Full time carer Self employed earnings and UC payment

lp57

Hi all,

I am wondering if anyone can help?

My son who is my full time carer and lives at home with me, started a p/t ebay business at the end of November.He claims UC and receives Carers allowance. I did query this previously and was told he could earn up to £684 before it affected his UC and carers allowance.

He registered as self employed on his UC journal and was supposed to receive a phone interview to go over things, but no one called. An entry in his journal just stated the interview had taken place and he was not classed as gainfully self employed, due to caring commitments.

He was asked to upload his earnings just before Christmas, which he did. He earned £318 and his expenses were £11.99 for packaging.

UC have calculated his earnings as £306. However, they have only paid him £72 UC for this past month, due to what he earned. He usually gets £240 a month.

We were under the impression his UC would not be affected if he did not go over the £684.

As he was due payment on 31/12. He has left a note on his journal, but as yet due to the holidays has had no reply.

He has sold his own unwanted items, hoping to get an amount together to purchase items to sell on.

Sorry for the essay. He is looking for any advice, so we do know where we stand when they do eventually reply.

Thank you

Kimi87

I can see I was one of the people who advised you in your previous thread.

I think an assumption was made then that he receives LCWRA element with his UC.

The work allowance only applies if the claimant gets within UC:

LCW (including zero payment), LCWRA or money for a dependent child.

If he receives none of those things then the UC deduction is correct.

The standard deduction is £0.55 for every pound earned, starting immediately without any work allowance.

lp57

Hi

No. It is me that receives LCWRA with my UC.

My son receives UC of £240 per month and he receives a weekly payment of carers allowance, which I think is £83.

Lauren29

Can you clarify you told you that he could earn up to £684 before it affected his UC and Carers Allowance ? Unless he has a Work Allowance on UC then 55p in every £ of his earnings would be deducted from his UC. Carers Allowance has an earnings limit of £196 per week. Is he also claiming the Carers Element of UC?

Kimi87

It was me & another member in OP's previous thread.

The amount son gets in UC matches Standard Allowance + Carers Element, minus Carers Allowance.

Approximate figures:

£400 Standard Allowance

£200 Carers Element

Minus £360 Carers Allowance

Equals £240 UC.

lp57

I asked in a previous post on here and was told as he was a carer he could earn £684 per month before his UC is affected. He receives £240 per month in UC and he receives a carers allowance payment each week. I think money is deducted from his UC because he receives Carers allowance, so he only recieves £240 instead of £400.

lp57

He was told in his journal that he is not classed as gainfully self employed. He thought the £684 was his work allowance.

Kimi87

Unfortunately the work allowance doesn't apply to carers, just those getting LCW or LCWRA or claiming for a dependent child.

lp57

Ok. Thank you for your reply.

OverlyAnxious

I'm not even sure this is a business yet? If he's only selling his own old unwanted items that shouldn't be classed as an income.

lp57

Someone else has told us that. Apparently you can sell £1000 of your own stuff, before you need to declare it.

He was just trying to get the money together, to invest it in something to sell.

He had declared himself as self employed now though and as they have taken off him as self employed, I doubt he will get it back.

I do think carers get a rough deal though.