UK Parliament home

Open Review Universal Credit assessment periods for monthly paid workers

Created by Charlotte Aimee Phillips
Closes on

We ask Government to review Universal Credit assessment rules and introduce an optional monthly earnings averaging method for claimants with regular monthly pay to reduce artificial fluctuations caused by assessment period timing.

Many claimants are paid monthly, but Universal Credit assesses earnings by fixed assessment periods linked to payment dates reported via HMRC RTI. This can cause artificial fluctuations in entitlement, including months with £0 payments or adjusted overpayments, despite stable income. We believe an optional monthly averaging method would better reflect real earnings and improve financial stability for working households.

Sign this petition

18 signatures

Show on a map

10,000

Petition progress

View all updates for this petition, with the most recent first.

  • Petition published

    This petition can now be signed.

    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 30 December 2026.