Changing lead carer on Universal Credit

[SomebodysMum]

Hello

My husband and I started our claim for UC earlier this year. At the time we put me down as the lead carer for our 2 year old daughter as I was doing most of the childcare while my husband was working on his self employed business.

I have a health condition which has got worse since then and I have been assessed as LCWRA. My husband is having to do more of the childcare now as I just can’t, but that means his income is going to go way down. He was making enough to count as gainful self employed but won’t be any more.

At the moment we are ok because the minimum income floor hasn’t kicked in yet, but when it does we are fucked as he will probably not be making anywhere near that amount with the limited hours he will be able to work.

Is it possible to change things so that he is down as lead carer so that he is only expected to work 16 hours a week?

If it is possible to do this does it come into effect straight away?

Also if we do do this and our circumstances change in that I get better and become able to do some work but not full time, will it be possible to switch back?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks for any help, I’m so worried.

On your UC journal, you can do a change of circumstances. There may be an option on there.

Yes, you should be able to switch back just as easily as switching initially.

It might be an idea to apply for PIP, OP. I find that clients with LCWRA generally meet the threshold for PIP. And if you were awarded PIP, and if your DH cares for you for 35 hours or more pw (includes care during the night), the carer element would be added to your UC.

Hi! I know this is a really old thread but in the hope that you may still be receiving notifications … did this work out for you?

In a very similar situation, with minimum income floor being used next month. Were you able to change your partner to lead carer easily?

Hi there

yes it was easy, I can’t remember exactly but im 95% sure I found it somewhere under the report a change section.

M husband did then have to go the job centre for an ‘interview’ but that was really just 2 minutes for them to confirm that his minimum income floor would be based on 16 hours @ minimum wage as that’s all he would be expected to work in our circumstances.

Hope you’re holding up ok? It’s an awful situation to be in xx

@KennedyD22

i have just checked for you, after my last post I remembered I had to send a journal question to be able to find it. You just need to go to report a change, and it’s in the ‘Children and other people who live with you’ although you have to put in the date of change etc first before it will let you go through to select what the actual change is.

Thank you so much for replying after this post was so long ago! 😅

I’m holding up ok thank you; but It’s stressful, I’m a full time nursing student and minimum income floor will leave us completely stuck! I did actually go through that on report a change earlier, it would let me edit my children’s DOB etc but not the lead parent. I’ll have another look tomorrow maybe I missed it!

When he was expected to work 16 hours, how old were your children? Just trying to work out potentially how much we will be down by each month 😅

Hope you got on ok! Sorry only just seen this and you might have already found this out, in case you haven’t though she’s 4 now and it’s still only 16 hours expected

Yes I went back through and did find it in the end so have changed it to my partner now! My youngest has only just turned 1, so I’m wondering whether we will have no income floor or if will be less hours like yours 🤷🏻‍♀️ my partners next meeting is 2 weeks away so will find out then!

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