Universal credit increase.

tcopping1
tcopping1 Online Community Member Posts: 7 Connected
in Universal Credit (UC)
My housing benefit and council tax go up this month but my benefit doesn’t because my payment is cut off on 4th and then I get my payment on the 8th of each month. 
So basically I have to pay those increases on 15th but I don’t get the extra money for my housing and council tax until 8th of May. This will also mean the pay increase we’re getting will also be in May. So every year I don’t get any increases in April meaning I am out of pocket. 
Basically this means I only get 11 payment increases and not 12. I don’t pay my bills in arrears. I pay all my bills from 8th onwards. 
 Does this happen to anyone else. Also any help would be really appreciated.
ps. I waited 5, weeks before getting any benefit then when I got it I had to go 4/5 weeks before I got it again. Also if I was employed I got payed that wage is for going forward not in reverse. 

Take care everyone. 
Teresa. 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    edited April 2023
    You will only be claiming housing benefit if you're living in either supported or temporary housing. Otherwise your rent will be paid through UC known as housing element. They are 2 completely different benefits.

    Council Tax reduction isn't part of UC.

    The increase applies to the assessment period starting on or after 10th April. If your payment date is 8th of each month then your assessment periods will be 2nd to 1st of every month. This means that you won't see the increase until your June payment. No one will receive the increase this month, the first increase will be for those being paid from 16th May onwards.

    This doesn't mean you're losing out because you will still receive 12 payments at the new amount, the same as everyone else. Unfortunately UC is paid 1 month in arrears, it's just the way it is.

    Those claiming the old legacy benefits such as ESA are paid 2 weeks in arrears so some will not receive the full increase until towards the end of this month. They will still receive the same amount of payments as everyone else.

    UC is paid on the same date each month because it's a monthly benefit. If payment date falls on a weekend or bank holiday you receive your payment on the Friday before. When you first claim UC you receive your first payment 1 month and 6 days later. Then going forward, each month, there's 4.3 weeks in a month, not 5 weeks.

    My daughter and son in law both work full time and are paid monthly, they receive their earnings in arrears. They are not paid in advance.



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