Bonus Payments - Period

[anaduk11]

Hi, please advise on the following.

1) Permanent employee received bonus in Mar 2012 and June 2012, and the bonus payments are shown on payslips as below.

1) Basic Pay - xx amount
2) Bonus Payments - xx amount
3) Total Payments = sum of above 2
4) Total Deductions = Tax and NI on the Total Payments
5) Net Payments = Total Payments - Total Deductions
(My bank account shows the net payments credited)

I am showing 12 months earnings from for Sep 2011 to Aug 2012. But the bonus payments are for whole tax year 2011-12 (Apr 2011 to Mar 2012), though paid in Mar 12 and June 12. So this spreads slightly outside the 12 months I am considering earnings for.

Q1) Can I include the bonus in earnings to claim points? And what happens if the CW thinks I should not be awarded points for this bonus? Will it lead to refusal, or just that the points will not be awarded for this bonus amount?

Q2) IGNORING THE BONUS: My earnings in 12 months without the bonus is enough to claim sufficient points, so can I request in the cover letter not to consider the bonus payments (even though it is on the payslip?). Is it ok?

Many thanks for your advise.

[newbee2012]

Your total gross earning for the period you claiming for is considered. I don't see why CW shouldn't consider it. You can claim points for the gross earning including any bonus, overtime etc.

[cs95tdg]

I am showing 12 months earnings from for Sep 2011 to Aug 2012. But the bonus payments are for whole tax year 2011-12 (Apr 2011 to Mar 2012), though paid in Mar 12 and June 12. So this spreads slightly outside the 12 months I am considering earnings for.

Q2) IGNORING THE BONUS: My earnings in 12 months without the bonus is enough to claim sufficient points, so can I request in the cover letter not to consider the bonus payments (even though it is on the payslip?). Is it ok?

I take it that the bonus period you are referring to, which is outside the 12 month period is, April 2011 to August 2011. Is this correct? I.e. as the 12 month period you have selected to claim points for is September 2011 - August 2012.

You are correct in that as per the guidance notes, if your earnings were made outside the 12 month period in question (as per my understanding it is when you earned the money and not when you were paid, that is relevant here), then they should not be used to claim points. As you say you qualify without the two bonus payments, what I would do to keep it simple is exclude them. You will need to explain this in a covering letter and probably highlight the relevant entries in your payslips and bank statements to make it easy for a CW to cross-check and verify.

[cs95tdg]

Your total gross earning for the period you claiming for is considered. I don't see why CW shouldn't consider it. You can claim points for the gross earning including any bonus, overtime etc.

If the bonus or overtime was earned within the 12 month period then, yes this is true. But in the OP's case this is not strictly the case. There is around a 5 month period for which the bonus payment cannot be considered for the points calculation, as they fall outside the 12 consecutive month period he is claiming points for.

[newbee2012]

If the bonus or overtime was earned within the 12 month period then, yes this is true. But in the OP's case this is not strictly the case. There is around a 5 month period for which the bonus payment cannot be considered for the points calculation, as they fall outside the 12 consecutive month period he is claiming points for.

Yes you are right. I didnt make that clear. thanks

[anaduk11]

Thank you for your advise.