Up to 20,000 Universal Credit claimants could miss out of hundreds of pounds due to how their wages are reported to the Department of Work and Pensions computer system. Money Saving Expert's Martin Lewis is warning people to check their Universal Credit accounts to see how much they are due to receive, and compare this to their payslips and bank accounts.
Anyone who has worked during their assessment period, which is the month leading up to their next Universal Credit payment when their income is checked to decide how much they'll receive in benefits, will have the details of their wages logged with HM Revenue & Customs. These details are then passed on to the DWP, but the process can go wrong if an employer submits wages but does not include the employee's National Insurance Number reports Lancashire Live.
This can cause wages to be logged in the following month instead, which can be alongside other sets of wages paid in that same month. According to Money Saving Expert, 1% of worker's earnings information is submitted without a National Insurance number each month, which is approximately 20,000 of the 2.2 working Universal Credit claimants that could be affected each month.
Read More: Fears people 'sleepwalking' into energy bill horror as protest staged at E.ON in Nottingham
However, the true figure could be much higher. Claimants should log into their Universal Credit accounts and check how much they are due to get in their monthly statement, which should have the amount a few days before the benefit is paid. The date of the previous four weeks, the latest assessment period, will also be listed.
Claimants should compare what that says with their payslips and bank account to see what was paid during that same assessment period. If it doesn't match up, they contact the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644 between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, where they will probably be asked to upload evidence such as copies of payslips and bank statements.
If the DWP doesn't correct this the mistake, claimants can ask for the issue to be looked at again in what's called a mandatory reconsideration. If that still doesn't resolve things, they can appeal to a tribunal. People most likely to be affected by this issue are those who are paid weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly or irregularly.
People also likely to be affected include those with paydays close to the end of the Universal Credit assessment period, those who have just started a new job, and those who did not have to provide a National Insurance number when they gave their employer payment information.
Read Next:
