Carers allowance and uc

[kermitloving]

So I have a child who receives DLA middle rate which is included in uc monthly amount. We both work too

If I was to claim caters allowance how much is it monthly and is it worth Doing it if it's gonna get taken off uc?

Both adults work I meant

I think universal credit is reduced by the amount of carers allowance received. So I'm not sure how anyone would benefit from basically swapping one benefit for another.

To be eligible you can't earn more than £139 a week after tax.

It's piss poor for what unpaid carers do.

It's £76.75 per week for carers

It's taken off £for £ but does help towards your pension so the general rule is to claim it.

Have you asked for the carers element adding to your UC claim (totally different to the carers allowance)

@notapizzaeater not yet how would that work

You need to do a change of circumstance and let them know you are getting DLA and the date of the award so it's added to your claim and ask for the carers element to be added (and for it be backdated to the start date)

You would get the carers allowance deducted from the UC but then you would also get £185.86 added on to your claim so that would be extra.

The DLA element is already paid to me through uc

So I guess my next step is to apply for carers allowance as i haven't done they yet. Is that correct?

@KentuckyFriedChicken83 I know there's a DLA element as we get that but didn't realise uc also pay an extra carers element?

You don't have to apply for carers allowance to get the UC carers element. Do you earn less than £139 a week ? You are no better off financially by claiming carers allowance as it is deducted pound for pound but there are some benefits to claiming it like a better class of Ni credits.

You need the carers element adding too - about £185 extra - this is totally different to carers allowance (where you have to be earning less than £139 a week or you can't claim)

Go to the home page of your Uc journal and report a change that you are a carer. it will ask for details of who you care for. Then leave a note for your case manager ( under payments) asking them to backdate the carers element to the date your child's DLA was awarded.

Thanks all

Hello,t daughter had just been awarded dla so im
now able to claim carers but before I apply I just wanted to know how it works. Will my daughter loose her dla payments or would I loose my benefits, I’m still on the old system

Because a Carer’s element is added to the UC therefore the carer is better off .

Sorry x post

If you're on means tested legacy benefits like Income Support or ESA then Carers would be deducted £/£ BUT there's a Carer Premium in legacy benefits which means you'd be better of overall.

The criteria for the Carer Premium, or the corresponding element in UC are similar to those for Carers Allowance; you need to provide care at least 35 hours a week to a person getting a qualifying benefit - in this case DLA for Care at at least the Middle Rate.

It may still be worth claiming Carers provided you don't earn to much. It gets Class 1 NI credits and some people, particularly on UC, find it helps budgeting/cashflow to have a fortnightly payment.

It does not affect DLA which is paid seperately.