Universal Credit and backdated pay


If you receive Universal Credit the amount you get changes if your take-home pay changes. This includes awards of backdated pay. When your backpay for the 2022/23 local government pay settlement is paid on 22 December, your Universal Credit payment will either be less than you normally receive or your income may be too high to qualify for a payment and your claim will close.

Universal Credit is calculated on your personal circumstances. Because of this the Council do not know how, or if, you may be affected.

If your claim closes, you will see a message on your UC Journal telling you about this.

Will Universal Credit Payments Start Again Automatically?

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EIS strike—advice for members in schools

On Thursday 24 November, teachers in the EIS will be on strike over pay.

The facts

All schools will be closed.

Staff who are not striking will be working from home.

Pupils on free school meals will get their Thursday lunch to take home on Wednesday.

There will be no clubs at schools, other than evening classes after 6pm.

Crossing the picket

Download the Council’s guide to industrial action for details (PDF)

Download Unite’s guide for members not involved in industrial action (PDF)

Working from home presents a question of whether this is crossing a picket. A picket line is not just a physical line, but one that can be crossed virtually.

The decision is yours.

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Craft pay award agreed

Craft pay award to be paid 22 December—talks on allowances on-going

Pay talks between COSLA and the unions representing craft workers have now concluded, with the pay award being agreed.

The deal is the same as that for local government employees and will be paid on 22 December, including backpay. Your holiday allowances will be updated with the extra leave at the end of the year.

For clarity: all Council workers are local government employees and have been since 2013. The aspect from the craft national terms you keep is around the tool allowance and overalls allowance.

Talks on the allowances are on-going—we will update here once details are available.

Craft apprentices are fully aligned to the craft national terms and conditions.

Apprentices pay

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Pay deal settled!

Unite members will be relieved to hear that the 2022 pay deal will now be implemented – finally!

Today COSLA confirmed that the sticking points of the 1 day’s annual leave and payment of SSSC registration fees will be in perpetuity as offered and accepted by a members’ ballot.

Despite pressure being applied to accept a partial deal, Unite would like to thank you all for your continued support and determination to get the full deal.

Together we will always be strong!

In Edinburgh

The new rates, and your backpay, will be paid on 22 December 2022.

One day annual leave will be added to your entitlement soon. As the pay deal takes effect from April, there was around a half day accrued in the last leave year. We are in discussions about how this will be added to your entitlement.

For details of the pay deal, and to see a rough calculation of what it will mean for you, see our post from September.

Pay offer accepted—looking back on the strike

City Chambers demo on the first day of the 2022 strike. Photo by Craig Maclean.

Today, Unite members accepted the latest pay offer from COSLA, with 71% voting to accept. Read details of the offer and see what it means to you.

Edinburgh waste and cleansing workers led the fight for Scottish local government worker pay.

The strike proved what we knew all along—the undeniable value of waste and cleansing workers, the city’s disease prevention team whose work benefits citizens, businesses and tourists immeasurably, and the power these workers have when organised to take action. The impact was noticed within 12 hours. Edinburgh was turned upside down and this shock made the Scottish Government sit up and take it notice. The action of the waste and cleansing workers brought the First Minister to the table to negotiate a resolution, despite the government’s prior insistence that it had nothing to do with them.

Overwhelmingly, the public stood by us and recognised that our fight is their fight. The attacks on working people in this country are being resisted and we are at the forefront, showing that organised, disciplined workers are ready for the fight for fair pay to weather the cost of living crisis. Edinburgh residents and visitors have shown their support and solidarity, recognising that local government workers are essential, yet unappreciated and unvalued by the Scottish Government.

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Strike pay sessions

Your branch reps will be at the waste depots over the next few days to complete and collect in strike pay forms for all workers that were on strike 18 to 29 August.

Electronic payslips will go out on Thursday 22 September, with paper pay slips following.

New dates – second wave

Bankhead

Friday 7 October 11am to 2pm

Seafield

Wednesday 12 October 12 to 7pm.

What you need to do

Come to any session—doesn’t matter whether it’s your shift or depot, whatever is easiest for you.

You need to have your

  • bank details
  • Council staff number—will be on your payslip
  • Unite membership number—if you don’t have this leave blank and the office will fill it in
  • National Insurance number
  • printed out payslips from August and September.
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