The Child Element
If you are responsible for a child (or children)^ who normally lives with you, you may qualify for one or more Child Elements.
If you have children, then check your Universal Credit award carefully.
You are entitled to a Child Element for each child who normally lives you – subject to the two child limit (which only affects parents with children born on or after 6th April 2017 – see below).
So make sure your award includes a Child Element for every child you are entitled to receive help for.
If you are concerned that the Child Element/s included in your Universal Credit assessment may be wrong, contact a Benefits Adviser for help.
^ This includes most children up to the 1st September after their 19th birthday, if they are in full-time (12 hours a week), non-advanced education or ‘approved training’. The DWP call these ‘qualifying young people’.
| Number of children | Monthly Child Element |
| For your first child | £333.33 (born before 6th April 2017) £287.92 (born on or after 6th April 2017) |
| For your second child | £287.92 |
| For your third plus child | £287.92 (If born before 6th April 2017 or excluded from the two child limit) |
Example:
Rob and Sandy have one son aged 8. Their Maximum Universal Credit will include a Child Element of £333.33.
Example:
Tia is a lone parent with three children aged 13, 10 and 9. Her Maximum Universal Credit will include three Child Elements (as all three children were born before April 2017), i.e. £333.33 + £287.92 + £287.92, totalling £909.17.
The Two Child Limit – Getting a payment for 3 or more children
You’ll usually only get Child Elements included in your Universal Credit for all your dependent children if they were all born before 6 April 2017.
If you have more than two children, you won’t get a Child Element for your third+ child/ren if they were born after 6th April 2017 unless an exception applies.
The Regulations allow for a Child Element to be included in respect of:
Any adopted children, or children being looked after under a non-parental caring arrangement, regardless of the date they were adopted/the date the arrangement started or the number of other children in the household.
The other children in the household are then ‘ordered’ by date of birth, and a Child Element is allowed for:
- The first and second child, plus
- Any child/young person born before 6th April 2017, plus
- Any other children in respect of whom an exception applies….
- They are a child of a young person for whom you are responsible (eg your 15 year old daughter’s child), or
- They are the third, fourth, fifth etc. child and are the second or subsequent child in a multiple birth, or
- They are the third, fourth, fifth etc. child and are born as a result of non-consensual conception.
Check the exceptions and how to apply for the on GOV.UK.
NOTE: Even if you don’t get a Child Element for a child included in your award due to the Two Child Limit, they should still be allocated a bedroom under the size criteria rules, and if they are getting Disability Living Allowance/Child Disability Payment then you should still get a Disabled Child Element if entitled (see below).
Example:
Richard and Kelly have two children age 9 and 4. They live in a social rented three bedroom house. Their Maximum Universal Credit will include two Child Elements i.e. £333.33 for their eldest because they were born before April 2017, and £287.92 for their second child, a total of £621.25. But their Housing Costs Element will be reduced by 14% as they will be deemed to be under-occupying their home by one bedroom. Kelly is due to have their third child next month. They weren’t going to bother recording this as a change of circumstances on their UC journal but their Housing Officer explains that it will make a difference. They will not receive an extra Child Element but they will no longer be classed as under-occupying their home and so they will see a slight increase in their Universal Credit award^. The two child limit does not apply to Child Benefit, so he advises them to make a claim for their new baby.
^Note: If their UC award includes a Transitional Element, then they may not see an increase in their UC award, but they should still report the baby on their UC account.
If you have a disabled child
You may get extra money if you are responsible for a child or young person who is disabled and gets Disability Living Allowance/Child Disability Payment or Personal Independence Payment/Adult Disability Payment.
This Disabled Child Element is paid at either a higher rate or a lower rate.
To qualify for the lower rate your child must be:
- Entitled to Disability Living Allowance/Child Disability Payment, or
- Entitled to Personal Independence Payment/Adult Disability Payment.
To qualify for the higher rate your child must be:
- Entitled to the higher care component of Disability Living Allowance/Child Disability Payment
- Entitled to the enhanced daily living component of Personal Independence Payment/Adult Disability Payment, or
- Registered blind
| Rate | Monthly Disabled Child Element |
| Lower rate | £156.11 per child |
| Higher rate | £487.58 per child |
Your Universal Credit payment will include one Disabled Child Element for each child who is disabled. It doesn’t matter how many children you have – you can still receive a Disabled Child Element for a child, even if you do not get the basic Child Element for them due to the Two Child Limit Rules.
Example:
Raheem and Zoe have two children age 16 and 13. Their youngest receives mid rate care Disability Living Allowance. Their Maximum Universal Credit award will include two Child Elements a total of £621.25 and also a Disabled Child Element of £156.11.
IMPORTANT: If one of your children is awarded Disability Living Allowance/Child Disability Payment or Personal Independence Payment /Adult Disability Payment inform the DWP as soon as possible. The extra Disabled Child Element should be included in your UC award back to the Assessment Period in which the DLA/CDP or PIP/ADP award started – make sure you do receive this back payment of UC. If you think the DWP have not assessed this or they are refusing to give you this back payment, contact a Benefit Adviser for help.
NOTE: You may be entitled to one or more of the other Elements.
See Maximum UC for more information.