the last week. £1530 if he gets paid his final week.