It is quite common for companies to pay their staff earlier at Christmas time. This is nice for employees, but it can have a nasty side-effect on workers who receive Universal Credit payments. HMRC has issued some new guidance, aimed at preventing this problem.
Read more Paying Early at Christmas – New Guidance
A report about Universal Credit, published last week, highlights how an employer’s choice of pay dates can still have unintended consequences for the staff. The report, from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), states that, “The strict system of monthly assessment of earnings can cause a host of problems as months do not all include the same number of paydays”.
Read more Universal Credit Still Can’t Cope with Real Pay Dates
Back in August, the Child Poverty Action Group flagged up a problem caused by the interaction between an employer’s choice of pay dates and their employee’s entitlement to universal credit. Although the recent budget did include some changes to universal credit, this particular problem wasn’t addressed. So, what can employers do about it?
Universal Credit is a monthly payment that is replacing six benefits, including Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. It gives essential support for people who need it, including those in low paid jobs. However, the way it is calculated makes it highly sensitive to the exact dates when the worker is paid. As a result, employers choosing certain pay patterns can inadvertently make life very difficult for staff who receive Universal Credit.
Universal Credit is a new payment that replaces 6 benefits, including Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. It has been under the spotlight recently, with MPs pointing out some of its problems and calling for a delay in the planned roll-out. Universal Credit is designed to reduce automatically if an employee’s income increases and, for this reason, its success is dependent on employers reporting their payroll information via Real Time Information.
Read more Why Universal Credit Depends on Real Time Information
