Carer migrating to UC can they change the person who they care for?

ev8

Hi, this is an inquiry for a relative really, with some involvement for myself.

My mother currently cares for and receives carers allowance and income support for her own mother. Her mother receives a lifetime DLA allowance (over 80). 
She also cares for me but obviously receives nothing for that. I receive ESA (income related)  and PIP, both care and mobility components.

She has to migrate over to UC and due to a few things that came up (don't want to go into it all) she was thinking it may be an idea when she changes over to UC to put me as the person she'll receive carers for.

So our question is, can she do that? As it'll be a different claim is it OK to change who it is she's caring for?

Thanks for any help.

poppy12345

If your ESA includes the Severe Disability Premium, this will stop if someone claims either carers allowance or carers element of UC for looking after you. 

If you don’t then yes she can claim carers element of UC for looking after you. She will also need to report the changes to Carers allowance that she no longer cares for her mother. 

ev8

Would I have been getting this on ESA? How would I know if I get it?

Also, she would still be caring for her mother, she's caring for her all the time but she just didn't know if it made sense to change over to me now for her benefits, but for all other things she is still caring for her.

ev8

I don't think I do get the premium as I don't live alone and it seemed far too complicated to claim for it as I live with my mother who doesn't get carers for me but still gets carers. I remember being confused by it, so didn't even fill in the forms.

So, as to the first question, it should be fine for her UC application to include me instead for this round of applications? It doesn't matter if she changes who she 'officially' cares for? As I said, she'll still be caring for her mother as well.

poppy12345

She will need to cancel the carers allowance claim for her mother first. 

ev8

Will it need to be cancelled as it's all changing over so won't it be cancelled by the fact it'll be switched to UC?

8dayweek

No Carers Allowance is not being replaced by UC so she will have to update CA first - either switch you to Cared for person, or end the CA claim in respect of her Mother. 

You said:

“ as I live with my mother who doesn't get carers for me but still gets carers”

Is your Mum of pension age? If she is, and has claimed CA for you but only gets underlying entitlement then she would also need to end this too. 

ev8

8dayweek said:

No Carers Allowance is not being replaced by UC so she will have to update CA first - either switch you to Cared for person, or end the CA claim in respect of her Mother. 

You said:

“ as I live with my mother who doesn't get carers for me but still gets carers”

Is your Mum of pension age? If she is, and has claimed CA for you but only gets underlying entitlement then she would also need to end this too. 

No, she's not of pension age yet

Would she need to switch or cancel the other claim? 

So it doesn't replace carers? Is it only for the income related income it replaces? So that will remain the same claim as always?

poppy12345

Carers allowance is not part UC. It’s deducted in full just like it is with IS. 

I don’t think it’s as simple as just switching from one person to another. I think she will need to end the claim for her mother and then make another claim for you.

However, as she’ll be claiming UC she doesn’t need to claim carers allowance. She can claim carers element of UC without claiming CA. 

There’s no financial gain to claiming both CA and UC at the same time. Though for CA she would receive class 1 NI credits but for UC it’s class 3. 

Anna_Mc_Kinnon

hello I am new to this hopefully i am on the right page......i have a question about Universal credit/carer element .

I AM CARING FOR AN ELDERLY GENTLEMAN ON AA.

HE WANTS TO CLAIM HIS SEVERE DISABILITY ALLOWANCE AND I FOUND OUT I MUST STOP MY CARERS ALLOWANCE FIRST.       I HAVE DONE THAT.

I AM ALSO ON UC.

THEY HAVE BEEN INFORMED.

BUT THEY ARE STILL PAYING ME '' CARER ELEMENT''

BECAUSE OF THIS CARER ELEMENT.....PC   DOES NOT PAY HIM HIS SDA.  BEEN TOLD TO ASK UC TO STOP THIS CARER ELEMENT FIRST.

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TO GO ABOUT TELLING UC TO STOP THIS CARER ELEMENT PLEASE.

CAN I TELL UC I AM AN UNPAID CARER NOW FOR OVER 30 HOURS A WEEK BUT UNDER 35 HOURS......AND WILL I BE STILL EXEMPT FROM HAVING TO LOOK FOR WORK ??????

MANY THANKS FOR ANYBODY'S HELP OUT THERE.  ANNA

Spoonie_Turtle

Anna_Mc_Kinnon said:

hello I am new to this hopefully i am on the right page......i have a question about Universal credit/carer element .

This poster has (correctly) posted their own thread about this here    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6576988/how-to-stop-carer-element-payment-from-my-uc