UC or not?

[Senparentingonandon]

I’m currently working FT as is my husband and paying a fortune for an after school special needs nanny for our DD. From September we are moving unavoidably and I’m having to stop working FT.
My new very PT role means I will be eligible for carers allowance. Filling in all our details, we would also be eligible for a small amount of UC. But I also hear horror stories about UC and I’m wondering what people’s experiences are? If you are only eligible for a very small award is it worth the pain? Practically I won’t have childcare for my child and she likely won’t have a school place for a while… so even making time to go to appointments would be really challenging. I’m annoyed I’m in this position to be honest…. But the reality is I can’t work FT with my child without a school place.
PS Please don’t give advice about school places as I am 100% on top of this bit. But it can’t be quickly sorted.

If you are eligible for UC, I would claim it. CA will be deducted £ for £, but if that will still mean you receive some UC, even if a small amount, I would claim. It all helps. There is usually an initial meeting when you first claim. Since you are a carer, you won’t have work commitments and there shouldn’t be ongoing meetings about that.

There are other benefits to claiming UC. For example, some places offering UC entry prices. Some of these places offer UC entry prices to those on CA &/or DLA too, but not all do. Another example, some energy companies have social tariffs that some claiming UC are eligible for. If you will be claiming UC longer term, Help to Save is worth doing if you can save even a small amount. From September, it will also mean DD is eligible for free school meals. Even if not in school (except for EHE), vouchers can be issued. Or if AP is being made as it should be and any potential disability related needs, e.g sensory needs, allow, some APs provide lunch.

If you are entitled to UC, then claim it - if your child is on MRC or HRC then you’d be entitled to carers element and, if on LRC/MRC, low rate disabled child element; if child is on HRC then that increases to high rate disabled child element. Carers element is not dependent on low earnings in the same way that Carers Allowance is and can be claimed even if you work full time. We have seen out UC entitlement go up over £800 a month due to the added elements, plus get our full rent paid each month which gives us an additional £80 a month back as we don’t have to pay that from our other elements/income. And then we get my son’s DLA payment too.

Carers allowance, if the child is on MRC/HRC, is often good to claim if needing a weekly amount in the bank but is taken in full from your UC claim so lots of parents on UC don’t bother claiming it as it’s a case of in one hand out of the other. We decided not to claim it because, while my contract is only 10 hours a week, some weeks I do double that and we didn’t want the hassle of having to fight to reduce the deduction from UC if I only got 3 weeks of CA one month.

It can still be worth claiming CA despite it being deducted £ for £ from UC because CA gives a better class of NI credits than UC.