Universal credit

Gettingtherequickly

Hoping to be able to get some direction here.

I am supporting a mum of 2 whose benefits have been stopped as she has not written to advise her new address - except they keep writing to her at new address! We live in one of the UC pilot schemes so I am not sure if she will automatically have everything she is entitled to processed, claim submitted but has been told it will be 6 weeks, will deal with that.

One of the children has sickle cell and mum has trait. Is mum entitled to carers allowance because of the sickle cell, realise if she is that it would probably be not the maximum, albeit the child has transfusions every fortnight. As a single parent with the trait, it is obviously important that her health is maintained as she does suffer from the trait, so would she qualify for anything in her own right, she is so focussed on ensuring child is as healthy as possible that she forgets about herself.

As I said, I am just looking for direction as I have no idea whether it would be wrapped up in UC or whether an additional application can be made.

TIA

Darksparkle

The eligibility for carers allowance is here - https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility

pmlindyloo

Sorry, am a little confused.

Has this lady been transferred to UC after previously being on other benefits?

How old are the children?

In order to claim Carer's allowance the mother will have to apply for DLA for her child. (See Darksparkle's link) This benefit is outside of the UC system so needs to be applied for separately.

See how to do this here:

https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/how-to-claim

Is the mother able to work? Does she have care/mobility needs herself If she does then she can apply for Personal Independence payment herself.

Alice_Holt

I would suggest she goes to her local CAB for a benefits check, a chat about PIP eligibility for herself, and a call to the DWP to try to get her benefits resumed.

I'm assuming one of her children is receiving Middle or High Rate DLA for her to receive Carers Allowance.

She will need to take full details of her income, savings, benefits (DWP letters etc), rent, council tax with her.

From your post I would assume appropriate household benefits may be:

DLA for child, CB, Child Tax Credits with a disability element, Carers Allowance, Income Support (I am assuming she is a lone parent with caring responsibilities?), Housing Benefit, Council Tax reduction.

Which benefits have stopped? Your post is not clear on this (or indeed on her exact circumstances).

Some of the benefits are administered by DWP, TC by HMRC, HB & CTr by her council.

The best support you can provide is to get her to her local CAB with full information on her situation and what benefits have stopped. Once it is clear what steps did to be taken, you could then support her to contact the relevant department and help her get things sorted.
May be particularly helpful if you have a landline she could use to contact the DWP as it often takes 40 + minutes to speak to someone (or you get cut off) which becomes expensive on a mobile.