UC onto Pension

Hello

I know this topic has gone around a few times. As I understood it, if the State Pension isn’t paid in the last AP, there’s no deduction made. However have a client whose AP is 15-14, with a birthday on 30th April. SP write to her to say they’ll first pay from 23rd May, attributable to a period from 30th April.

UC took this as notional income and client was batted back and forth on UC helpline. I’ve submitted an MR but the friendly phone person was absolutely clear and he’d dealt with thousands of similar cases.

Have I misunderstood?

Our current understanding is that the final UC payment for the AIP in which you reach SPA should be made as normal and disregarded for PC entitlement purposes. 

Similarly, any PC payment you receive in that AIP is also disregarded for the final UC payment.

However, if you receive a payment of State Pension in that final AIP, then that payment is taken fully into account as income.

In this case the OP seems to be saying that the State Pension payment will only be made after the end of the final AP.

From a legal perspective, UC are correct to include it. It just doesn’t comply with (what seems to be) an extra-statutory concession referred to by Paul. So I’m not sure what recourse there would be.

See also this thread (amongst others): https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/16836

Yes Charles that’s right, she’ll get her first payment after the AP.

That’s useful to know the legal position but any wider thoughts gratefully received.