Loss of Income Support - Youngest Child turning 5 ??

darren72

A family member (single parent) has three children with the youngest turning 5 in a few days time.

They are currently on Income Support.

I'm reading up about it and it seems to indicate that when the youngest turns 5 this will stop. If this is the case shouldn't they have been sent notification of this? - They have received nothing.

Should they reapply for Universal Credit ?

Anyone know anything about this ?

Thanks in advance

calcotti

I would expect a letter to be sent before payment stops. In he past would then have had to claim JSA but will now have to be UC. Sometimes ESA are slow to close IS claims so it may be OK but equally it's possible that notification letter has failed to be sent or gone astray.

Presumably none of children receive DLA.

darren72

calcotti wrote: »

I would expect a letter to be sent before payment stops. In he past would then have had to claim JSA but will now have to be UC. Sometimes ESA are slow to close IS claims so it may be OK but equally it's possible that notification letter has failed to be sent or gone astray.

Presumably none of children receive DLA.

No, none of them receive DLA.

There was talk about a year or so ago about having to re-apply for Universal Credit when the youngest turns 5 but that wasn't anything formal and nothing has come through. The last letter from Income Support showed an adjustment to amounts paid but quoted these up to April time - Is it possible they will continue to receive Income Support even though he has turned 5 ?

I don't know if it makes a difference that they have 3 children.

Rubyroobs

People with 3 children can now claim Universal credit and this is what she will need to switch to. The only reason I can think of that she wouldn't need to switch is if she herself was claiming a severe disability premium on her Income support.

darren72

Rubyroobs wrote: »

People with 3 children can now claim Universal credit and this is what she will need to switch to. The only reason I can think of that she wouldn't need to switch is if she herself was claiming a severe disability premium on her Income support.

No, she doesn't have a disability, just the regular Income Support.

I help her with her paperwork and don't know whether to go through applying for Universal Credit with them, or just wait until they contact them to say the Income Support is coming to an end. Just very surprised as he is 5 tomorrow.

poppy12345

Have they changed address recently and have reported the changes? Do they have problems receiving post? Letters do someone go "missing" from DWP and maybe a letter was sent which they haven't received?

darren72

poppy12345 wrote: »

Have they changed address recently and have reported the changes? Do they have problems receiving post? Letters do someone go "missing" from DWP and maybe a letter was sent which they haven't received?

No, not at all. Been at the same house for 20+ years and have never knowingly had letters go missing.

As I said it wasn't long ago they reviewed the payments and due to savings reduced the amount of Income Support slightly - it detailed the amounts they were going to pay for the next few months (into April) even though the youngest is 5 in February. Very strange.

TELLIT01

I would suggest that she phones IS to find out the situation. Just because a letter hasn't arrived it doesn't mean that IS will continue. I imagine the last thing she needs is to be left without any income, so it's definitely in her own interest to chase up on it.