Upgraded to LCWRA but didn't receive expected amount.

GabbiCat

Hi everyone.

I was recently upgraded to LCWRA from LCW, and was told everywhere online that my payments should go up by around £400 pcm. The first month of payments it only went up by £260, which I thought was just a partial payment month or something. However I've just been paid again, and again it was only an extra £260. Does anyone know what might be happening?

I live with my partner who is my carer. He gets around £20 ish per week carers allowance. He is not on disability himself, but is on UC unemployment basic rate. I switched from ESA around four years ago when he moved in with me. I lost my severe disability premium in the process and was told his carers allowance would cover the difference, which it obviously didn't, but as far as I'm aware I didn't receive extra UC to compensate for the loss of that.

In case it makes a difference, previous payments (including housing) were £1372pcm between us. New payment amount is £1632. I'd be really grateful if anyone could give me an idea of what might be the reason for this. I really struggle with communication on the phone or face to face, and my partners mum died today so I'm trying not to bother him with this.

Kimmy87

Potentially you were in ESA WRAG pre 2017?

So this meant your UC LCW element was £156.11 per month

LCWRA is £416.19

This means your UC award increased by the difference between the two, £260.

Also with natural migration such as a change of circumstances, there is no Transitional Protection so unfortunately what happened, the loss of your SDP and nothing to make up for it, was correct.

GabbiCat

Thank you. I think that explains it for me.

Regarding the SDP, it's less that I was expecting transitional protection, and more that I was expecting him to get a higher rate of carers allowance which would not entirely, but somewhat, mitigate the loss of my SDP. I'm bedridden and he does almost everything for me, but still only seems to get the bare minimum of carers allowance.

That's a different matter though. Thank you for clearing up my confusion on the LCWRA.

poppy123456

Carers allowance is not £20/week. It's £81.90/week and it's also deducted in full from any UC entitlement.

Does your UC also include the carers element which is £198.31/month?

GabbiCat

I'm genuinely not sure, I'll give him a few days to deal with his mum and I'll ask him to check for me. My understanding was that there's something on our online thing that says the carers element was around £20 per week, so it's possible he's misunderstood that but I can't be certain.

So, if I'm understanding you correctly, he should be getting £81.90 per week instead of his regular 70 something that would represent the jobseekers element of UC?

poppy123456

Carers element is not £20 per week. It's £198.31 per month and should be included in your UC statement.

Carers allowance is a completely different benefit to UC. However, if they claim this it's just deducted in full from any UC entitlement so there's no financial gain to claiming it. The only advantage to claiming it is that they will receive class 1 NI credits but for UC it's just class 3.

You can look at your statements on your journal and it will give the full breakdown of exactly what elements are included.

To be clear you'll be claiming UC as a couple and it's not just for your partner.

GabbiCat

Thank you.