Carer's allowance overpayment on universal credit / working part time

[DawnJ1968]

HI
Can any one help I claim carers allowance and universal credit, I work part time. last year I worked over my normal hours with covering for sickness and holiday's. got a letter telling me I had worked over the carers allowance and now have to pay back £1300.00. universal credit have already been taking this money off me every month.
can I claim this back from universal credit

Yes I would leave a message on your journal. You are still eligible to claim UC carers element as long as caring for 35 hours a week. If your earnings regularly take you over the earnings threshold for carers allowance then I would just cancel the carers allowance claim and just receive carers element instead, so much simpler.

Thanks. How much is the Carer’s’s element a month. Will UC still take this off my up allowance each month ?

I think if Carers Allowance retrospectively adjust your past award (i.e. amend some weeks to nil, some to a reduced amount due to Earnings etc) this should feed through to UC and flag up an Underpayment - however as you have "Debt" with Carers Allowance any Underpayment generated as a result of this would likely be offered to Debt Management in the first instance.

You should be getting the Carers Element though. Have you reported that you're a Carer on your UC Account? It's amazing how many people click No despite being Carers (often in receipt of Carers Allowance).

Carers Element is £163ish per month. It's just an additional element on the UC Award so I don't know what you mean about it being taken off? It would be paid as part of your overall UC payment, so (like all the different Elements that make up your overall UC Award) it's not specifically protected etc from being reduced due to Earnings etc.

Also - who are you Caring for? If it's a dependent child, are you also getting the Disabled Child Element for them? Again you have to specifically tell UC this under the Children / Other People section.

Universal credit take off the carers allowance as income bit award the carers element as well onto the entitlement.

You weren’t entitled to carers allowance because you went over the earnings limit on carers.

Report this now you’ve received the decision notice from carers allowance. You may get your UC readjusted. However make it clear that you were still caring and met the hours criteria for the period - otherwise they might remove the carers element too.

Thanks for all the help guys.
does the carer's element show on the uc award statement separately or is it hidden in overall payment. I can see carer's allowance but not carer's element. I care for my partner.
Have phoned UC and they say they are waiting for carers to get in touch about the overpayment. Then carer's say UC have not been in touch. left notes on my Journal. but no one get's back to you.

@DawnJ1968

Thanks for all the help guys. does the carer's element show on the uc award statement separately or is it hidden in overall payment. I can see carer's allowance but not carer's element. I care for my partner. Have phoned UC and they say they are waiting for carers to get in touch about the overpayment. Then carer's say UC have not been in touch. left notes on my Journal. but no one get's back to you.

Yes carers element will show on your statement- it is around £163. It will say something like " money because you care for someone". It will be listed with your other elements- standard/ child/ rent etc and form part of your total Uc before deductions for earnings .

Also did you ever tell them you were caring? In journal etc or on circumstances. Although they take into account carers allowance it doesn’t prompt the carers element to be awarded. Drop another note in the journal to ask for carers element to be backdated to either date you told them you were caring or date of claim.

Also let them know even when working you were still meeting the caring requirement hours.

Thanks everyone.
I found the carer's element, under people you care for.

Hi does anyoneknow how
Long it's takes uc to add carers element on uc and d0 they backdate it as I have been getting dla for my son since may last year but didn't now I could claim it .

@Princess23

Hi does anyoneknow how Long it's takes uc to add carers element on uc and d0 they backdate it as I have been getting dla for my son since may last year but didn't now I could claim it .

You can ask for a backdate and it will go to a decision maker. It is worth a try. If you reported now that you are a carer , the carers element should be included from your next months payment as long as you reported the change before the last day of your assessment period.

Ok thanks very much the last day of assessment periods the 9th of this month and get paid on the 16th so it should be added to next month payment is thar right hun x

@Princess23

Ok thanks very much the last day of assessment periods the 9th of this month and get paid on the 16th so it should be added to next month payment is thar right hun x

If you reported the change before the 9th , then you should have the carers element included on your payment on 16th.

Hey I realise this is a really old thread but I'm in the exact same position. Did you have to pay the money back even though it came out your universal credit to begin with ?

Thanks