HOW TO STOP CARER ELEMENT PAYMENT FROM MY UC

Muttleythefrog

Anna_Mc_Kinnon said:

wonderful....lucky for people like you around.  I believe Marcia is completely wrong.

35 hours you are full time carer  but 34 hours you are not !!!!!   does not make sense.

now it is not fair for UC to deduct the carers allowance . ok   I can get it back by re applying for carers allowance.  and give him my carer element  better something than nothing..

the fact that if I say I am still caring for 30 hours or more but under 35  , then why should I have to look for work .

You mean one hour's difference would make such difference. so stupid.

you know old people become so stubborn in their old days and I would be surprised if he really needs the money or the fact that he found out about SDP and he said he wants it.he just does not realise those new laws about carers allowance and now this carer element .....

thanks for all your help.

would you advise me to re start from the beginning.......re claim carers allowance and take it from there ????

thanks a lot

anna

Any system will have to have cut off points... boundaries... limits.. they're not necessarily meant to make sense.. and yeah it may appear stupid... any of that debate needs to be with your MP or central government.
But crucially for you some good advice above.... tread carefully and discuss with the person you care for (complicated or confusing though it may be to anyone!) so that you don't end up with a work commitment (if seeking to avoid on UC) while monies are arranged in a way suitable to you both. 

Anna_Mc_Kinnon

I just found something on turn2us website

IF you are providing less than 35 hours per week of care you should tell your work coach about your caring responsibilities and ask that your claimant commitment is adapted to take them intoaccount.If you dont feel your claimant commitment has been taken into account your caring responsibilities,you should seek advice.

very interesting...

any comment please

anna

Newcad

Such adjustments to UC conditionally are possible, - the problem there being that if your current Work Coach agrees to reduced work search commitnents you may at any time suddenly get changed to a different WC who doesn't think the same.

8dayweek

Plus it’s only tailoring of your Commitments - as in your work search / availability for work is tailored around your caring responsibilities, not a complete switch off of work related requirements (which comes with claiming the Carers Element). 

Anna_Mc_Kinnon

so you mean if you are caring for 34 hours a week.........they could and expect you to look for work and to work for how many more hours in that week ???

what a joke !!!

Better emigrate to Australia   for sure

8dayweek

The SDP rate in Pension Credit is paid when you receive a qualifying disability benefit and nobody claims Carers Allowance / Carers Element etc.

I think you actually need to have a frank discussion with the person you care for - if they cannot meet their basic needs via their current State Pension, Pension Credit and AA (plus presumably Housing Benefit, if applicable) BUT also need a significant amount of care then I think maybe it should be at the point of requesting a Care Needs Assessment from the LA. I’m not sure why they would expect you to provide the care effectively free of charge or without any formal Carer status. 

Robbie64

The reason why the law stipulates that care needs to be provided for 35 hours a week to be acknowledged through the benefit system dates back to when Carer's Allowance was first introduced (as Invalid Care Allowance) in 1975. It was paid as an income replacement benefit, for people who had to give up full time work to care for someone. That's where the 35 hours requiement comes from.

The Carer Element in UC replicates this requirement but doesn't apply a cut off point for income. Therefore it's more flexible. However, like Carer's Allowance, it can stop the person being cared for from getting the SDP.

You will need to tell UC that you are no longer a full time carer, that is that you don't provide care for at least 35 hours a week. You can provide care for under 35 hours a week but will receive no additional payment for this and the person in receipt of AA can get the SDP equivalent in Pension Credit. As you will be required to look for work of up to 35 hours a week, hopefully your work coach will take into account your caring duties which you will be effectively doing for nothing and for no recompense.

If you do care for the elderly gentleman for more than 35 hours and the above is being done simply to get the SDP for the elderly gentleman then he needs to evaluate how he can look after himself. As posted by 8dayweek, you need to have a frank discussion with the person you care for. It seems to me they want a carer for nothing while getting as much money as possible.

If the above sounds a bit harsh, it's meant to. It's you that is a full time carer while getting nothing in return for it and possibly while you also have to look for, and then hold down, a full time job. Your health matters as much as the person who you care for. If you're ill then you can't look after someone else. As stated above, it's time for a full and frank discussion with the elderly gentleman.

poppy12345

Anna_Mc_Kinnon said:

wonderful....lucky for people like you around.  I believe Marcia is completely wrong.

No, Marcia is totally correct. 

kaMelo

I thought I recognised the username, another research piece perhaps.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6145721/what-does-partner-mean-in-terms-of-dwp-martin-uses-this-term-in-his-guide-to-uc-can-he-clarify/p2

Spoonie_Turtle

kaMelo said:

I thought I recognised the username, another research piece perhaps.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6145721/what-does-partner-mean-in-terms-of-dwp-martin-uses-this-term-in-his-guide-to-uc-can-he-clarify/p2

Good spot!  Their history also doesn't show the relatively recent deleted thread which was (another?) duplicate of 'old man, young international wife, split up but she still cares for him what can she get'.