£200 worse off after being awarded LCWRA

StressedAndPoor

Please help!

i was granted LCWRA on Universal credit a couple of weeks ago (I was told that it would help to make my life easier as I'm physically disabled (significant osteoarthritis in my spine, anxiety and ptsd) but also full time carer for my ASD 20 year old). This was my statement for this month, previous statements were for approx £760 (the £360 they deduct normally

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is my carers allowance). I have been trying to question the validity of this as I am now £200 worse off than I was before- this can't be right, can it? And no, this won't make my life easier

Kimmy87

Were you previously receiving Carers Element?

The same person cannot get that element and LCWRA, only the higher amount applies.

There was a recent court case around this issue, but the outcome is not yet known.

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/121305/awarded-lcwra-and-rewarded-by-losing-almost-200-a-month-from-uc

StressedAndPoor

Yes was previously receiving carers via dwp and that amount was deducted from my UC.

My transitional payment was previously £625 but I've now discovered that UC have dropped that to £200, my carers deduction was previously £198 but £354 was taken:

September = 1721 (£767 after deduction)

November = 1923 (£569 after deduction)

Kimmy87

£354 is a deduction for Carers Allowance.

CA is paid outside of UC.

£198 has been removed for Carers Element. This is paid within UC. As I explained, the same person cannot get both CE & LCWRA.

And also your Transitional Protection has reduced due to the LCWRA element being awarded.

Hopefully the outcome of the court case is a positive one.

poppy123456

The £354.90 that's being deducted is because you're also claiming carers allowance. This is a separate benefit to UC and is always deducted in full. The same applied when you were claiming legacy benefits, it's always deducted in full. Carers allowance then pay you as a separate payment.

The £198.31/month was carers element of UC, this isn't deducted in full, it's added to your maximum UC entitlement. As you've now been awarded the LCWRA element, the same person can't receive this and carers element at the same time. For this reason that is now removed.

Your TP would have also eroded by the same amount as the LCWRA element, which is £416.19/month.

Carers allowance will continue to be paid as normal because that isn't affected by the LCWRA element but the amount deducted for carers allowance will remain the same at £354.90/month

StressedAndPoor

I've never seen the Carers Element on my statement before and carers allowance (I was told) was deducted from the UC . Previously the deduction was 198. And I believe they have taken i2 lots of 354 (now in an amendment to October statement under the title Carers Allowance and the same this November statement

poppy123456

I can only see one deduction of £354.90 on that screenshot. The £198 isn't a deduction for carers allowance, that's the additional carers element of UC. This element will now be removed due to the LCWRA element being included.

In your first comment you said you were £200/month worse off, which indicates to me that your UC did include carers element. (£198.31/month)

StressedAndPoor

Ah ok, it's on statement as carers allowance which is what confused me. They have also taken same amount off of October but I suspect it has been removed from November (my head is spinning). I will do math later

poppy123456

Carers allowance is a completely separate benefit to UC. Carers element is part of UC and this isn't deducted from your UC, it's carers allowance that's deducted.

In the screenshot above and the links you've posted I can see carers allowance, which has been deducted and is correct.

I don't see any carers element but when your statements were recalculated I would expect the carers element to have been removed and replaced with the LCWRA element.

What's happened here is that they've added the LCWRA element, which has eroded your Transitional Protection by the same amount. Then they've completely removed the carers element because the same person can't receive both LCWRA and carers element at the same time. So it's correct that the carers element is removed and yes you would be worse off sadly.

Donna_donna

Orry to butt in here,but That's outragous?

What happens with the fact that you are given a certain amount of money the law says you have to live on?

How can they just take money away from people like this?

Morgan_Scope

Hello @Donna_donna, it definitely seems unfair and we're hoping that the court case over it will be successful.

Donna_donna

Well i wish you the very best of luck.

You shouldn't be going through that in the first place.