How much will we receive as a couple once we get married and live together?

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turtle150
turtle150 Online Community Member Posts: 9 Listener
in Universal Credit (UC)

Hi, so me and my girlfriend are planning on getting married and living together. I am currently on universal credit in the LCWRA group and also receive PIP (standard living and standard mobility). My gf currently works but when we get married she will leave work and become my full time carer. Would we need to make a joint claim or something, i am confused how it all works.

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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing

    LCWRA is part of UC. If you live together you will need to report a change of circumstances. You will then be sent a linking code.
    Your partner will then need to start a claim for UC their self and use the linking code to join both claims together.

    Your partner can report being your carer and your UC will include carers element.

    She doesn’t have to stop working because you can claim UC and continue to work, if there’s entitlement.

    You have the work allowance too which means you or your partner can receive a certain amount of earnings each month before any deductions are made. If you claim for help with the rent your work allowance is £404/month, if you don’t it’s £673/month.

    You can use a benefits calculator to check entitlement.

  • turtle150
    turtle150 Online Community Member Posts: 9 Listener
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/872661#Comment_872661

    Thanks for the reply. What is the difference between the carers element and the carers allowance? Or are they the same thing

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing

    Carers allowance is a separate benefit. There’s an earnings limit of £151/week for this too.

    Unless you live in Scotland there’s no financial gain to claiming Carers Allowance at the same time as UC because it’s deducted in full. The only difference is that you receive class 1 NI credits for this but for UC it’s only class 3.

    Carers element is part of UC but has no earnings limit. You don’t need to claim Carers allowance to be entitled to carers element.

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