Autism support on UC migration

coiaquinn

Hello, can anone please offer up some insights about Universal Credit? I am autistic, alone and utterly confused.

I receive the child disability payment for my son, along with Income Support, Child Tax credits with the severe disability element and also Carers Allowance.
(I do have long term health issues but didnt apply for a supporting benefit for that as I could not face the stress of more applications before now.)

I do not understand what I am supposed to be doing, I have people advising I must choose between Carers Allowance and Carers Element? I dont know why I am choosing and not just being told what the difference is and which applies to my situation?

That I can also apply for Lcrwa but that means I no longer get Carers Allowance and the NI contributions? Also whether it is in our best interests for me to apply for that just now? What it would actually mean?

I don't have any idea what I am supposed to be doing at all. For clarity, my son is up right through the night and so am I, thinking straight is not something I am excelling at just now.

I did attend a citizens advice appointment to help me fill in the form but they didnt answer any of these questions and then told me I needed fit notes for my son and myself, while a UC facebook group told me that is wrong?

I am just so confused.  

Rubyroobs

You already get carers allowance so you may as well continue claiming that and it is paid alongside UC but then deducted in full from UC so you are no better or worse off by claiming it. It is beneficial for you to claim it as it will credit you with a better class of NI contributions towards your own state pension when you reach that age. 
You should claim both carers allowance and carers element of UC. When you make the UC application you declare yourself as the carer for your child and it will give you an extra carers element on your claim worth £198.
If you ahve the carers element in place then you have no requirements to look for work on UC as you are a carer so are exempt. 
If you want to be considered for the adult element which gives you extra money because you are too ill to work, you can hand in sick notes to UC and wait for a medical assessment. If they decide after assessment that you are not fit for any kind of work, then you may be awarded LCWRA which could give you an extra £416 on your claim. However if you were awarded this you would lose the carer element as LCWRA is higher. You could still claim carers allowance though. It is up to you whether you want the stress of going through the work capability process for potentially an extra £220 ish  a month. 
Your son is clearly a child so would not need sick notes for him. once he leaves education then he would make his own UC cliam ( if unfit to work ) and at that point would need to hand in sick notes himself.
I have also heard people on here say that if awarded LCWRA, that extra money would be eroded from any transitional protection that you would have form moving over from tax credits, so probably best to seek specialist advice on this.

tacpot12

Hi coiaquinn, do you understand Rubyroobs reply? It's correct, but there is a lot in it. Do you still need help to know what to do next? 

I sounds like you have applied for UC using help from Citizens Advice.