Universal Credit Extra Money
People claiming Universal Credit could be missing out on additional support if they have caring responsibilities, a disability, children or eligible childcare costs.
Universal Credit is made up of a standard allowance plus additional elements, depending on a claimant’s circumstances.
Carer’s Element
If you care for someone for at least 35 hours a week and they receive a qualifying disability benefit, you could qualify for the Universal Credit carer’s element.
For 2026/27, this is £209.34 a month, worth more than £2,500 over a full year. It is not automatically added, so eligible claimants need to report their caring responsibilities to DWP.
Disability Support
People who cannot work because of a health condition or disability may qualify for an additional LCWRA element.
For relevant claims, the 2026/27 amounts are £217.26 or £429.80 a month depending on circumstances and when the health condition was reported. Some existing LCWRA claimants are protected by transitional rules.
Support for Children
Universal Credit can also include extra money for children living in your household.
The current rate is £303.94 a month per child, with an additional amount for a first child born before 6 April 2017. Extra support can also be available where a child has a disability.
Check Your Claim
The important point is that £4,700 is not a guaranteed annual Universal Credit bonus.
Your actual entitlement depends on your income, household circumstances, savings and which additional elements you qualify for.
If your circumstances have changed, check your Universal Credit account and report relevant changes to DWP. Extra elements are not always added automatically, so eligible claimants could potentially miss out by failing to report a change.