Certain changes to your household can affect your UC award ie. how much you get, and also which conditionality group you are in.
You should report any change in your circumstances as soon as they happen and before the before the end of the Assessment Period in which the change took place to avoid under- and overpayments, avoid a £50 Civil Penalty and to ensure you are in the correct conditionality group
Single to Couple
For benefit purposes a single claimant forms a couple when they start living with their partner ‘as though they were married / in a civil partnership’. From this point on, their entitlement to Universal Credit will be assessed jointly ie. they will need to claim Universal credit as a couple.
If your partner moves in with you, or you move in with your partner, then you will need to report this on your journal (or by calling the UC Helpline).
You will have a couple claim for UC. If you are both already on Universal Credit, then the first one to report the change will be given a partner code, which they need to give to their new partner who will then enter it when they repor the change so that the two awards can be joined and re-assessed.
If your partner is not on Universal credit then, report the the change on your UC account and give your partner the partner code you are given. They should then make a new claimfor Universal Credit and entre this core when asked. this will ensure the two claims are joined and your award is assessed correctly.
You should about:
- Payments – as UC is paid into one account.
- Claimant Commitment – this could this change, if so you will have a commitments review.
- Amount of UC – this will change, it could go up or down depending on your new partner’s circumstances.
- If one of the couple has moved out of rented accommodation, then no help with rent will be given for that property from the beginning of the Assessment Period in which they move out. So timing of their move could be important.
- What else has changed – for instance are you now a carer? Make sure you report each change on your UC account (or to the UC Helpline).
Couple to single
If you have been claiming Universal credit as a couple and you separate, then you must report this to DWP straightaway (even if you are still living in the same property) – failure to do so could result in an overpayment and possibly a fine.
Your claims will be ‘unlinked’, so you will continue with the same Assessment Periods ie. payment dates, but your award will need to be re-assessed to take account of your new circumstances.
You need to think about:
- Payments – if their couple payments were going to your ex-partner then you will need to update the payment details on your single UC account.
- Claimant Commitment – could this change, if so you will need to have a commitments review.
- Amount of UC – this will change, it could go up or down depending on your new circumstances.
- If they you still living in the same rented property as you ex-partner, then who is entitled to a Housing Costs Element and how much, will depend on whether you have a joint or sole tenancy (and whose sole tenancy it is).
- If your ex-partner has moved out, and you are left living in a rented property where you are not the tenant – you could be treated as liable for the rent and therefore get a Housing Costs Element.
- If you left due to domestic abuse? Then special rules may apply to your Universal credit – speak to a Benefits Adviser for more information.
IMPORTANT: If you are State Pension age then you will not be entitled to Universal Credit as a single claimant, so you will need to make new claims for Pension Credit and if you live in rented property: Housing Benefit.
New baby
If you (or your partner) has had a baby – or adopted a child – you will need to report this change to the DWP as soon as possible and within the Monthly Assessment Period in which the child was born.
A Child Element will be added to the claimant’s Maximum UC Amount.
If you live in rented accommodation then you may be deemed to need an extra bedroom and so may see a change in your Housing Costs Element if affected by the Bedroom Tax or Local Housing Allowance.
NOTE: The addition of a Child Element or increase in the Housing Costs Element will erode any Transitional Element.
You may also change the conditionality group you are in – as the main carer of a child under 1 is in the ‘No Work Related Requirements’ conditionality group – so you may need to have a commitments review.
Death
Single claimant
Where the claimant is single, their Universal Credit award will be brought to an end from the beginning of the Monthly Assessment Period in which they die.
If they were a tenant and someone is left living in the property – then that person may be able to receive UC (or HB if State Pension age) to help them pay the rent.
One member of a couple
The DWP will need to re-assess the claimant’s UC award, taking into account any change in income.
They will be entitled to a ‘death run-on’ – meaning the Elements included in their UC award stay the same for the Assessment Period in which the death occurred plus the following two Assessment Periods.
Any Transitional Element will stop after this run-on period.
If the claimant had some work related requirements in their Claimant Commitment, these should be ‘switched off’ for 6 months due to the bereavement.
There may be other support they can claim, such as a Funeral Payment or Bereavement Support Payment.
Younger member of Mixed Age Couple
The surviving State Pension age member can stay on UC during the ‘death run-on’ period (if their income is low enough) or make new claims for Pension Credit and Housing Benefit.
There may be other support they can claim, such as a Funeral Payment.
Death of a Child
The DWP will need to re-assess the claimant’s UC award, taking into account any change in income.
They will be entitled to a ‘death run-on’ – meaning the Elements included in their UC award in respect of the child will stay the same for the Assessment Period in which the death occurred plus the following two Assessment Periods.
If the claimant had some work related requirements in their Claimant Commitment, these should be ‘switched off’ for 6 months due to the bereavement.
There may be other support they can claim, such as a Funeral Payment.
Death of a non-dependant
The claimant’s maximum amount will remain unchanged and continue to be calculated as if the non-dependant had not died for the Assessment Period in which the death occurred plus the following two Assessment Periods.
There may be other support they can claim, such as a Funeral Payment.
Death of the cared for person the claimant was receiving a Carer Element in their UC award for
The DWP will need to re-assess the claimant’s UC award, taking into account any change in income eg. any Carers Allowance will end 8 weeks after the death.
They will be entitled to a ‘death run-on’ – meaning the Carer Element included in their UC award will remain for the Assessment Period in which the death occurred plus the following two Assessment Periods.
Their Claimant Commitment may change as they will have been in the ‘No Work Related requirements Group’.
There may be other support they can claim, such as a Funeral Payment.
Other comings and goings
Dependent child / young person
If a dependent child / young person joins or leaves the claimant’s household they need to report this to DWP.
This is likely to have an impact on the claimant’s Maximum UC Amount.
Non-dependant
If a non-dependant joins or leaves the claimant’s household they need to report this to DWP.
This is likely to affect the amount of the claimant’s Housing Costs Element.