Can anyone help me manually calculate a UC award?

[seastheseasagain]

Two DC (3 and 7). Both on Higher Rate Care/Mobility which I know is an additional element when it comes to UC

I get carers allowance

H salary of just below £2k a month

The figures the calculators are giving are ridiculous! So not counting on them being accurate

I really appreciate the help

Sorry should've added a rent amount - £980 a month (3 bed house but extra bedroom entitlement)

Should also add I don't currently get anything as I didn't realise I could

A fellow carer pointed me in the direction of applying (her financial set up is similar but I haven't asked what she gets, she just thinks I'd definitely be entitled)

I don't know what your housing allowance would be but at a rough guess it's probably around £2162

That's for 2x adults, 2x kids, 2 carers element, 2x high rate disability and rent.

Rent might be slightly off as mentioned and I've not included any childcare.

In order to give an accurate calculation:
Are you &/or DH 25+?
Is just below £2k H’s income after tax, NI and pension contributions?
Was DC1 born before 6/4/17?
Do you rent private or is it a council/housing association house? If the former, what is the local housing allowance for your area?

Thank you

H isn't registered as a carer/in receipt of carers allowance though - He is in FT work so don't think he gets the carers element due to that

It's just me that's the official carer

Your DH could absolutely get the carers element as work earnings don't count towards it do make sure you put the carers element on for one of your kids and you for the other.

You'll get an absolute tonne. With your DC's on high rate care and mobility, you on no wage ( or essentially none if you qualify for carer's) and your DH on under £2k - you are exempt from benefit caps, all your rent will get paid.

Believe the calculators.

Yes, both over 25.

The exact salary is £1920 give or take a few pounds, after tax and national insurance contributions, pension etc. His gross salary is 31k

DC1 born after that date you mentioned

Rent is housing association NB and just below the local housing allowance limit

If that's true, I can't believe I've lost out for such a long time

I am really shocked because I just assumed H's salary was too much for any entitlement (I did think before we might be entitled to say £20/30 a month but decided it wouldn't be worth it given the mix ups and overpayment risks that scare me!)

This seems to suggest you can't get 2 carers elements?

You can get two, you obviously have to claim for different people.

Standard allowance. £617.60
First child. £287.92
2nd child. £287.92
Disability element child 1 £487.58
Disability element child 2. £487.58
Carer element you. £198.31
Carer element DH. £198.31
Rent. £980
Total = £ 3,346.91

Earnings minus work allowance
£1920 - £404 = £1516

Earnings deduction
£1516 x 0.55 = £833.80

Total allowed - earnings deductions - carer’s = total UC for month
£3,346.91 - £833.80 - £354.90 = £2,158.21

all your rent will get paid.

In this case, yes, the housing element will be the whole rent amount, but you didn’t know that when you posted because it depended on if OP rented from the council/HA or if it is a private rental and if the latter what the LHA is. OP has since confirmed it is HA.

@BrumToTheRescue I really appreciate the breakdown

However, when I look at various sites, it says you can't have 2 carers elements in one claim?

Agree with brumtotherescue
By the way your husband can get Carer Element on UC even though he earns too much for CA as long as each of you care for different children.

You can if there are 2 claimants on the claim and they are carers for different people. For example, can be a carers for DC1 and DH for DC2.

The screenshot you posted says 1 carer element per claimant. There are 2 claimants on your claim, you and DH.

Thank you

So we just pick a child each to put down as the carer for? I do most of the caring anyway but it's split when he's home very evenly so is it a huge deal if I just put a child for each of us or do I need to write a diary explaining how (marginally) I'd be more of a carer for child X, and he a carer for child Y?

You don't need to write or diary or anything, you just put DH as carer for child Y.

Thank you, I seem to have misread 'claimant' for claim as in entire UC claim

You should inform UC you are the carer for the child you claim carer’s allowance for. DH should inform UC he is the carer for the child you don’t receive CA for. No diary needed. DH just needs to be caring for the other child for 35+ hours per week.

Thank you. I appreciate this as I wasn't getting how before!

When you claim you put yourself as main carer for the children then yourself as claiming for child A ( the child you receive cares allowance for) and your dh as carer for child B.
If your children are below school age and over 9 months by Sept 1st you can also claim 15/30 free childcare hours depending on their age if you want to. In addition up to 85% of childcare costs for child B only from UC ( they can be up to age 16).

Does that really apply even if only one parent works though?

Yes the funded 15/30 hours for either child if the non working parent claims carers allowance. The up to 85% via UC if you claim carers allowance or carers element. However you can't claim childcare via UC for the child the non working parent carers for.
This is only applicable for couple as one parent in the household has to be working.