Universal Credit Migration Letter

Dave1UK

My father has been on long-term income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and my mother has been his full-time carer ever since I was a child (20+ years).

About two weeks ago, I helped filling their Universal Credit claim for the transition and assumed it would be straight forward. However my father's claim seems to have been assessed fine? I'm assuming they are able to verify his disability/previous ESA claim?

However for my mother she has been asked to look for work and various other tasks to prepare her on top of caring for my father?

They advised her that my dad should make a claim for disability allowance? She will need to make a claim for carers allowance?

According to Google there isn't any specific "disability allowance" form or claim. Also I am assuming carers allowance is dependant on my father's claim?

Is there any other forms we should be aware off? Or how are we to notify UC about this issue as they don't seem to be helpful.

Spoonie_Turtle

Yes that's correct; in order for your mother to qualify for the carer element, your father needs to claim a qualifying disability benefit
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get  Scroll down to "If you care for someone who gets a health or disability-related benefit"

Does your father currently claim DLA or PIP?  If not, if he is of working age (i.e. under pension age) then the relevant disability benefit will be PIP
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/how-decisions-are-made/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/fill-in-form-pip/

https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim

Or ADP if you are in Scotland
https://www.mygov.scot/adult-disability-payment  (which is basically the same except the process seems to work as it's supposed to, without the difficulties of the PIP process)


However until that's in place your mother should have her work search requirements and commitments tailored around her circumstances, i.e. needing to provide care for your father.

Ref44

How old are your parents?; if Dad is under state pension age, then the disability benefit is Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or if over then it is Attendance Allowance (AA). Note that AA does not have a mobility component, unlike PIP.

Dave1UK

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Yes that's correct; in order for your mother to qualify for the carer element, your father needs to claim a qualifying disability benefit
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get  Scroll down to "If you care for someone who gets a health or disability-related benefit"

Does your father currently claim DLA or PIP?  If not, if he is of working age (i.e. under pension age) then the relevant disability benefit will be PIP
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/how-decisions-are-made/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/fill-in-form-pip/

https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim

Or ADP if you are in Scotland
https://www.mygov.scot/adult-disability-payment  (which is basically the same except the process seems to work as it's supposed to, without the difficulties of the PIP process)


However until that's in place your mother should have her work search requirements and commitments tailored around her circumstances, i.e. needing to provide care for your father.

My father is of 'working age' in 60s, he was claiming ESA which was broken down into:

- Living expenses for you and your partner - £114.85
- Extra money because of the Disability Income Guarantee - £24.10
- Limited capability for work addition support group - £117.50.

That is all. My mother does not have any claims or anything it was assumed she was included in this claim although just addressed to my father? As it did state "Living expenses for you and your partner?" This was never questioned by my parents.

I would of assumed her requirements would be tailored/slightly reduced as well however they state she needs to be available 35 hours per week for work searches etc. which is the maximum to my knowledge.

Rubyroobs

Dave1UK said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Yes that's correct; in order for your mother to qualify for the carer element, your father needs to claim a qualifying disability benefit
https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/what-youll-get  Scroll down to "If you care for someone who gets a health or disability-related benefit"

Does your father currently claim DLA or PIP?  If not, if he is of working age (i.e. under pension age) then the relevant disability benefit will be PIP
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/how-decisions-are-made/

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/help-with-your-claim/fill-in-form-pip/

https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim

Or ADP if you are in Scotland
https://www.mygov.scot/adult-disability-payment  (which is basically the same except the process seems to work as it's supposed to, without the difficulties of the PIP process)


However until that's in place your mother should have her work search requirements and commitments tailored around her circumstances, i.e. needing to provide care for your father.

My father is of 'working age' in 60s, he was claiming ESA which was broken down into:

- Living expenses for you and your partner - £114.85
- Extra money because of the Disability Income Guarantee - £24.10
- Limited capability for work addition support group - £117.50.

That is all. My mother does not have any claims or anything it was assumed she was included in this claim although just addressed to my father? As it did state "Living expenses for you and your partner?" This was never questioned by my parents.

I would of assumed her requirements would be tailored/slightly reduced as well however they state she needs to be available 35 hours per week for work searches etc. which is the maximum to my knowledge.

The difference between ESA and UC is that on ESA the partner could just be part of the claim without needing to have any work commitments. On UC this is not possible without the partner being officially a  carer which is only possible if the unwell person is in receipt of a disability benefit. Without being officially recognized as a carer she is expected to look for work although as above she can request her work coach considers her caring responsibilities. It's really surprising that your dad is not in receipt of a disability benefit after 20 years of being too unwell to work. They will need to look at the PIP criteria to see if he would qualify. If he was awarded PIP daily living component,  then your mum could look at claiming carers allowance alongside UC. Even though carers allowance would be deducted from the UC claim in full it would credit her with NI contributions towards her own state pension which is important. 

KxMx

If Dad gets PIP then Mum could get Carers Element in her name, this is paid under UC at an amount of £201.68 a month. 

Brie

KxMx said:

If Dad gets PIP then Mum could get Carers Element in her name, this is paid under UC at an amount of £201.68 a month. 

It would also give her NI credits so she will accrue a state pension.

poppy12345

Brie said:

KxMx said:

If Dad gets PIP then Mum could get Carers Element in her name, this is paid under UC at an amount of £201.68 a month. 

It would also give her NI credits so she will accrue a state pension.

You receive class 3 NI credits when claiming UC regardless of whether receiving carers element.

The problem here is that when ESA was being claimed the wife would not have been receiving any NI credits towards their state pension, only the main claimant would be entitled to this.