Re: Migration to Universal Credit

by Pintel Wed Sep 25, 2024 5:16 pm

Ignatius wrote:

What's the day you will burst into flames if you don't claim UC?

Its

roll ... It's: Saturday 21st December.

seem this is the last day before 'allegedly' downing tools

️ for Xmas. As it would be a hive

of activity in Wolverhampton, week starting the 23 dec, xmas eve

, eve..
.

by Ignatius Wed Sep 25, 2024 6:27 pm

Same here, Pintel.

Having read up on assessment periods, I'm certainly not starting a claim on the last day of a month. Likewise, I will avoid an assessment period ending in the last few days of a month just in case at some point I get a p/t job. That seems to be the root of the 2 wages problem when payday is brought forward.

Originally, when I was musing on how I would fit a UC claim into my schedule, I had planned claiming mid-month. I suppose if I claim on December 20th my assessment period will end 19th January with payment being due 26th and so on. I think I might be fine with that, but will give it some more thought. Being paid near the end of the month will make me feel like being a proper worker.

My migration deadline means my last ever JSA signing day would be December 9th.

I'm extremely grateful for having a Managed Migration Emergency Fund so I don't have to choose a claim date to minimise cash flow problems.

Although my current WC is one of the better ones, if they ask next week if I've received my letter, I will probably say, "Wot letter?"

Designergas, have you been on entitled2 and looked at what your UC award would be with your current earnings?

by Pintel Wed Sep 25, 2024 6:42 pm

Here here Ignatius, seem where in a similar

️. Of balancing the Signing & Pre Deadline

date. I am contemplating, after I have received my last giro payment in December. Which is within the deadline, and start of the calendar month. Yet a couple of months away... I used to get paid the last Thursday in the month

, which was a nightmare for Bills and Especially over the Festive New year/January period.

Wonder if Wolverhampton has got a large Countdown

timer on the wall until the Deadline

at 00:00 on the 21st December.. Might be a good idea, to have a few days before the deadline, in case of an IT crash from demand...

by Pintel Wed Sep 25, 2024 6:45 pm

So does anyone recon that the Wolverhampton mc, on the 23rd Dec. Is going to be converted into a secret hanger for Santa santa

and the Elves for Xmas Deliverys.

by Xennial Wed Sep 25, 2024 7:14 pm

I guess if you dont make a claim the day after you sign on, you will get how ever many days worth of JSA until you make the claim (call it £12.90 per day), plus the 2 week run on, but remember the run on also includes housing benefit, so you might have some coin to pay towards your rent to pay whilst waiting for the UC payment. I have been extremely fortunate with my last signing day for JSA been two days before the date I must claim UC. It works out best for me with 4 weeks money and 4 weeks Housing Benefit. My rent is nearly £100 per week, so I will have to pay that for 1 week whilst waiting for my UC payment.

by Ignatius Wed Sep 25, 2024 7:50 pm

My claim is only for JSA so thankfully I only have that to consider in my calculations.

Like everyone on here, I would rather not have to claim UC. At least managed migration gives people the opportunity to see if they can time a claim to select the best payment date for the future, or give themselves the best chance of being able to pay the bills whilst they wait their first UC payment.

If claims are made the week before Christmas, then I can't see any jobcentre appointments happening until New Year week which could delay first UC payments. It's hard work this migration process. I might just blindfold myself and wherever on the calendar my finger lands is claim day.

Would you really trust Wolverhampton Mail Centre to deliver your Christmas presents?

Anyway, once we all on UC, will anyone check a few days after signing that they've been paid? I imagine I will, it will be odd not getting paid every other Thursday.

by Xennial Wed Sep 25, 2024 8:11 pm

Over Christmas, the jobcentre and phone lines are usually open as usual on the 29th, 30th, and 31st, and some might even be open as early as the 28th. The 23rd is likely the last day before Christmas for claimants to go to the jobcentre.

by Pintel Wed Sep 25, 2024 8:14 pm

Ignatius wrote:

. I might just blindfold myself and wherever on the calendar my finger lands is claim day.

I agree Ignatius, giving me more grey hairs. Trying to plot the best course 🧭, difficult waters to navigate with all the rocks.

Would you really trust Wolverhampton Mail Centre to deliver your Christmas presents?

Yes, I have complete faith in Wolverhampton mc. Your in safe hands, they never loose any mail....‍

I imagine I will, it will be odd not getting paid every other Thursday

I think not having a regular signing day, will be more of a shock to the system. Do you get a say in which day. Or is it solely up to the Roach ...

.

by Pintel Wed Sep 25, 2024 8:22 pm

Whilst the grey matter has been 'full

steam ahead'. Been wondering about the email. I understand you need one to apply for a UC

account and receive the access code. But a few months after the fallout. Do you still receive messages this way? As I thought the UC journal, is the preferred method of communication. So to the point

, could I create an email account, use it for a few months. Then inform the JCP 🧻, 'pintel@******' is not longer available and use the journal.. So not to get 'spam' from the dwp, as not doubt they will send to your account...

by Ignatius Wed Sep 25, 2024 8:42 pm

Signing day can be a Saturday on UC

. You used to get a regular time on UC, but they just give you random appointments now. According to my WC it's supposed to be like work, where they can expect you to come in at anytime in the business hours. As much as I have long been resigned to UC , I too am anticipating a shock to the system with a new WC, new signing day/time, never mind the sanctions regime. The benefits of Monday signing were that I don't think I ever had 26 appointments per year - I usually got excused attendance due to Bank Holidays at 3 or so times a year. Heavenly.

I have a separate email for Find a Job and the jobcentre, I was planning on using that if I do an online claim. I thought you could arrange email/text notifications when a WC has been writing in your journal. Will UC know I haven't logged into Find a Job for months again or am I best creating a new account?

by Ignatius Wed Sep 25, 2024 8:46 pm

Pintel, will you enhance your journal correspondence with emojis? Or is that risking the WC sending you on an English skills course?

by Xennial Wed Sep 25, 2024 9:19 pm

In my jobcentre, there were only two work coaches handling JSA claims. One works two days and the other works the rest, unless one is off. They then trained up a younger lad in the early to mid 20s. My work coach was contacting new claimants on Tuesday, which hopefully means that I will end up with him as my UC work coach. Recently, I have noticed im the only one waiting for a JSA appointment when I attend, always used to be 3 of us there, one getting seen and me and another person waiting. There must be more of us, as they still had the 2 sheets, top for JSA, bottom for UC.

by Ignatius Wed Sep 25, 2024 9:40 pm

At my jobcentre, UC are on one side of the Appointments Clipboard with JSA on the other. Reception always looks to the UC side first to tick my name off. Unlike UC, you wouldn't need to take your socks off to count the JSA appointments per day. Multiply that over the duration of the fortnightly JSA singing cycle and it's not difficult to see how they will whizz through migration.

by Pintel Wed Sep 25, 2024 11:04 pm

Ignatius wrote:Pintel, will you enhance your journal correspondence with emojis? Or is that risking the WC sending you on an English skills course?

Nope....

I would believe that it would be advanced enough to allow emoji's

.
So I'll have to resort to 'Text-ish' and 'Managment-ese'... Or let my inner thespian loose upon these poor souls at the JCP 🧻 journal portal. Pouring my very

and soul at their feet...

by Pintel Wed Sep 25, 2024 11:12 pm

Ignatius wrote:At my jobcentre, UC are on one side of the Appointments Clipboard with JSA on the other. Reception always looks to the UC side first to tick my name off. Unlike UC, you wouldn't need to take your socks off to count the JSA appointments per day.

O dear Ignatius, how the other half live

...... At my local JCP 🧻. It a two tired system, the poor souls on the UC are on the computer terminal. However, the legacy 🤬leper's are on a clipboard. And judging be the 'moans' the receptionist make when lifting this office stationery. I would say a pretty heavy clipboard too🪨.

by Xennial Thu Sep 26, 2024 11:02 am

I was just looking at Goverment Guidance anout move to Universal Credit if you get a Migration notice letter.

Moving from other benefits
If you’ve applied for Universal Credit, you’ll keep getting your current benefit paid for 2 more weeks. You must still be eligible for your current benefit. You will not need to pay back these extra payments and they will not affect the Universal Credit you might get.

further down the page it says.
If you do not make a claim to Universal Credit by the deadline, your last day of entitlement to your existing benefits will be 2 weeks after the deadline.

What do you make of the claiming after your deadline part.

by Ignatius Thu Sep 26, 2024 11:18 am

Take it at face value. Tax credits end 1 month after the migration notice deadline if there has been no UC claim so it's reasonable to think the same principle applies with JSA, although reduced to 2 weeks to reflect the JSA claim/payment cycle.

If I was planning on taking advantage I would probably double check with my WC (if they are normally reasonable). I don't think I will drag my claim out for another 2 weeks just for the sake of it. I'm ok with the deadline on my letter, if I wasn't then I may take advantage of the extra 2 weeks. Could be useful for some people.

by Xennial Thu Sep 26, 2024 1:57 pm

Basically, claim before the deadline and you get an extra 2 weeks money aswell as your last JSA payment, apply after the deadline and just get 2 weeks money (including housing benefit if applicable). I will be hanging on by my fingernails until the last possible moment, which for me is 17th December.

by Ignatius Thu Sep 26, 2024 4:34 pm

No wonder so many people are consumed with anxiety about migration. Trying to calculate the optimal date is something else, even more so if trying to stretch a meagre income for at least 5 weeks is part of the calculation.

When I'm at the jobcentre on Monday I will ask my WC what the approximate waiting times in my area are for that first commitments appointment. Hopefully a claim date of about 18/19/20 December will mean they can't fit me in until after Christmas.

by Pintel Thu Sep 26, 2024 7:28 pm

With all the Managed Migration Martyr's

.
Holding out to gone past the Festive

Season.... You could see people queing outside the 🧻JCP's , as if there was a January Sales happening.In the new year 🤨

by Xennial Thu Sep 26, 2024 7:48 pm

It's possible that someone who is currently claiming Universal Credit can clarify if the following is accurate or not. I have heard that new claimants have to mandatory attend the jobcentre weekly for the first 13 weeks, and I have then heard from 14 weeks onwards, some work coaches have to see 50% of claimants weekly and the other 50% fortnightly.

by Ignatius Thu Sep 26, 2024 8:02 pm

A few days ago the DWP announced migration notices are going out from this month to people on IB ESA. We shall have to see how well that goes.

My Jobcentre appointment card has got room for another 6 appointments - funnily enough I have 6 appointments before my migration deadline. I think it's important not to waste my little card so I will stick to my plan of applying in the few days before my deadline.

There hasn't been people gathered outside my jobcentre for ages. Maybe it's become gentrified or something.

Have you decided on your formula for choosing your application date yet?

I'm probably going to ask them to cough up for a laptop or something. Mine is past it's best and if they want me to be digital by default then they can make my life easier. Phones and libraries have their limitations.

by Ignatius Thu Sep 26, 2024 8:09 pm

Interesting, Xennial.

13 weeks of weekly signing for new claimants was announced with much fanfare, think last year. There were certainly posts on it made here.

That 50/50 split thing is a new one on me. It could be part of a pilot, or a local quirk. My jobcentre used to randomly select people for daily signing.

by fordcortina1970 Thu Sep 26, 2024 8:17 pm

Xennial wrote:It's possible that someone who is currently claiming Universal Credit can clarify if the following is accurate or not. I have heard that new claimants have to mandatory attend the jobcentre weekly for the first 13 weeks, and I have then heard from 14 weeks onwards, some work coaches have to see 50% of claimants weekly and the other 50% fortnightly.

That does not sound good. I've never heard of this myself and I do hope someone on hear knows something about this.

by fordcortina1970 Thu Sep 26, 2024 8:38 pm

After reading a few posts on here about the right time to claim UC I feel that I should claim on the 18th Dec. I got my letter of doom last Sat, migration letter dated 18th Sept. It says I have until 19th Dec to claim UC. I'm thinking of making the claim at five past midnight on the 18th Dec I sign on for the last time on the 17th Dec I would be right in thinking that I would get paid on Friday 20th Dec and get another two weeks money after that. I would be covered for over Xmas and the New Year and hopefully get an appointment at the Jobcentre early new year with my ID etc to complete the claim for UC. Not looking forward to 2025 I can feel another useless scheme on the way, oh well I can weather the storm. Remember i've had nearly 30 years of useless schemes under my belt.

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