Budgeting joint universal credit and other benefits

[maltedmilktea]

I’ve been putting off asking this because I feel like I’m stupid for not getting my head around it. It’s like there’s a brick wall between me and finances.

We (DP and me) get UC.
I get PIP. DP gets Carers Allowance. I’m out of work indefinitely because of health reasons and DP is my carer while also looking for work that will fit round that. That’s all fine.

What I can’t work out (and this has been the cause of a few arguments) is how to split the money? Logically it seems obvious:
1/2 UC each
DP keeps carers allowance
I keep PIP.

But then it gets more confusing because carers allowance gets deducted from universal credit and is paid 4 weekly like PIP, whereas UC is monthly. And I get ‘extra’ UC for my health.

Can someone ELI5 this for me? Or even just say how you do it yourself?

Can’t you just pool it and then agree an “allowance” each? But make sure you take out in addition to that, anything you use for your disability eg taxis, therapy etc.

In this case it's benefits but could be any income. Mrs B and I both have work pensions paid on/around the last working day of the month but her State Pension is every four weeks.

I'd say pool it, agree what needs to be set aside for housekeeping, bills etc and then divvy up the rest.

You can't just split it half each, surely you need to pay general expenses like bills etc? And there isn't much left I assume once essentials are covered.

You need to actually look at the household budget and work out what costs have to be covered and then see how much you can have each as spending money.

Oh and anything you have to spend because of your disability (taxis, therapies, whatever) comes under household expenses, not personal spends.

Surely you pay all the bills and split what is left. That seems fair.

All money in one pot, pay bills split what's left over. What are the arguments about?

Assuming you and DP share a home, you pool it all. What's the point in one of you having leftover ££ and the other being overdrawn?