Adoption Allowance

[MGH]

Hi we get Adoption Allowance from local trust (we are from Northern Ireland) will this affect our universal credit.Have seen so many different stories about this.Any feedback would be greatly apprecisted

Unlike maternity allowance, adoption allowance belongs to the child in England, I’m not sure if it falls under the same rules in Northern Ireland.

Ok thanks just so hard to figure out no real clear rules

Adoption allowance is classed as unearned income. It's not counted as income, just explain what is it if they ask.

The DWP guidelines state:

"Adjusting the Universal Credit maximum amount: certain income is disregarded
The following is a list of regular unearned income types which are not taken into account in Universal Credit. This list is not exhaustive as other types of income not listed in regulations may be available:
• certain payments that are intended to meet additional costs of caring for child dependants, for example:

o Child Benefit
o Guardian’s Allowance
o Fostering Allowance and other Social Services payments
o Scottish Kinship Care payments
o Continuing care payments

Sorry for thr formatting it wasn't easy to copy and paste!

Ok thanks for this so it is disregarded?

Yes disregarded as income

For any that isn't spent that month it is not disregarded in terms of capital, e.g. in the same way as backdated benefits payments. So if you've got say £6,500 and some of that is adoption allowance that you haven't spent yet that would still count as capital.

Ok thanks for your help