Carers element

Betts24

I recently signed onto UC I recieve carers allowance,Due my first UC payment on 1st Oct, I will be awarded carers element also, this has being confirmed. Will my carers element be automatically backdated to when the person I claim for was first awarded PIP? This person is an adult that I care for. Or do I have to request backdating? I first started receiving carers allowance September 2023, or will the carers element be backdated to when I first started receiving carers allowance or from I first started claiming UC?

Lauren29

You can ask for the Carer Element to be backdated but only to the start of your UC claim. When did you start to claim UC ? If your first payment is on 1st October I would assume that you made the claim in late August. So I would expect that there would be no backdating as the Carer Element will be included in the payment that you receive on 1st October.

Betts24

Recieving Carers allowance from September 2023 , so would UC not backdate Carers element to then?

poppy123456

There's nothing to back date because your first payment for UC isn't due until 1st October. Your first payment will be for the previous month. UC is paid 1 month in arrears. The maximum time UC can be backdated for is 1 month, in the most extremely cases. Therefore unfortunately you will not receive it from Sept 2023.

Carers element is part of UC, it's not a benefit on its own.