UC assessment period and savings

letitbe
letitbe Online Community Member Posts: 326 Empowering

I’m really confused about when to update my UC savings and assessment period .

If last day of my assessment period is on 11th I know I have to update savings then but the payment I get on 18th do I include that in the new savings amount on the next 11th ? ( that basically means I have to update in 3 weeks after payment .

I’m sure I read that your current payment is only classed as capital the month after it’s paid ?

So if I get a payment on 18th May and have anything left it would it be classed as income on 11th June ( roughly 3 weeks after payment ) or 11th July ?

Sorry if this is confusing , my brain needs to simply it for me to understand.

Comments

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Online Community Member Posts: 4,118 Championing

    Technically, you shouldn't include anything leftover from the May 18th payment until July 11th.

    (The end of the period after the one that it's paid in - exactly as you said).

    But in reality it's very difficult to calculate that.

  • letitbe
    letitbe Online Community Member Posts: 326 Empowering

    thank you - this is all really difficult to work out, you need to be an accountant to get through this .

  • letitbe
    letitbe Online Community Member Posts: 326 Empowering

    hi overlyanxious , does this apply to pip payments too ? Pip is every 4 weeks so anything left over after 8 weeks of a payment becomes capital?

  • TK1
    TK1 Online Community Member Posts: 19 Listener

    I have to transfer from ESA to UC in May. Surely you don't have to updste UC with your current account balance every month?! That's ridiculous. I thought it was only if your balance is over £6k.

    I'm already stressed about the move and the upcoming cuts. I coulf do without this.

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 4,957 Championing

    It is only balances of over £6k that you need to keep them updated with.

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Online Community Member Posts: 4,118 Championing
    edited April 20

    Not quite. In the case of PIP, any leftover income becomes capital when the next PIP payment comes in.

    However, because PIP isn't means tested, it only becomes 'declarable' capital at the end of the UC assessment period following that payment. So that could be anything from 5-9 weeks in reality.

  • letitbe
    letitbe Online Community Member Posts: 326 Empowering
    edited April 20

    Would make it so much easier if they paid Pip on same day as UC . How do they expect people with MH to navigate this .

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Online Community Member Posts: 4,118 Championing

    Yes I agree, I never did understand 4 weekly payments for either PIP or Housing Benefit. No-one pays rent or bills on a 4-weekly cycle as far as a I'm aware.

    They probably don't expect us to have to navigate it. In their eyes we should use up all of our income each month so savings would only arrive as lump sums and don't change frequently. Sadly it doesn't work like that for a small number of us.