Migration from income support and carers allowance to Universal Credit

Annie2347

Hello,

I would be grateful for any help and guidance.

My adult son and I live together in a privately rented flat.

He has been sent a migration letter for universal credit and is currently receiving income support, carers allowance and housing benefit. We have a joint tenancy.

My son can’t work due to chronic ill health that has significantly deteriorated over the last three years. 

We’ve not claimed any disability benefits for him yet as I have severe M.E and we haven’t had the energy to claim, but this has forced us to start.

He will be claiming universal credit due to ill health. 

He needs to be in the LCWRA group as he has severe fatigue, chest pains, breathlessness, anxiety, panic attacks, and agoraphobia. He is just getting through the day and any change to his day causes him great distress. He can’t go out. 

As he is receiving  carers allowance for me I read that he wouldn’t need to look for work. Would that be the same if he wasn’t awarded LCWRA group and receiving carers allowance?

I’ve been wondering whether to complete the forms and not apply for the ill health part for him just yet as I’m so ill just now due to M.E. I will be filling in the form as my son can’t concentrate. Can my son apply for the ill health part later?

As the housing benefit will be stopped and the income support, do you know how roughly it would take for the process to apply on ill health grounds for universal credit? 

My son is needing to be referred to a cardiologist but can’t go out due to anxiety, panic and agoraphobia. Would it help the claim if he has already seen a cardiologist or not? 

He isn’t receiving any medicine yet for anxiety and agoraphobia. It’s new drs that have joined the practice last year and have been out to the house twice to take blood tests. My son can’t speak on the phone with them due to anxiety so there’s been no discussion yet on medicine. Would it be better if he was on medication for universal credit claim? 

I would be grateful for any help and advice. I’m so anxious.

Thank you 

peteuk

You are not claiming UC on the grounds of ill health - the process is the process, he is claiming UC on the grounds that he claims income support and that this is stopping.

So regardless of his health - a claim for UC takes 6 weeks.  The assessment period will start on the day of application and finish a month later.  For instance apply now 24 Jun, assessment period is 24 Jun-23 Jul, 24 Jul-23 Aug and so on.   Payment of which will be 5-7 days after the assessment period (depending on weekends/public holidays)

When transferring from Income support there is a two week run off of the Income support and so he should receive a payment two weeks after applying.   This will be his last income support payment.  If struggling then you can ask for an advance and this will be paid back over time (24 months I believe) 

Im not 100% sure on the process of claiming LCWRA - he may need fit notes for a period of time before being given an assessment but I am sure someone with more knowledge will help here.

What I would say is yes include his health, as without this he may be required by a work coach to attend meetings and seek employment.  If you don't tell them they don't know. 

UC will not look at medication, PIP would equally attending the cardiologist shouldn’t affect his UC claim.

I fear you are combining UC and PIP claims, these are two separate benefits, would a PIP claim support a UC claim?  Yes it would but you can still claim UC without it (and given that you've stated you don't have the energy to claim) 

As he is claiming carers allowance this will be taken off his UC pound for pound, however he should get an extra UC element as a carer.

Housing benefit should be included in his UC as a housing element - again Im not 100% on this part so will leave it to someone in the know. 

Hope that helps.

Spoonie_Turtle

UC will be made up of different elements.  Your son will have the standard allowance, housing element, and at the moment, carer element.  If he reports his health condition and is assessed to have LCWRA that would replace the carer element because it's more money.

So it's up to him when he reports his health condition.  Financially he'd be better off reporting it when he claims and then the WCA form would arrive about a month later (as long as he provides fit notes) and then if he is awarded LCWRA it'll start sooner than if he leaves it.  But whether it's feasible health-wise to do that is evidently another matter.

As you're not well enough to fill in the WCA form for him and if he wouldn't be able to do it himself, there might be help available - probably from the Citizens' Advice Bureau, or perhaps another local benefits advice service.

Although actually rereading your post, he probably will need to report his health conditions from the start because if he's going to need a home visit for any required UC appointments - I'm thinking particularly of the one to confirm his ID - I doubt he'd stand any chance of getting one if he hasn't included having ill health on his claim. 
(The fact the doctors have had to do home visits will be helpful evidence.)
I don't know how much phone contact will be required and quite what he does about that if he can't speak on the phone.  There is Relay UK which he could use to type and the person on the other end speaks, if that would be any use.

Annie2347

Thank you Peteuk and Spoonie_Turtle for your help. I really appreciate it. 

I’ll contact my son’s GP to ask for confirmation of his health problems for the fit note. 

Thank you 

poppy12345

peteuk said:

What I would say is yes include his health, as without this he may be required by a work coach to attend meetings and seek employment.  If you don't tell them they don't know. 

That's not correct, as a carer he will have no work commitments. 

peteuk

poppy12345 said:

peteuk said:

What I would say is yes include his health, as without this he may be required by a work coach to attend meetings and seek employment.  If you don't tell them they don't know. 

That's not correct, as a carer he will have no work commitments. 

Sorry didn’t take this into account, however I still say declare health problems as this is beneficial, given that this is a public forum and others may read this and decide not to declare health issues, who aren’t carer.

Annie2347

Thank you for your comments.

If my son is put into the LCW group of Universal Credit and not the LCWRA group, will being a carer mean he won’t have to do any work related activity or attend meetings? Will being a carer over ride any LCW requirements? 

I’d be grateful for your knowledge. 

poppy12345

If found to have LCW then it will make no difference because he's a carer and has no commitments anyway/.

Annie2347

Thank you poppy12345 for your knowledge. If my son is put into the group where he has to work, will the fact he’s a carer over ride any work and meeting commitments? 

Thank you 

Spoonie_Turtle

Yes it will

Robbie64

Wasn't this question posted the other day? As a carer, he doesn't need to obtain a fit note.