Confused....Severe disability premium/pip/esa..any experts care to help?

nannytone_2

Icequeen99 wrote: »

That's fine, i say that only because I have seen more cases recently where the fact that someone is caring for another person has affected their PIP/DLA. Also, 35 hours of full care is quite a high threshold.

IQ

claiming carers allowance has no affect on PIP/DLA but it does stop any entitlement to the severe disability premium within income related benefits

TRAVELMAN_2

Thanks eadieb & Nannytone.

Nannytone-just to mention I put in a claim yesterday for Couples based ESA-they're sending the form ESA3 & IS10 (I beleive the IS10 is for the severe disability premium(. looking at the figires you've given obviously the backdated Severe disability premium is the best one to go for finanicially as it would be backdated to 27 May (start of Pip).

I assume it's the PIP start date & NOT the ESA start date it's backdated to?

So....I'm guessing as I said in my OP that the only reasons my benefits advisor said to put in a claim for Carers (we WON'T get it as ESA income is too high) is to get this 'underlying entitlement' so we can claim the Severe Disability premium....now that we've swithched to Income realted ESA from Yesterday?

I assume the date the DWP use for the start of the new Income based ESA is from the date of the phone call as it will take 7-10 days for the forms to arrive?

nannytone_2

either you have misheard the advisor, or they are giving you bad information.

you could get carers allowance when claiming ESA ( income related) but they would deduct the amount of carers allowance from the ESA ( so you'd receive the same amount as ESA only) but then add a carers premium x 2 which would total around £70 a week.
but this would prevent you from claiming the severe disability premium, which is worth around £50 a week more between you.

you CANNOT claim both carers allowance and the severe disability premium at the same time ... its one or the other.

the SDP will be backdated to the day that you became entitled to income related ESA..
you don't get it just because of the PIP award, it has to be a combination of being entitled to PIP and entitled to an income related benefit

Icequeen99

nannytone wrote: »

claiming carers allowance has no affect on PIP/DLA but it does stop any entitlement to the severe disability premium within income related benefits

It can do indirectly - decisions where the fact that someone is able to care for another person for 35 hours a week has been explored and affected the award of their PIP.

IQ

nannytone_2

Icequeen99 wrote: »

It can do indirectly - decisions where the fact that someone is able to care for another person for 35 hours a week has been explored and affected the award of their PIP.

IQ

if the care given contradicts the reason for their own claim.
but, truth be told, these things aren't cchecked ( they should be)
carers allowance is just a matter of rubber stamping,
the person being cared for receives the correct benefit and signs to say mr/s x is providing 35 hours of care.

I've never heard of anyone having their PIP/DLA removed because they claim carers allowance for looking after someone else

Icequeen99

nannytone wrote: »

if the care given contradicts the reason for their own claim.
but, truth be told, these things aren't cchecked ( they should be)
carers allowance is just a matter of rubber stamping,
the person being cared for receives the correct benefit and signs to say mr/s x is providing 35 hours of care.

I've never heard of anyone having their PIP/DLA removed because they claim carers allowance for looking after someone else

I have seen several cases recently where it has been a factor in the DLA/PIP decision.

IQ

TRAVELMAN_2

Now I am really confused.com! My understanding is claiming the carers (but would not be granted it as up until I called yesterday we were on ESA cont based x 2 ) was purely to get this 'underlying entitlement' which then gives me access to claim the SDP which I was told by another welfare rights officer (as well as my local one)-would be backdated to the PIP claim date & not the income related ESA claim date(yesterday). I really really thank everyon for tryin to help. I must stress I'm not trying to play the system but just going on what my benefits advisor said to do. Think I'll have to book a face to face with him. We so need the money as we are soon going to be behind on the rent.

nannytone_2

premiums aren't paid with contributions based benefit, only income related benefit.
the fact that you would be worse off on contributions based, gives you entitlement to an income based 'top up'
contributions based benefits are always paid as single claims, whereas income related are paid for couples.
that is why you need to switch to income related, in order to receive the premiums.

i don't know why they are even mentioning carers allowance, as this has nothing at all to do with entitlement to income related ESA.

as i said ... make the claim for income related ESA and severe disability premiums.
do not claim carers allowance.

your ESA 'top up' should be backdated to the date of your PIP award , if it is, then the premiums will be paid from this date.
BUT...
if your are currently receiving 2 x contributions based ESA, the amount is higher than a couples rate, so there won't be that much of a back payment due

TRAVELMAN_2

Thanks nannytone....so even though I only put in for a couples claim yesterday for income based ESA-the severe disability premium would be backdated to the PIP claim date as this would give me this 'underlying entitlement' thingy (pls explain what this is!)>.

The ESA 'top up'....would that be backdated too to the date of the PIP claim-even though we've had it since early/mid May?

And why on earth was I advised to claim carers.....my understanding is that if I did NOT get awarded it-which we wouldn't due to level on cont based ESA, that this 'underlying entitlement' would allow some sort of backdate? It's becoming a bit clearer....I think!

Should I cancel my Carers Claim (only put in 2 days ago).

Edit-morning! If any kind soul could answer these point by point as its getting me & G/F very stressed-don't want to make a mistake as financially we're up against it. Thanks for the patient answers so far & sorry for being thick!