Carers allowance & Sanctions

MrBosh251

Hi guys, not sure if anybody can help...

I've been sanctioned on UC for a long time now, as I haven't attended appointments; the reason for this is because I've been a carer for the past year (full time) and been unable to work due to this, and despite the fact I've been a carer, I haven't been able to claim carers allowance as my mother wasn't on the higher rates of PIP/Disability.

Anyway, we had a PIP assessment recently and she's been awarded the higher level, meaning I can now claim carers allowance (which I've put through and they're processing now).

I understand carers allowance is a form of UC (or something along those lines), so would my sanctions follow into that? I'm really hoping not as it's been almost a year now that I've had no proper income.

pmlindyloo

Did you not appeal the decision to sanction you as you are a carer?

Which conditionality group were you put in? You should have been placed in the No Work Requirements group if you were caring for a severely disabled person.

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Universal-Credit/Claimant-Commitment-Conditionality

You mum did not need the enhanced rate of daily living component of PIP for you to receive Carer's Allowance. She only needed to be receiving the daily living component. Was she?

You need to inform UC that you are applying for CA and ask for your claimant commitment to be changed.

Whether they will lift the sanction will depend on whether you appealed the decision and if you did, the reasons for their refusal to lift the sanctions.

You may need help from CAB or a welfare adviser to sort this out.

50Twuncle

MrBosh251 wrote: »

I haven't been able to claim carers allowance as my mother wasn't on the higher rates of PIP/Disability

I have been on middle care component of DLA for at least 13 years and my wife has been claiming CA for most of this time !!!

MrBosh251

Thanks for the replies - no, she was on the lowest level of disability and has been for about 4 years now - it was around a year ago that she started to require constant full-time care and we hadn't actually had another assessment since the one 4 years ago, until about 4 months ago, where she was awarded the highest level, thus now being eligible to claim CA (despite the fact she's needed full-time care for about a year).

We did ask about a reassessment as it was obvious she was much much worse than 4 years ago, but we were told they were rolling out PIP gradually and she'd be seen soon. Probably 5-6 months after that we still hadn't heard anything, so we phoned up and managed to get them to assess us sooner than they would have if we hadn't - and about 3 weeks ago they decided to award the highest. So, I don't think there's much I can do about the sanction because until she had the eligible rate I was supposed to be looking for full-time work (doesn't matter what her actual requirements were, only thing that mattered was getting the eligible benefit).

Also I thought I'd ask, the actual PIP claim doesn't begin until 1st November, despite being approved for it weeks ago. Is that normal?

nannytone_2

there is always a 4 week run on of DLA before the PIP payments start

50Twuncle

MrBosh251 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies - no, she was on the lowest level of disability and has been for about 4 years now - it was around a year ago that she started to require constant full-time care and we hadn't actually had another assessment since the one 4 years ago, until about 4 months ago, where she was awarded the highest level, thus now being eligible to claim CA (despite the fact she's needed full-time care for about a year).

We did ask about a reassessment as it was obvious she was much much worse than 4 years ago, but we were told they were rolling out PIP gradually and she'd be seen soon. Probably 5-6 months after that we still hadn't heard anything, so we phoned up and managed to get them to assess us sooner than they would have if we hadn't - and about 3 weeks ago they decided to award the highest. So, I don't think there's much I can do about the sanction because until she had the eligible rate I was supposed to be looking for full-time work (doesn't matter what her actual requirements were, only thing that mattered was getting the eligible benefit).

Also I thought I'd ask, the actual PIP claim doesn't begin until 1st November, despite being approved for it weeks ago. Is that normal?

You should get your claim backdated as well !!

MrBosh251

50Twuncle wrote: »

You should get your claim backdated as well !!

How far back? Because I thought it would only be backdated to when her PIP claim starts (In her case it's starting 1st November which is the date i requested CA to start); I was told over the phone that if they sorted the claim out after the 1st November then it'd be backdated to the start date (which is the 1st).

kingfisherblue

PIP won't be backdated as DLA has been payable up to now.

50Twuncle

MrBosh251 wrote: »

How far back? Because I thought it would only be backdated to when her PIP claim starts (In her case it's starting 1st November which is the date i requested CA to start); I was told over the phone that if they sorted the claim out after the 1st November then it'd be backdated to the start date (which is the 1st).

Whe DLA ends - PIP will start ...