If you have children

If you are responsible for a child (or children)^ who normally lives with you, your UC award:

  • will include a Child Element for each of those children^
  • will include a Disabled Child Element for each child that gets Disability Living Allowance / Child Disability Payment / Personal Independence Payment
  • can include a Childcare Costs Element if you have to pay for childcare whilst you are at work.

See below for more details.


NOTE: You may be entitled to one or more of the other Elements.

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. 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 childrenMonthly Child Element
For your first child£351.88 (born before 6th  April 2017)
£303.94 (born on or after 6th  April 2017)
For your second child£303.94
For your third plus child£303.94

Example:
Rob and Sandy have one son aged 8. Their Maximum Universal Credit will include a Child Element of £351.88.

Example:
Tia is a lone parent with three children aged 13, 10 and 9. Her Maximum Universal Credit will include three Child Elements, i.e. £351.88 + £303.94 + £303.94, totalling £959.76.

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 £164.79 per child
Higher rate £514.71 per child

Example:
Raheem and Zoe have two children age 16 and 13. Their youngest child receives mid rate care Disability Living Allowance. Their Maximum Universal Credit award will include two Child Elements a total of £655.82 and also a Disabled Child Element of £164.79.

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.

Help with Childcare Costs

If you are a working parent, Universal Credit can help you with the costs of childcare no matter how many hours you work.

It helps with formal childcare costs for a child up to 1st September after their 16th birthday.

You can claim childcare costs if you:

  • are in paid work, or
  • are starting paid work in the next month, or
  • left a job less than a month ago, or
  • are on sick leave, or
  • are on any kind of parental leave.

If you’re living with your partner you’ll both need to be working to get childcare costs – unless your partner can’t provide childcare because they:

  • Have a limited capability for work, or
  • Are caring for a severely disabled person – they’ll need to be getting or eligible for Carer’s Allowance / Carer Support Payment, or
  • Are temporarily away from home.

The Childcare Costs Element acts as a refund, so to have it included, you must have paid for the childcare, meet the above rules, and report it to the DWP.

Each month you’ll need to tell the DWP what you’ve paid in childcare. A Childcare Costs Element of 85% of this (up to the maximum – see below) will then be included in your maximim UC award next time it is assessed.

Report your costs as soon as you can to make sure you get paid back.

You have until a month after your next Universal Credit payment to report each childcare payment.

If you report your childcare costs late, tell the Jobcentre why you couldn’t report them on time – for example if you were ill or away from home. You’ll still be paid if they agree you couldn’t tell them earlier.

Number of childrenMaximum monthly amount
For one child£1071.09
For 2 or more children£1836.16

Example:
Jed and Esra have two children age 3 and 7. Esra works 20 hours a week and Jed gets New-Style Employment and Support Allowance. Due to Jed’s illness he is not able to look after Ruby, their 3 year old when Esra is at work so she goes to a nursery. Jed and Esra are entitled to have a Childcare Costs Element included in their award of Universal Credit.