Universal Credit

This is paid if you are caring for a severely disabled person for at least 35 hours a week.

The person you care for must get one of these benefits:

• Attendance Allowance (AA)
• Daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Middle or higher rate care component of Disability Living Allowance
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

The Carer Element is linked to a different benefit for carers called Carer’s Allowance. If you are a carer and you earn less than £128 per week, you should apply for Carer’s Allowance AND carers element of UC. If you earn more than £128 per week, only apply for carers element of UC as you do not meet the criteria for Carers Allowance. Please note, if you receive Carer’s Allowance it may reduce the benefits of the person you care for.

Please click here to find out more about Carers Allowance and how it affects other benefits.

• If you are too ill to work AND you are also a carer, the DWP will pay you whichever element pays you the highest amount. This means you could get the Limited Capability for Work element OR the Carers Element, not both.
• If you are claiming as a couple one of you can claim as a carer and one of you can claim as too ill to work. If you have Limited capability for Work-related Activity or the DWP accepted that you are too ill to work before 03/04/17, you will receive both the Carer Element AND the Work Capability Element.

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