income support - visiting family

sundries

I am going to spend a month staying with my sister because my care team are away and I think I will struggle to cope.

My sister put in a claim for DLA a couple of weeks ago but hasn't heard back yet.

I get the severe disability premium on income support (which I think you get if you are living alone).

If I am going to be away that amount of time what affect will it have on my benefits?

I am worried that if they stop the premium if i try to reclaim it I will end up having to put in a whole new claim, and therefore being migrated onto ESA rather than just staying on IS.

I really can't face the thought of all this paperwork. Not sure hether or not just to stay at home.

dmg24

You would need to speak to the DWP to get a definitive answer. Whilst people can give general advice here, if someone was to tell you it was ok and you then got into trouble over not declaring your change in circumstances, you would have no come back.

sundries

Thing is I have spoken to DWP and have got conflicting advice. I've sent in a letter to cover myself but if it is going to cause lots of hassle then I will stay at home and just send htem another letter saying I changed my plans. Having a huge upheaval and lots of paperwork and stuff will probably cause just as much stress as being without care team so I might as well avoid the worse of the two evils.

tcr_3

When it comes to the issue of living alone, Severe Disability Premium is awarded on where you "normally reside" (see decision maker's guide para 23209). I don't think they'd withdraw it because you're temporarily away from home, certainly not as a one off. However if your Sister was caring for you many times a year then that's something they'd have to look at. As DMG24 says, best run it past the benefit people.

sundries

Hi,
I've looked for that paragraph and for 'normally resides' rules but I can't find anything on what counts as normal residence - apart from that MPs can visited somewhere one night a month and count it as their primary residence

kingfisherblue

Presumably your normal residence is the place where you are on the electoral role and where you pay council tax (or receive council tax benefit for)

sundries

yeah i'd still be on electoral role for my home and paying council tax for there but if i was visiting sister for a month i was just wondering to what extent 'change of address' in those circumstances (while still on electoral role etc.. for own home) counts a a change in where you normally reside. Nevermind though, think I will ask to speak to the manager at the jobcentre office to confirm thing.

tcr_3

The manager at the Job Centre won't have a clue unless they're Income Support trained. You'd be better phoning the Income Support team at your local Benefit Delivery Centre for guidance.

Normal residence is exactly that, where you normally live. You're not changing address, you're just visiting your Sister for a month. So don't change your address with DWP, it'll muck things up totally. Like with any long absence though, just ensure that you've got someone checking on your house periodically, that you don't exceed 30 days away (for your contents insurance) and that the house is ok if there's a cold snap.

clairec79

Doesn't it stop after 4 weeks in hospital? If so I'd imagine that 4 weeks would be the cut off in this situation as well

richard9991

tcr wrote: »

The manager at the Job Centre won't have a clue unless they're Income Support trained. You'd be better phoning the Income Support team at your local Benefit Delivery Centre for guidance.

Normal residence is exactly that, where you normally live. You're not changing address, you're just visiting your Sister for a month. So don't change your address with DWP, it'll muck things up totally. Like with any long absence though, just ensure that you've got someone checking on your house periodically, that you don't exceed 30 days away (for your contents insurance) and that the house is ok if there's a cold snap.

my freind stayed with his brother a couple of years ago after being hospital he stayed about 6 weeks as far as dwp were concerned he still lived at his own address they just wanted his brothers contact details incase they needed to contact him he still got hb is plus sdp plus dla this may have changed since then though so best to check with dwp