Forum Home → Discussion → Other areas of social welfare law → Thread
Childcare Element of Universal Credit treated as income
Copy and posted the following from CITA’s facefiend.
At the request of Eleanor from East Dorset and Purbeck CA. As she is grappling with posting on Rightsnet (getting error) and a deadline looming i.e. Friday. A month had passed from the facefiend post.
If anyone can help Eleanor would be very grateful.
‘Hello! ????
I am challenging Dorset Council about their new Council Tax Support/Reduction policy that INCLUDES Childcare Element of Universal Credit when calculating income (preventing some qualifying for support).
We have hardly any specific client examples however it targets a specific demographic and penalises working parents so that is why we are challenging.
From research I have found that Bath and North East Somerset Council reviewed this and changed it earlier this year which gives our argument great strength!
I am appealing for any info or evidence and what your own Councils’ policies are on this if you’re aware. Has this issue come up for your LCA? Have you had any clients with this issue?
Please comment or send me anything ASAP as we have until the end of the month to submit evidence!
Eleanor ????’
Here is a link to the new Somerset Council ( old Mendip,Sedgemoor,Taunton,South and West ) CTRS. I cannot see anything relating to the Childcare Element.
At the request of Eleanor from East Dorset and Purbeck CA. As she is grappling with posting on Rightsnet (getting error) .....
Hi Eleanor, do get in touch if we can help ...
Cheers - Shawn
The Dorset scheme is here
It is a banded scheme, so there is no applicable amount. In a traditional scheme based on the original default regs, UC elements balance each other out on the income and applicable amount sides and the only variable affecting CTR is earnings. But if you get rid of the applicable amount and replace it with income bands, the higher the UC award the higher the income used to calculate CTR. This scheme (see para 12) disregards some UC elements as income, but not the childcare element.
However, when you look at the rules for non-UC claimants, there is no disregard for childcare fees there either: the scheme seems to have dispensed with any allowance for childcare fees at all - whether by accident or design I don’t know.
So this will affect any claimant who pays childcare fees, whether they get UC or not.
Here is a link to the new Somerset Council ( old Mendip,Sedgemoor,Taunton,South and West ) CTRS. I cannot see anything relating to the Childcare Element.
Eleanor was citing Bath and North East Somerset Council UB40.