Carers Element Universal Credit

leggyno9

I have only recently applied for UC and only recently been awarded middle care rate of DLA for my DD.
I informed UC via my online account that I had been awarded it as there is a carers element, I was then told I would have to call and ask for it to be backdated to when I was awarded DLA.
I then realised there is also a disabled child element so again I contacted them via my online account and asked if that was done automatically as I had informed them. The answer was no, I had to put my child details in again and would have to call them as it was outside of my assessment period.
When I called and asked for all of this to be backdated to when DLA was awarded (until the letter with my award arrived I couldn't claim these elements so this was out of my hands) I was told that the carers element could only be awarded if I was in receipt of carers allowance. I'm not in receipt of this benefit as I'm still waiting for a P45 from my previous employer.
According to turn2us and entitled2 this is not the case but he was adamant that was the information he had been given when trained on this. He said he would make a note of this and put it forward to someone else that dealt with the decision making.
My question is this, has anyone else encountered this problem and who is correct? Universal Credit advisor or the benefit websites?

pmlindyloo

leggyno9 wrote: »

I have only recently applied for UC and only recently been awarded middle care rate of DLA for my DD.
I informed UC via my online account that I had been awarded it as there is a carers element, I was then told I would have to call and ask for it to be backdated to when I was awarded DLA.
I then realised there is also a disabled child element so again I contacted them via my online account and asked if that was done automatically as I had informed them. The answer was no, I had to put my child details in again and would have to call them as it was outside of my assessment period.
When I called and asked for all of this to be backdated to when DLA was awarded (until the letter with my award arrived I couldn't claim these elements so this was out of my hands) I was told that the carers element could only be awarded if I was in receipt of carers allowance. I'm not in receipt of this benefit as I'm still waiting for a P45 from my previous employer.
According to turn2us and entitled2 this is not the case but he was adamant that was the information he had been given when trained on this. He said he would make a note of this and put it forward to someone else that dealt with the decision making.
My question is this, has anyone else encountered this problem and who is correct? Universal Credit advisor or the benefit websites?

The benefits websites are correct. You do not have to be in receipt of CA to claim the carer's element of UC.

Hopefully the decision maker will correct the advisor.

http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2017-0556/14_Carers__V7.0.pdf

Alice_Holt

"he was adamant that was the information he had been given when trained on this"

I wonder how many others (less informed or insufficiently assertive to request a DM referral than the OP) this "training" has mislead and disadvantaged?
I'd suggest the OP thinks about contacting their MP / making a compliant about this incorrect info.

leggyno9

pmlindyloo wrote: »

The benefits websites are correct. You do not have to be in receipt of CA to claim the carer's element of UC.

Hopefully the decision maker will correct the advisor.

http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2017-0556/14_Carers__V7.0.pdf

Thanks, I have just received a message from the DM and they've stated I've been awarded it. I did have two reasons for posting, one to find out if the benefit sites were correct so I knew whether to argue the point and two, if they were correct to make others aware if they're being given the wrong information.

leggyno9

Alice_Holt wrote: »

"he was adamant that was the information he had been given when trained on this"

I wonder how many others (less informed or insufficiently assertive to request a DM referral than the OP) this "training" has mislead and disadvantaged?
I'd suggest the OP thinks about contacting their MP / making a compliant about this incorrect info.

Actually, I've had 2 experiences of this, once about Childcare and then this. The advisors on the phone are very helpful but seem to come up wrong on some things. If you know what you're entitled to it helps but it's all so new that most people don't know and the advisors won't/can't tell you