Dla while claiming universal credit.

[Forgone90]

We currently receive universal credit, I work full time while my wife looks after our youngest. Our 7 year has just been granted DLA higher rate care and lower rate mobility... I have been working out now what we will be entitled too and I'm sure I'm doing it wrong as I just can't see it being that much.

The dla side works out about £460 a month, a friend mentioned we would be entitled to more universal credit now too.. Upon looking it looks like we could get a carers element of £160 a month but it also says about an additional £400 if there is a disabled child on your claim that receives higher rate care on DLA...

I'm sorry but that is over £1000 a month.. Someone tell me I'm being stupid because they if not that that is life changing for us
Thanks

Yes. Put in a change of circumstances on your UC account 🙂

The carers is counted as income for UC - so you might not see the extra £160 per month, but it depends how much you earn. But yes, you'll get an additional amount of UC for a disabled child

Mylittlepony. The cares allowance ( if claimed) is paid separately to Uc at the rate of about £67 a week but then you also get a UC carers element of £162 per month. If claiming carers allowance then that get deducted pound for pound but you can claim just the carers element if you wish and not bother with carers allowance because it is taken straight off again. One benefit to claiming carers allowance though is that you get credited with a better class of NI contributions so it can be worth claiming it for that reason.
A disabled child on higher rate DLA will give an extra disabled child element of £400 and the carers element of £162, plus the DLA so yes over £1000 extra per month.

Thanks very much for the replies... This is going to be incredible for us, I knew we were entitled to something just never knew it was that much

You do need to remember though that the disabled child element and carers element paid on Universal credit will still be reduced by your partners wages to some extent, you will still be a lot better off though. The actual DLA payment is not affected by UC.

Sorry I meant to say by your wages, because wages reduce the whole Uc award.

Definitely log in to your account and report a change - they’ll sort from there and update your journal with next steps

Everything Babyroobs said!
The DLA award is usually backdated to the date that you first applied for it. Your wife can also request backdating (by up to 3 months) when she claims Carers Allowance, which I would advise her to do.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/carers-allowance/#h-check-if-you-can-get-your-carer-s-allowance-backdated

Not helpful but I would be so pleased if you were able to receive the additional money. Saying that 'it's life changing' really touched me and made me hope that it works out for your family and I wish you all the luck in the world.

@CountryGirlAddCoffee thank you so much, it has really been a struggle with our child especially at school which has meant my wife had to stop work to care for her. So this money is essentially another wage coming in now. Just during all this uncertainty and myself working in the airline industry and likely to be made redundant soon. It was just the light at the end of the tunnel we needed :)

I had a nice man from UC ring me yesterday after I wrote on my journal online to explain what we would be receiving which was very nice of him. He said my calculations were right and that is what we should receive. Hopefully it was all done in time for this month he said it possibly was but not to quote him.

Thanks all for your help

You should also look into other perks ( for want of a better word) of receiving DLA. I know when my daughter was awarded it for a short while many years ago we got a cinema card so that a carer got in free, and you can sometimes get priority queuing at theme parks etc.

Sorry to jump on this post but my child recieves moddlenrate dla, would any one know how much extra I would get on uc? I don't think I'd get carers element on uc as I do work but childcare is extortionate x

Hi

me again!! I’ve phoned this morning change off circumstances scan date 1st March! Son was middle care they have kept him the same even though his night needs are massively different and awarded low rate motability! I was awarded yesterday, not sure if I should so a MR has anyone else had this?

thanks dawn :-)

The disabled child element is £132.89. If the only reason you aren’t eligible for carer’s allowance is your earnings are too high you will be entitled to the carer’s element which is £168.81. You can also claim some of your childcare costs.

I second this. DLA qualifies you for lots of other things and there are loads of grants out there you can apply for. Although you can’t get a CEA card for a free carer tickets at the cinema until 8 years old.

You can get carers on UC or your wife can claim carers allowance but it will be taken off your UC.
But... If you get Carers then you may be able to get a free replacement boiler and other energy efficient stuff. I had about 7k of work done at no cost.

Universal Credit disregard 100% of pension contributions for income calculations, so look to maximise your UC payments by topping up your pension to avoid deductions where possible. Your wife can contribute to her own personal pension up to £2880 per annum even if not working, to reduce the household income calculation, and it will be topped up to £3600 by the added tax relief.

You can claim carer's allowance as well. I no longer get the carer's element in UC. Mz daughter is a young adult so she get's a disability element instead no. It is really helpful for the extra costs of raising a disabled child.

As long as no one else is receiving carer’s allowance or the carer element you can still receive the carer element even though DD is now an adult.

Hi just looking for a bit of info
my daughter has been accepted for high rate care after a mandatory reconsideration from the 21st feb 2023
I’m about to make a change of circumstances on my uc
i am in the non related work activity group due to my own illness
Does anyone know if declaring my child’s disability will it have an effect on my claim?
I don’t want to be dragged through meeting ect atm because I’m just not well enough 🥺 TIA x

You will get the severely disabled child element added.

If you mean you have LCWRA you won’t get the carer element, but that doesn’t matter as the LCWRA element is more than the carer element anyway.