DLA and Income Support Questions

SweetPea23

Hi,

This is my first time posting on here so I'll give a bit of background, I am 23, living with my boyfriend and our child who is almost 4. We are on income support for the short term whilst my health improves and then my boyfriend will return to work as a plasterer (employed by a company who have kindly kept his job open.) I have been awarded low rate mobility and high rate care through DLA this morning, who do I need to contact about this? Housing I have been told will assume its extra income so they need informing, is there anyone else? Also disability premium paid in with income support, are we entitled to this now? How do we go about getting that?

I know this is going to sound like a sponge sponge post but believe me the sooner we are off income support the better My boyfriends looking at returning to work part time as of January, gradually increasing his hours if I am able to cope on my own.

Thank you.

cw18

There's some information on the disability premiums payable with IS here

Conor_3

SweetPea23 wrote: »

I know this is going to sound like a sponge sponge post but believe me the sooner we are off income support the better

It doesn't. You don't get higher care unless you need it and as you said, you're better off with the OH working anyway. Nice of his company to react the way they have, especially in the current climate. Your OH may qualify for Carers allowance so have a look at that.

SweetPea23

Thank you very much to you both. My partner is looking forward to going back to work and I'm looking forward to hopefully gaining a little indepenence and confidence being alone so I eventually can return to a little job part time. We are lucky that my partners company has left the job open for him and we count our blessings for that as it's one less worry. Looks like I will have quite a bit of phoning around on Monday.

cw18

Notify Tax Credits if/when you get WTC. I'm not sure of the criteria (my DH gets both DLA components at the high rate, so I don't know what the trigger is), but there is an extra premium on WTC as well.

real1314

DLA is awarded only where there is a medical condition that significantly affects a persons ability to provide their own basic needs, therefore it is not treated as an income for Hb, CTB, IS, JSA, Pension Credit or pretty much any means tested assesment.
It does however trigger entitlement to extra premiums / allowances in mny benefits.