Overview
Your Universal Credit will include a child element if you are responsible for a child or qualifying young person who normally lives with you. You usually receive a child element of £303.94 per child per month.
If your first or only child was born before 6 April 2017, you will receive an additional amount of £47.94/month
If your child has a disability
You might get an extra monthly amount if any of your children are disabled. You’ll get this extra amount no matter how many children you have.
The disabled child addition of Universal Credit helps with the extra costs of bringing up a disabled child.
The disabled child addition will be paid at either a lower or higher rate.
The lower rate is for a child who:
- receives any rate of either part of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), except the highest rate of the care part
- receives any rate of either part of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), except the enhanced rate of the daily living part
The higher rate is for a child who:
- receives the highest rate of the care part of DLA
- receives the enhanced rate of PIP daily living part
- is blind or severely sight impaired
From April 2025 the amount for each monthly assessment is
| Child element – each child that lives with you | £303.94 |
| Child element for first child born before 6 April 2017 | £47.94 |
| Additional amount for disabled child/qualifying young person – lower rate | £164.79 |
| Additional amount for disabled child/qualifying young person – higher rate | £514.71 |
Childcare costs
You may be able to claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs if you’re eligible for Universal Credit.
You (and your partner if you live with them) will usually need to either:
- be working – it does not matter how many hours you or your partner work
- have a job offer
The most you can get back each month is:
- £1,071.09 for one child
- £1,836.16 for 2 or more children
If you cannot afford to pay for childcare upfront, you might be able to get help to pay for the upfront cost of childcare if you cannot afford to pay in advance.
Last Updated on May 27, 2026 by Ashford Advice