Hi, my name is Chee2! Partner in care home. Will he be eligible for disability premium?

Chee2

Hello

I am an appointee for my partner who had a stroke in Sept 2023. He is employed, but only received Statutory Sick Pay until April 2024. He has been granted PIP, but not receiving any as he is in a care home. We are both in temporary housing - he is in a care home and I am in lodgings. We are awaiting a suitable place for him to return to.

When sick pay stopped, I was asked to apply for Universal Credit. And it has been granted, then I was also asked to apply for Employment Support Allowance. He has been granted that too - £90.50 per week. It says on the letter that his ESA is "contribution based". The ESA he is getting is assessed as income. Social Services are taking £60.35 per week as his contribution for being in a care home. That seems to be the right thing to do.

But he only gets £1.28 of Universal Credit as the ESA he gets is assessed as income! Although he is in a care home, we are paying £360 per month for physio, his incontinence pads are about £60 per month, and we do not get any support with this.

I have completed the health assessment forms for both - UC and ESA. I also provide a "Fit Note" to DWP which states he is not fit to work.

Will he be eligible for disability premium? And will be he back dated? I have tried to read up about disability premium, but I am more confused that I used to be!

Because we are in different home setting, he is getting the single rate at the moment.

I have been told that as soon as we move in together, I will have to apply for UC as well? But I work full time, so my income will be too high for us to claim anything. I think so?

Any information will be appreciated!

I am lost in the benefit world!

Albus_Scope

Hi there @Chee2 and welcome to the community.

I totally understand the confusion, the current benefits system is a bit of a labyrinth and one I'm still working my way through. Unfortunately I'm still learning about UC so I'm afraid I dont have any firm answers for you. It would be worth asking for a work capability assessment.

Chee2

Thank you @Albus_Scope for your response. Glad to know I am not the only one who is confused!

I am new to DWP. I worked for 10 years in Australian Centrelink - equivalent of DWP in UK. That was over 15 years back and it was so streamlined and transparent! DWP seems to enjoy complicating matters for themselves, let alone general public.

I agree, population is far more in UK than in Australia, but with technological advances today, it should be easy to claim/process.

I filled in 3 forms - ALL of them asking the same questions - 1 was 42 pages and other 2 were 35 pages each! I spent hours filling them in only to be awarded a mere £1.28 of UC and £90.50 of ESA. I didn't even know what the difference between contribution based and income ESA is!

Anyway, I am grateful for any support at this time. And once again, thank you for responding.

Albus_Scope

I've heard the Australian benefits system is about 99% easier, ours definitely needs streamlining! I'm sorry you're having to discover that first hand.

I've added some more info to your discussions title and moved it all to the UC category, so hopefully more people in the know will see and offer some top advice. I hope that's ok?

poppy123456

The ESA he’s claiming is New style ESA and is a contributions based benefit only.

This means that the disability premiums are not payable on this, they are only payable when claiming Income Related ESA, as well as the old contributions based ESA. (If entitled to the tops up) https://www.gov.uk/disability-premiums/eligibility

Once the decision has been made on the work capability assessment if placed into the Support Group he will be entitled to extra money for his ESA. He will also be entitled to the LCWRA element of UC.

The ESA will continue to be deducted in full from UC and that amount will increase if placed into the Support Group.