15 March 2017
Wales introduce earnings thresholds in UC to passported help with health costs
From 1 April 2017, Wales are introducing maximum earnings thresholds in Universal Credit awards to establish entitlement to passported help with certain health costs.
New regulations have been laid which introduce 2 earnings thresholds for both joint and single claims:
- Earnings threshold of £435 per assessment period if no child element and/or limited capability for work (or limited capability for work and work related activity element) is included in the award
- Earnings threshold of £935 per assessment period if any child element, limited capability for work element or limited capability for work and work related activity element is included in the award
If earned income is above these thresholds, there will be no passported help with health costs. Earned income has the same meaning as it does when calculating UC and is calculated after the deduction of tax, national insurance and 100% of any qualifying pension contributions.
There is transitional protection for UC claimants where their entitlement to reimbursement of a travel expense, remission of a charge or assistance with a cost that arose before 1 April 2017 but would no longer have entitlement as a result of the changes introduced by these regulations.
WSI.No.340/2017 is available via the legislation.gov.uk website.
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