Joint UC calculation

[Linkedin721]

Hi, hoping someone can help me work out my joint UC claim as DWP cannot advise me of my calculation until the end of June. It’s a joint claim, I can’t work out of the monthly award will be £99.65 or £469.80 due to the wording surrounding LCWRA work allowance. I work full time and my husband is signed off from work (self-employment) , no children and no housing element (live in mortgaged home). I earn £1697 net after tax, NI and pension. My husband has been signed off sick since February. He is expected to be assessed as LCWRA. When calculating UC I was confused if my husband’s £673 work allowance applies to my income. If so will the calculation be my wages (£1697) - work allowance (£673)=£1024 when wages taper x 0.55p = £563.20 total deduction from £1033 claim (couples allowance £617 + £416 for husband’s LCWRA) = £469.80 total UC award. If my husband’s work allowance cannot be applied to my income then the calculation would be £1697 x 0.55p = £933.35 deduction from total £1033 = £99.65 total award. Thanks in advance and apologies if this is obvious, UC is all new to me, however assuming his work allowance won’t apply and I’ll have 55p deducted from my full wage £1697.

No housing element not benefit! ^

The work allowance is one allowance based on household earnings. So as a couple you can earn £673 before deductions.by household I mean a single person or a couple only.

As above, work allowance applies to the claim but depends on your husband having Limited Capability for Work. Has he had the Assessment yet?

If he's found to have Limited Capability for Work Related Activity then there's a wait period based on when he first provided DWP with evidence of sickness ie his 'fit note'.

He has yet to be assessed but will likely qualify. His sick note was uploaded to UC journal and it covers him 01/02-30/06 and his GP has no problem issuing another after that period. I think I could cut my hours down so I earn the work allowance £673 and get the full claim then £1033. It is unsustainable for me to continue working full time with my current home life situation. If I cut down to £673 wages a month I would meet the criteria for carers allowance £82 a week but I don’t think they pay that with the carer’s element? Which is fair enough to be honest, just unsure of how it all works. Thanks for the answers, much appreciated.

Is he being treated for Cancer with Chemo or Radiotherapy?

You mention Carers Allowance or the Carer Element in UC. To get those he's need to be in receipt of PIP for Daily Living.

No cancer diagnosis thankfully so no chemo or radiotherapy. We are in Scotland so there is no PIP here. He is on ADP - adult disability payment - daily living standard rate, he was one point off enhanced so we are currently going through a re-determination, hoping to get the extra point for £108 a week.

ADP point noted so you would get the Carer Element.

Point about Cancer is that Chemo/Radiotherapy means you get LCfWRA automatically.

Is your husband terminally ill or have one of the conditions that do not require an assessment? If not, then without the assessment (and filling in the assessment questionnaire) you won’t receive LCWRA.

There is no lower earning limit for carers element you are entitled to that element if your husband claims the care element of pip and you are his carer. That will apply from the beginning of your claim. Just noticed Scotland the same applies for adult disability payment.

You can claim Carers allowance and carers element but carers allowance is deducted £1 for £1 from your UC award.

Hi, no terminal illness just a long term condition. No issue doing the assessment, I was just saying that I assume he would score enough points to get LCWRA. His Gp note said she does not need to assess him for next sick note, it can just be reissued as Gp recognises that his condition is long term. Are you saying that unless you have cancer/terminal illness you don’t get LCWRA?

job centre / Dwp aware he is signed off and he is not required to do business gateway meeting. Initially they said this was mandatory to have this hour long meeting. I advised it was not business advice he needed, it was financial support as he cannot currently work due to Ill health. Jc/DWP have not mentioned LCWRA assessment but assume that will be next ? His online ID verification failed so he has to go in next week to verify ID.

Thanks for all of your replies this far by the way. This is all really useful.

Thanks for his. So I would need to deduct the £82 pw carers allowance from my total claim minus the carers element or not? So I would be earring £150 a week wages, £82 carers allowance, then our work allowance is £673 and total claim is £617 plus £416 plus £189 carers element or not? Thanks

Sorry for the typos

Report that you are caring for him, go to Report a change of circumstances then caring, he already has a qualifying benefit for you to be his carer, you don't need to claim carers allowance to do this.

This will give you another £198 benefit a month, work allowance won't apply until the LCWRA is awarded.

If you claim Carers Allowance, as PP"s have said, it's deducted from UC, but if you are going to drop your hours, I would apply to cover you NI contributions. Make sure that when you get the backdated award thar you hang on it to repay UC as they'll recalculate your award.

So can someone please clarify that if I earn. £12.87 an hour and our couples allowance is £1222 (£617 couples claim +£416 for LCWRA plus £189 carer’s element). I can earn £155 a week so 13 hours a week (small pension contribution), £82 carers allowance a week. £1,027 monthly earnings, we are allowed to earn £673 so £354 x 0.55p = £194.70 deducted from £1222 is £1,027.30 a month. So income would be £1027.30 UC + £671 wages + £355 carer’s allowance. Seems a lot for a child free couple >£2000

When I signed up for UC I said I had caring duties so do not think I need to report this as I can see on my application they know.

when / how will I get the LCWRA? So if I understand correctly our claim will only be £617 plus £198 as we won’t get the £416 for disability until LCWRA?

At this stage, your claim sounds new? Your DH will be sent a UC50 form, then that and any evidence he supplies will be assessed to see if he qualifies as either having Limited Capability for Work (no extra money but less job search requirements), or Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (LCWRA).

If your DH is assessed as having LCWRA, then he'll start getting the extra money 3 full assessment periods after he submits the first fit note.

You won't get the work allowance until you have the element for the LCWRA.

If you cut your hours, you'll get the carers allowance but it will be deducted in full from your UC. You will get the carers element of UC regardless of your work situation.

In general, you will always be better off financially by working. So make any decisions about reducing hours on your circumstances, not money. You will never get more money (overall) by not working.

Unfortunately, until your DH is assessed as having LCW or LCWRA, then you won't get the work allowance and all earnings will be deducted at a rate of £0.55 per £1.

Ok, does it make a difference that Gp backdated sick note to 01/02? Our claim is new- just a week in. Thanks for all the info it. Really confused still. Can anyone actually give me a figure based on my info. Currently earn £1697 a month net. No kids, no housing element. Caring duties but no CA - husband on ADP

How long is an assessment period sorry?

Assessment period is a calendar month less a day so if you applied on 15th May the AP would end 14th June

Perfect, thanks