No carers element in first payment

TrueBlue22
TrueBlue22 Online Community Member Posts: 9 Connected
in Universal Credit (UC)

Hello,

I wanted to know if this has happened to anybody else. We have migrated on to UC, and before we did we did a benefit check with turn to us by ourselves and also with the CAB. Every time we got the predicted break down there was always a carers element for my husband who is my carer. I also get the enhanced rate of PIP.

By getting the carers element it worked out that we would be almost £100 a month better off on UC, however when we got our statement yesterday there was no carers element and we are going to be paid less than expected but also less than what we would have got on legacy benefits. The CAB help to claim told is we definitely should be getting the carers element in our UC because we do qualify for it.

My husband has sent a message on his journal to which there has been no reply (usually they have always replied really quickly to our other messages on there). I just wanted to know if this is a common occurrence, and how do we go about having this added on to our first payment?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 5,327 Championing

    Two issues.

    If your UC entitlement is less than legacy benefits, Transitional Protection- designed so at the point of transfer you aren't worse off should be added to the claim, but on some occasions this isn't calculated in time for your first payment.

    TP will erode over time with benefit rises and other elements becoming payable.

    Did you apply for Carers Element when making the UC application?

    If not, you need to go onto Journal, report a change, caring for someone.

    This should then be added to your next statement.

  • TrueBlue22
    TrueBlue22 Online Community Member Posts: 9 Connected

    This is so annoying and I don't know if I want to laugh or cry about it all because it's been an absolute nightmare just one problem after another.

    I didn't know that you had to apply for it. When we put in the application it immediately said that my husband didn't need to look for work because he is caring for someone. Plus he has spoken to the jobcentre once in person and once over the phone about being a carer and he wasn't told about applying for the carers element.

    Do you think calling the UC helpline would help?

    Thank you so much for the quick response I really appreciate it.

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 5,327 Championing
    edited December 2024

    I wouldn't recommend calling the UC helpline no, they are little more than a call center and don't know the complexities of the system.

    Some of the advice people have reported getting from there is very far from what's correct.

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

    It's not unusual for your first payment to be incorrect. All you can do is put a message onto your journal under the payment section and ask about the carers element. If your PIP award hasn't yet been confirmed this is why the carers element isn't included.

  • TrueBlue22
    TrueBlue22 Online Community Member Posts: 9 Connected

    My husband called UC and the advisor said that it is pending on the system, and once they clarify that I am on PIP and he is my carer they will add the carers element. They have put a message on our journal to say that the case manager will reply by the end of tomorrow.

    What we have found funny is they have deducted the carers allowance from the payment but then left of the carers element. Thank you for your responses 😊 I hope it gets sorted soon.

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

    Yes carers allowance is deducted from UC but the carers element isn’t automatically included.

    Carers allowance was already in payment but your UC is a new claim. All elements have to be verified and awarded by a decision maker before they can be included in your claim. This is perfectly normal.

Categories