Severe disability premium and universal credit

joanw2od

Thank you I’ll take your advice guys.

Will my partner be able to claim the UC on the same form as me? Or will he have to make a separate claim? I always assumed joint claims were done together

calcotti

The process is explained here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-couples-an-introduction/universal-credit-further-information-for-couples

and

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/applying-for-universal-credit/

joanw2od

You’re all super. I think I’d have had a mental breakdown by now if it wasn’t for this forum.

I’ve looked into making a joint claim and was just wondering if it matters that I’m not on my boyfriends tenancy agreement? He rents a 2/3 bedroomed house (3rd bedroom is in the attic so on the agreement it just declares it’s a 2 bed) but I won’t be paying towards the rent so we’re unsure as to whether I need to be on the tenancy agreement for us to get UC together? Apparently whether you are on the tenancy agreement or not is questioned when applying for UC as a couple so we’re unsure as to whether I need to be named on this agreement. My boyfriend is going to call the letting agency up tomorrow morning and see what they can do or what they suggest. We also don’t know if I need to be named on the council tax bill, because again I won’t be paying for this either. I will basically just be lodging and paying for food, the water bill and sky broadband and tv package. I’m going to register on the electrol roll tomorrow as I know this is important but not sure what else I need to do so that UC don’t raise any eyebrows?
Understandably the job centre will want to see proof I’m now living with my boyfriend but I don’t know what proof to take with me or to submit with the application. I intend to change my bank account over to his address tomorrow morning so maybe I could get them to write me a letter confirming this and then take that as proof? Because he has lived alone for so long, he pauys for everything himself and has his name on everything and I don’t know what to do about ‘proving’ I live with him

calcotti

joanw2od wrote: »

we’re unsure as to whether I need to be named on this agreement.

I don’t think it makes any difference.

45002

joanw2od wrote: »

I feel super annoying as I’ve used this forum so much this past few days but you guys have been so helpful and I’m getting nowhere with the DWP.

I currently claim income based ESA in the support group. I’m moving in with my partner this week who works 30 hours a week so this will void my eligibility for IB ESA.

I got some amazing advice on here that told me I would be eligible for a couples joint claim of Universal credit. I also used a benefits calculator and the results were accurate.

Yesterday when my partner and I decided to put a claim in for UC (ESA has suspended my payments until UC is accepted they have said) I was told by the online form that I couldn’t claim UC if I was RECEIVING the severe disability premium with my ESA.

A quick google and I found that I never got the SDP in the first place. However, the more I’ve looked into it the more I realise that I was indeed eligible for the SDP. Yes, I’m living with both my parents but both parents claim enhanced rate PIP for the daily living component. Both parents work but this is something they also receive and have done for years. Apparently this would mean I was entitled to the SDP, but I’ve never gotten it and certainly don’t intend to mention it now to the DWP incase our UC claim is rejected.

We’re going to apply properly tomorrow for UC but now I’m concerned this claim will be rejected because I was, indeed, eligible for SDP - I just never claimed it as I didn’t know it was a thing.
When we started our UC application, it asked me again if I claimed the severe disability premium, to which I truthfully answered no - because I’ve never claimed it, and this time the website let us go ahead and continue with the application but we didn’t bother going any further because Friday is our official move in day in which I’ll be changing over my address to living with my boyfriend and registering on his electoral roll and such.

Will eligibility for SDP stop me from making a UC claim with my partner? I have never ever received the SDP amount in all the years I’ve claimed ESA so it’ll be a kick in the teeth if I now get stopped from making a joint UC claim because they’ve realised I was always eligible for the SDP.

I don’t know where to go from here and I can’t find anything about this on the internet. All I’ve found about UC and the SSP is that people claiming ESA that get the severe disability premium ‘won’t be made to change over to universal credit and if they are eligible for SDP they won’t be able to claim UC’
This is all well and good - but I cannot claim Income based ESA anymore due to the fact I’m moving in with my partner who works.
So what is going to happen? Will I just be left with no money? Or are they likely to only reject my UC application if I physically claimed the SDP in the past? Because I definitely never have. Eligible or not, I’ve never claimed that premium.
I saw on the government website that the SDP is usually added automatically to a claim. It never has been added to any of my claims so I figure they just haven’t realised that my parents live with me and also claim PIP. My dad is severely epileptic but still works full time, and my mum is his Carer but also claims PIP for her own issues as she’s got problems with her mobility. I think she only claims the standard daily living component but I’m not sure. My dad claims the enhanced complement the same as me.

I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. I was advised on this forum by a wonderful user that I have to keep my ESA claim open in order for my partner and I to receive an additional component to our UC claim. If I close down my ESA claim we won’t be eligible for that additional money.

I’m getting nowhere with the job centre or ESA helpline. They just tell me to go online to find more information about UC. But nobody can tell me what is going to happen now I’m moving in with my partner and also eligible for the SDP on ESA; WHICH IVE NEVER CLAIMED. I did see something about a change in rules from January 2019 about ESA IB claimants who recieve/are entitled to the SDP ‘not having to move from ESA even if their circumstances change’ but I don’t believe for one moment that the DWP will let me keep my IB ESA whilst living with a partner who works 30 hours a week, so I’m pretty sure that statement isn’t relevant to me at all.
I saw that people on ESA are still entitled to legacy benefits - that gave me a laugh because my partner and I are entitled to NO legacy benefits at all, despite the fact he only earns about £900-50 a month. I’ve done the calculations numerous times using benefit calculators and the same result has turned up - we aren’t eligible to no legacy benefits at all but eligible for UC. Only issue is, I’m likely not allowed to claim UC. We would literally be living off of his £900 a month and my £350 in PIP if UC won’t let us make a claim. It is not doable and would prevent us living together.

As I said above, im assuming that the fact I was eligible to the SDP has clearly slipped by the DWP without them noticing and the truth is, I don’t intend to mention it to them because I’m worried it’ll ruin my joint universal credit claim. But at the same time I’m worried that my partner and I started a UC claim will rock the boat and the DWP will realise I was always eligible to the SDP. Yes, I’m aware this would mean a large backpayment for myself but I don’t care about the backpayment - I just want mine and my partners joint claim to be underway so we can move on with our lives.
On all the letters I’ve received about my ESA, none of it has ever been made up of any severe disability premium. There’s never been any mention of the SDP on any of my documents. I’ve been reading throughout them all tonight in an utter confused panic.
I need to keep my ESA claim open to get the additional WRA component added to our UC. ESA has told me they will suspend my payments tomorrow when I move in with my partner. Sorry for repeating myself I’m just so confused. I’m severely disabled and none of this is made easy. I’ve found myself very worried and upset tonight, unable to sleep.
I was told the reason people entitled to the SDP can’t claim UC is because it protects them from losing money. I never got the additional money in the first place AND it won’t be protecting me at all. It will be leaving me with literally no money because I can’t claim ESA income based anymore whilst living with my partner and I also can’t start a universal credit claim because I’m ‘entitled to SDP’ How does that work? My partner is at breaking point financially as it is and is not eligible to tax credits or anything of the sort so when I move in we won’t be able to afford to eat or pay the bills with regards to this new system where people entitled to SDP can’t apply for universal credit.
Any advice would be good

joanw2od wrote: »

Sorry for the confusion I’m so rambled right now

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6012528/told-i-cant-claim-universal-credit-due-to-the-disability-premium


https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6011944/advice-on-benefits-and-moving-in-together






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