Don't appear to have got childcare element in UC payment

[stiltonontoast]

I received my first UC payment on 14th Jan, but as far as I can see its missing the childcare element.

I received...
Standard allowance - £498.89

Housing, You said that your rent is £860.00 per month

• £676.20

Children, You get support for 1 child
£231.67

Total before adjustments
£1,406.76

Then our combined take-home pay was £2,161.76, so we ended up with a payment of £169.

We paid £215 in childcare in January, I uploaded all the invoices and receipts but I can't see that this has been taken into consideration. Am I right, or barking up the wrong tree?

Not that this is any help at all I'm afraid, but I'm in exactly the same boat as I had my first payment notification last week and it doesn't mention childcare anywhere either... would love to hear from someone that does receive a childcare element about how it shows in your payment breakdown!

Make a note on your journal and ring them but they pay child care in arrears so if you paid in January you'll pay February's before getting any money back.

Ok so for example my UC payment is paid this month on the 23rd. That covers the assessment period of 17th Dec - 16th Jan I think. So any childcare I paid which covers those dates you should get back, it's not a full month in arrears.
Definitely do a message in your journal to query it, my case worker normally replies in a few hours and is very helpful

Thanks everyone - very helpful to hear from others with similar situ.

Sounds like I might get it next payment, as I didn't pay for Decembers invoice til 1st Jan, so it was perhaps outside of the assessment period.

Going to be tough because Jans chilcare invoice will be due before I receive my UC or the money from the last lot.

I've left a message on my journal so I will come back when I hear something.

the childcare element is paid the same as any other element and is then reduced overall by your wages . They give you 85% so it would be 85% of £215. Then that figure becomes another element and your joint wages reduce the total UC amount. I would give them a ring.

Just to update, I have just received a reply from UC saying they have recalculated as they had not included the childcare that I had paid for December. They have added that on to this months payment for me and it does show as a separate element on my payment breakdown. I have to send proof of payment in every month and it should be paid back to me at 85%