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Universal Credit counts dependants' income: a child's or qualifying young person's earnings and unearned income reduce the parents' award #1976
uc_earned_income and uc_unearned_income sum every member of the benefit unit, so a dependent child's or qualifying young person's income reduces the parents' Universal Credit. Only the claimant's income counts in law.
(a) all of the claimant's unearned income (or in the case of joint claimants all of their combined unearned income) in respect of the assessment period; and
(b) the following amount of the claimant's earned income (or, in the case of joint claimants, their combined earned income) in respect of the assessment period
A claim is made by a single person or jointly by the members of a couple (Welfare Reform Act 2012 s.2(1)), so there are at most two claimants. A child or qualifying young person is someone a claimant is responsible for, not a claimant.
Reproduction (2026, model at #1973's head baff2d793; the same on main)
A lone parent aged 40 with no income, and a 17-year-old in upper secondary education.
The 17-year-old has
uc_earned_income
uc_unearned_income
universal_credit
Should be
no income
0
0
£9,321.36
£9,321.36
wages of £12,000
3,480
0
£7,407.36
£9,321.36
savings interest of £12,000 (or dividends, rent, a private pension)
0
12,000
£0
£9,321.36
£9,321.36 is 12 × (£424.90 standard allowance + £351.88 first-child element), the 2026-27 amounts in the reg 36 table. 3,480 is the £12,000 less the £8,520 work allowance.
The same pattern elsewhere in Universal Credit
Benefit cap earnings exception (is_benefit_cap_exempt_earnings). Reg 82(1)(a) tests "the claimant's earned income or, if the claimant is a member of a couple, the couple's combined earned income". The model sums every member's earnings, so a dependant's job exempts the whole family from the cap.
Childcare work condition (uc_childcare_work_condition). Reg 32(1) asks whether "the claimant is in paid work" and, in a couple, "the other member". The model requires every member aged 18 or over to be in work, so a dependent 18- or 19-year-old without a job blocks the childcare costs element, and their taking one switches it on. Replace generic child and adult flags with each programme's legal definitions #1896 also fixes this.
Fix
Limit these sums and tests to claimants (is_uc_claimant, at most the two eldest, as #1973's reg 62(3) couple rule already does).
uc_earned_incomeanduc_unearned_incomesum every member of the benefit unit, so a dependent child's or qualifying young person's income reduces the parents' Universal Credit. Only the claimant's income counts in law.Law
UC Regulations 2013 reg 22(1) deducts:
A claim is made by a single person or jointly by the members of a couple (Welfare Reform Act 2012 s.2(1)), so there are at most two claimants. A child or qualifying young person is someone a claimant is responsible for, not a claimant.
Reproduction (2026, model at #1973's head
baff2d793; the same onmain)A lone parent aged 40 with no income, and a 17-year-old in upper secondary education.
uc_earned_incomeuc_unearned_incomeuniversal_credit£9,321.36 is 12 × (£424.90 standard allowance + £351.88 first-child element), the 2026-27 amounts in the reg 36 table. 3,480 is the £12,000 less the £8,520 work allowance.
The same pattern elsewhere in Universal Credit
is_benefit_cap_exempt_earnings). Reg 82(1)(a) tests "the claimant's earned income or, if the claimant is a member of a couple, the couple's combined earned income". The model sums every member's earnings, so a dependant's job exempts the whole family from the cap.uc_childcare_work_condition). Reg 32(1) asks whether "the claimant is in paid work" and, in a couple, "the other member". The model requires every member aged 18 or over to be in work, so a dependent 18- or 19-year-old without a job blocks the childcare costs element, and their taking one switches it on. Replace generic child and adult flags with each programme's legal definitions #1896 also fixes this.Fix
Limit these sums and tests to claimants (
is_uc_claimant, at most the two eldest, as #1973's reg 62(3) couple rule already does).