Child DLA and benefits

Yameen12

hi I’m wondering if anyone can help please. Asking for a friend. She has a daughter who currently gets DLA. I’m pretty sure it’s the higher option. I read somewhere the mother could get extra benefits or help as her child is receiving DLA. I think there was a child disability element and a carer element on top of the UC she currently receives? Is this correct? How would she go about applying for it? Also is carer element different to carers allowance? Thank you in advance 

calcotti

She needs to report a change through her UC journal. The disability child element should then be added to the UC. She should be able to get it backdated to when the DLA started unless it started a long time ago in which case UC may say she should have reported it sooner.

The mother can claim the carer element for looking after her (unless she already gets the LCWRA element for herself in which case she cannot be paid the carer element herself too).

Carer’s Allowance is a different benefit. If that is claimed it is deducted from the UC in full so makes no difference to overall income.

Yameen12

That’s amazing. Thank you for so much useful information. 

The DLA claim was initially started in November 2020. But got rejected. She appealed and finally after covid had an appointment to attend the tribunal in May 2022. 4 weeks later she was told she would receive the higher rate of daily living not mobility. 

At the same time she was also sent another form to fill as the original application was for 2 years. So in Nov 2022 her daughter was awarded higher rate for both elements. Do you think they would back date it that far back considering she only got a reply for the initial form in June 2022 or should she only request it from November?

calcotti

She should have reported the result to UC when it was awarded in June 2022. 

All she should report it now. Explain the circumstances. In theory it should be backdated to November 2020 (if she was getting UC at that time) which presumably is the the date the DLA award started from but UC may refuse to do so because she has reported late.

Yameen12

Thank you so much. I really appreciate ur help. Il get her to do that. Thank you 

calcotti

I think she needs to do ‘Report a Change’ and follow it up with a journal message to give more detail.