Should I reduce my working hours?

barnet_lady

Hi
My husband is paralysed and in a wheelchair. He claims higher rate DLA and ESA (contribution based). He was receiving NHS funded care, which has now been stopped. It has been handed over to social services to assess (and reduce by about half).

I work full time. This currently seems to be our downfall, with everything we apply for. For example, council tax help (we bring in too much joint incomes for any help, though we have been moved down a band). We don't get any Winter fuel help due to him receiving ESA contribution based (as is the case with pratically every other benefit out there.) We are currently battling with tax credits over a misunderstanding of the terminology used in their paperwork.

I don't earn over £20k a year, but for some reason we still don't get any proper support. Everything is an uphill struggle - would I be better off reducing my hours? Would we then have more support?

It goes against every grain in my body to want to do this, but I have tried to work full time and support my partner but there doesn't appear to be a benefits system in place that helps me to do this!:(

skintandscared_2

Have you been able to work out whether you would actually end up better off not working? It may be that the benefit support you would get would merely replace what you pay out anyway - or be significantly less - and you'd be no better off overall.

Also, it must be very mentally and physically exhausting living with someone who probably needs a lot of assistance. I live with someone who has mental illness and emotionally it can be hard sometimes. I admit that my job gives me a bit of a break, which I'd be reluctant to give up. Not that I don't love him to the moon and back, it's just easier to cope sometimes with a regular change of scenery. Don't underestimate that.

BigAunty

You can identify how your reduced hours (and therefore reduced income) is affected by giving up work completely or going part-time, on the Turn2us online benefit calculator.

What do you mean by support - the funded care support or benefits?

You might be eligible for carers allowance of £58 per week if you reduce your employment income to £100 per week and provide 35 hours of care.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/MoneyMatters/CarersAllowance/index.htm

banner188

I can't see you being better off in any way, but if you have a lot on, it may serve to reduce your hours and you may not be that much worse off because you would probably become eligible for help then.

barnet_lady

BigAunty wrote: »

You can identify how your reduced hours (and therefore reduced income) is affected by giving up work completely or going part-time, on the Turn2us online benefit calculator.

What do you mean by support - the funded care support or benefits?

You might be eligible for carers allowance of £58 per week if you reduce your employment income to £100 per week and provide 35 hours of care.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/MoneyMatters/CarersAllowance/index.htm

Thank you. By support I mean financial. I know that care support would be reduced if I reduced my hours at work.
We are currently being assessed re; the amount of care we receive. I envisage that we will be asked to pay half, so essentially his care will be hlaved, as we aren't in a position to do this. That's why I'm considering all options eg; reducing my working hours.

sunnyone

barnet_lady wrote: »

Thank you. By support I mean financial. I know that care support would be reduced if I reduced my hours at work.
We are currently being assessed re; the amount of care we receive. I envisage that we will be asked to pay half, so essentially his care will be hlaved, as we aren't in a position to do this. That's why I'm considering all options eg; reducing my working hours.

Your wages are disregarded in the financial assessment done by SS but he will be expected to contribute towards his care package from his benefits especially his DLA care componant.

No disabled person get the winter fuel allowance because it is a pensioners only benefit.

I am not only a full time powerchair user but I also have very little use of my hands/arms and I get exactally the same benefits as your husband, a reduction in CT band, high rate care and mobility componants of DLA and contributions based ESA (Im in the support group, you dont mention your husbands group) and there is nothing else to get unless you want to become his carer and claim carers allowance.

Do you have savings and if you rent have you tried claiming LHA?