Advice for my Mum please?

HKH

Hey all. I'm posting as I would like some advice about my mother's situation as she is becoming increasingly stressed and worried over it.

I'll try and be brief. She has worked all of her life, past 17 years as a full time care worker. She recently looked for a job change as she hadn't been happy at her old job for a while. She got offered a job at a care home and took it as it seemed much better than her old one. However, when she had her first week she realised it wasn't the case. The way the other staff treated the residents broke her heart, the training was very minimal, she didn't get a break for 12 hours, I could go on and on but she just couldn't stay there.

She has a medical and historical back problem but has worked through it even though it causes her pain.

So for the first time in years she is now out of work. The doctor has given her a 4 week fit note to say she must not work yet due to her back and her anxiety that she is getting due to bills and financial worries. Due to get another note soon.

She has been approved for ESA and has also applied for Universal Credit but she is getting more anxious and worried about money by the day. The council (council owned house) are aware of her situation and have put her rent on hold for now but she is worried that even with ESA/UC she won't be able to afford her bills. She wants to get back into part time work but the job center have told her to hang fire as they will support her.

We aren't very clued up on benefits so does anybody know if she gets UC what she will get help with? (Rent etc) and is it enough to live off or will she have to get a part time job? I know getting a job effects how much UC you get but not sure how much. She's single and lives alone.

I'm worried about her and want to help but I don't know what to say to make it better for her. Any information to make her see some light at the end of the tunnel would be appreciated.

Thanks! 

calcotti

You can use a benefit calculator to work out what she will get https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

Initially she will get fortnightly ESA payments of £149.40. After she has had a Work Capability Assessment, if she is pit in the Support Group this will increase to fortnightly payments of £228.20 from the 14th week. However the ESA is deducted from her UC so doesn't increase her overall income. 

For UC she has a basic allowance of £324.84/month (it will be higher for the moment but I am using the figure for October onwards). She will get help with her rent - this will cover all of her rent if she only has one bedroom, 86% of the rent if she has two bedrooms and 75% of the rent if she has three or more bedrooms. So her UC is £324.84 plus help with rent minus ESA.

If following WCA she is found to have Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity she will be entitled to an extra £343.63/month from the fourth month.

If she works UC is reduced by 63% of earnings. If she is found to have LCW or LCWRA the first £293 of earnings will be ignored.

Has she applied for Council Tax Reduction from her council?

You might also want to look at PIP to see if it is relevant
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system

poppy12345

The ESA will be deducted in full from any UC entitlement, so she won't be any financially better off by claiming them both. The only thing is that the ESA pays class 1 NI credits and UC pays class 3.

Her UC will include the standard element and the housing element. How many bedrooms are there in her house? If there's any spare then she'll be fit by the bedroom tax. Explained here. https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/benefits/how_to_deal_with_the_bedroom_tax

If she has a shortfall of rent then she can apply for a discretionary housing payment. Details here. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments this will help cover the shortfall. Although it's only paid temporary so when it ends she'll need to re-apply.

If she hasn't reported her health condition onto her journal for UC then she needs to do this. She'll also need a fit note for this. I don't know what happens regarding fit notes when claiming both ESA and UC.

Council tax reduction can be claimed from her local council.

Your question "is it enough to live off?" simple answer is no, i'm afraid it's not.

Do be aware that UC standard allowance has been increased due to Covid but that's sadly coming to an end so this will reduce in October from £411.51 to £324.84.

She will eventually have a work capability assessment. The first stage of this is to fill out a work capability assessment form and return it will all her evidence.  https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/esa-medical-assessment/

If she's had her health condition for longer than 3 months and expects it to last longer than 9 months then she can look at claiming PIP. Whether she qualifies will totally depend on how her conditions affect her. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

As she's claiming ESA, if she works in the future she will need to make sure she works less than 16 hours per week and earn no more than £143 per week. If she works 16 hours and over then her ESA will end.

calcotti

poppy12345 said: As she's claiming ESA, if she works in the future she will need to make sure she works less than 16 hours per week and earn no more than £143 per week. If she works 16 hours and over then her ESA will end. 

Although, if claiming both ESA and UC the ending of the ESA will not matter because UC will simply increase by the ESA amount lost.