People on universal credit can get extra £201 instantly added to payments

THE DWP HAS SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO AREN'T COMING FORWARD TO GET THE CASH 10:56, 21 May 2025Updated 11:03, 21 May 2025 People on Universal Credit can get an extra

£201 instantly added to their payments. Government figures report a rise in the number of people who are failing to come forward and claim the money. The DWP's latest figures for

"unfulfilled eligibility", which means people haven't told officials about circumstances that could boost their entitlement, estimate that £3.7 billion is going unclaimed in

this way across all benefits. It is believed that around 9 in every 100 Universal Credit recipients could be eligible for extra cash to be added if they had correctly reported all the

changes and circumstances that can boost their payments. READ MORE: The amount of unclaimed cash within Universal Credit increased from £730 million in 2023/2024 to £980 million in

2024/2025. Article continues below The DWP said this increase was due to "an increase in the proportion of claims that could have been paid the carer element of UC, if claimants had

told the department about caring responsibilities." The Universal Credit carer element pays an extra £201 a month on top of a person's payment if they inform the DWP they spend at

least 35 hours a week looking after someone who is on a disability benefit such as PIP or Attendance Allowance. Unlike the separate benefit Carer's Allowance, there is no earnings limit

on being eligible for this top-up, so there is no worry about overpayments when you've exceeded the threshold. To get the carer element added, you simply go to the 'report a

change' section of your online Universal Credit account and select the option for caring. The DWP may also agree to backdate the carer element in some circumstances. Note that if your

Universal Credit includes a transitional protection top-up to match your total payment to what you were getting on previous benefits, this will be reduced by an equivalent amount when the

carer element is added. So you'll be no better off financially in this case. If you are a carer but also claim the Universal Credit incapacity payment for limited capability for work

and work-related activity (LCWRA), you won't be able to get the carer element and LCWRA amount at the same time. DWP will only pay the LCWRA top-up, which is a higher amount of £423 a

month. The DWP points out that the largest source of total unfulfilled eligibility in Universal Credit is due to claimants failing to report increases in their rent or those who are eligible

for housing costs to be paid but are not receiving them. The latest report on unfulfilled eligibility in the benefit system for the financial year 2024-2025 explains: "The Department

for Work and Pensions (DWP) pays welfare benefits to around 23.7 million people. To get welfare benefits people need to meet certain eligibility criteria and the amount of money they receive

depends on their circumstances. "Sometimes people tell us the wrong information or do not tell us when their circumstances change. Reporting accurate information and providing evidence

may change the amount of benefit people are eligible for and in some circumstances, they may be eligible for more money. "However, we cannot calculate the correct amount unless people

tell us accurately about their circumstances. This means that people are not eligible for increases in the amount of money they receive until we have the correct information." The

report does not include cases where people could be claiming a specific benefit but haven't done so. It looks at those who are already on benefits but could be getting a higher amount

if they informed the DWP of all their circumstances. Join our dedicated BirminghamLive WhatsApp community for the latest updates sent straight to your phone as they happen. Article continues

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