Will I be moved to Universal Credit?

jem1961

Hi, I have been told I can make a new claim for carers allowance, the area where I live has just started the universal credit roll out. Will this new claim mean I will have to be assessed for universal credit, and possibly loose my other benefits or is carers allowance not included under the universal credit umbrella, any help please?

poppy12345

jem1961 wrote: »

Hi, I have been told I can make a new claim for carers allowance, the area where I live has just started the universal credit roll out. Will this new claim mean I will have to be assessed for universal credit, and possibly loose my other benefits or is carers allowance not included under the universal credit umbrella, any help please?

No. Which other benefits, if any are you claiming? To claim carers allowance you need to be caring for someone for at least 35 hours per week and this person must either claim PIP daily living, DLA mid/high rate care or AA.

jem1961

I get Esa in the support group and PIP, no income related benefits at all. My wife gets PiP daily living, I am just worried that if I make any new claim for a new benefit it will open us to up the the universal credit checks and the horror stories we have heard. It may not be worth the trouble.

poppy12345

jem1961 wrote: »

I get Esa in the support group and PIP, no income related benefits at all. My wife gets PiP daily living, I am just worried that if I make any new claim for a new benefit it will open us to up the the universal credit checks and the horror stories we have heard. It may not be worth the trouble.

You haven't mentioned your wife working, does she work? If she doesn't then you should be claiming ESA as a couple, if it's a couples claim then it will be Income Related and this is means tested.


If you're claiming ESA as a couple and you both have a daily living PIP award then you can claim couples Severe disability premium, which is better than claiming carers allowance.



If you can tell us all of your details then further help will be given.

xylophone

The OP's wife mentions his health condition and pension in earlier posts.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/73859308#Comment_73859308

She says

I get £2640 carers allowance and no other income

- she does not refer to her PIP.

calcotti

jem1961 wrote: »

I get Esa in the support group and PIP, no income related benefits at all. My wife gets PiP daily living, I am just worried that if I make any new claim for a new benefit it will open us to up the the universal credit checks and the horror stories we have heard. It may not be worth the trouble.

If you are not eligible for any income based benefits there is no point in claiming Carer's Allowance. Carer's Allowance is worth £64.60/week but you are (presumably) already getting £110.75/week from ESA and you cannot be paid contribution based ESA and Carer's Allowance at the same time. If you are eligible for means tested benefits then claiming Carer's Allowance will establish entitlement to it which could increase the amount of means tested benefit you receive.


Would be helpful if you clarified why you are not getting any income based benefits.

xylophone

Would be helpful if you clarified why you are not getting any income based benefits.

See post linked in 5 above and


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/74606644#Comment_74606644

calcotti

xylophone wrote: »

See post linked in 5 above and


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/74606644#Comment_74606644

Sorry - your previous post went up while I was writing mine. I infer OP is over capital limit so not eligible for means tested ESA. Claiming CA is therefore pointless as already getting contribution based ESA.