Rejected element

Sinica

Hello again, I'm asking for your help. After I was happy when I saw the carer element included in the next payment, today I received a message in the diary: Because you work full-time, you cannot receive the carer element. You can request it if you no longer work .I work 45 hours a week but I still take care of my husband and household chores. The new government wants to bring people to work and the DWP is encouraging people to stay at home. Now the element is included in the next payment if it is paid on August 5 what will happen to you if I don't have the right to money?

poppy123456

I don't know where they got this "new" non existent rule from but definitely out of thin air because there's no earnings limit to carers element.

The earnings limit only applies to carers allowance, which isn't part of UC anyway.

Sinica

What can i do ? Who can I talk to?

poppy123456

Reply to that message and remind them that there's no earnings limit to claiming carers element.

I've heard of some very strange things for UC but this is the first time I've ever heard of carers element being refused due to earnings.

Sinica

Thank you for everything you do.

Sinica

I found the eligibility conditions, if I attach them to the message, will they be upset? I don't want to be rude, but since I applied for UC, I've only had problems.

poppy123456

Who cares what their reaction is! And you're not being rude just trying to claim something you're entitled to.

Please do include that. Seriously, sometimes these service centre staff make up their own rules!

Sinica

Thank you very much for your support. I will send the message and after I receive an answer I will let you know. Good evening

onebigvoice

I found this response. Pay attention to the last part:

The Carer’s Element of Universal Credit (UC) is worth £198.31 per month for the 2024/2025 financial year. You can qualify for this element if you provide care for at least 35 hours per week for someone who receives Attendance Allowance, the highest or middle rate care component of Disability Living Allowance, Child Disability Payment, Daily living component of Personal Independence Payment, Armed Forces Independence Payment, or Constant Attendance Allowance paid with Industrial Injuries Benefit or War Disablement Pension. Unlike Carer’s Allowance, your earnings do not prevent you from claiming the Carer’s Element, but your overall UC entitlement will be affected by your income. If you’re making a joint claim, both partners can qualify for the Carer’s Element if they meet the criteria, but not for the same severely disabled person. Keep in mind that receiving the Carer’s Element might impact the benefits of the person you care for, potentially affecting their entitlement to the Severe Disability Premium

poppy123456

@onebigvoice the last part is irrelevant here because they are claiming Universal Credit and the Severe Disability Premium doesn’t exist for this benefit.

Sinica

I left a message in the journal and asked him to check the request again because... I hope that another person with more experience will read this message.

Sinica

I received the answer in the journal very quickly. What can I do now?

poppy123456

That link is for carers allowance!! Which is completely different Grrr. Please request the Mandatory Reconsideration on the decision not to award carers element.

Please make sure you include a copy of the regulations that you posted above. Remind them again that there’s no earnings limit to carers element.

WhatThe

OMG they can't write properly!!!

How can they be trusted to manage "Careers" element or any benefit claim in "Center of service Basildon"?

Who says "warm greetings" to sign off? 😖

Has your account been hacked or something? Surely our claims are not outsourced?

WhatThe

OMG they can't write properly!!!

How can they be trusted to manage "Careers" element or any benefit claim at "Center of service Basildon"?

Who says "warm greetings" to sign off? 😖

Meg24

I would email a copy of all of these to your MP also, and put in a complaint. This.is utterly appalling. I hope you get it sorted soon. Have you contacted your local CAB? They have avenues to get through to managers when you are being refused help through the journal. This is such an obvious mistake I'm sure that any manager will be able to see that immediately. On behalf of all of us still to be forced onto UC, it would great if you felt able to officially complain also, thanks if you do.

Sinica

He is the only person who answers my messages. We are in London, we don't have a case manager, we were called only once for identity verification after the first evaluation period ended. They didn't want to refer my husband to WCA, no they accepted the aptitude notes, this lady always found different reasons. I left her messages that I wanted an appointment at the job center to bring medical evidence and she never accepted. Now she says that the UC50 was sent late, I asked her to make an appointment to I bring them evidence. I went to the job center and the reception gave me the same answer as the lady's, they don't need evidence, I have to wait for the decision. I called the UC and they told me that a manager will answer me. I received a message from the lady that the envelope arrived late and I should wait for the decision. Tomorrow it will be 12 weeks since I sent uc50 and no one says anything. I wrote messages that I sent it a week before the deadline and I have proof and no one speaks with me. Now with the carer element, it is included in the payment that will be paid to you on Monday, but it sends me a message that I am not entitled. What happened to you? I will receive a message from the lady and it will say that I was paid extra? does it automatically include if I made a change of circumstances? I apologize for the trouble, but you are the only ones who listen to me and help me. Thank you for everything.

poppy123456

When you reported being a carer a decision maker would have needed to make a decision on that. Without that decision the element will not be included in your statement.

If it's been included in this statement then I'm confused why you've now been advised "incorrectly" by that person that you're not entitled to it, when a decision maker would have already made the decision to include it in your claim.

Is the element still included in your statement or has it been recalculated and removed? Please check.

Sinica

Sinica

I have never been through this before and my only guide was you and I followed the steps online on gov.uk. I am not a very smart person but if you will be with me with advice and opinions I will move on. I don't want to receive money for nothing, my husband is very affected because he doesn't work anymore, it's very difficult for me to keep my job and take care of my husband and the house, but I want to work like I've always done. If I stop work, I would receive UC as much as my salary, but I rely on my money, not on aid. Can my salary of 1950 lire be a problem. Do you think we can manage and don't we deserve help?

poppy123456

That screenshot, isn't your statement from your UC journal because it looks very different. Is that from a benefits calculator that you did? The wording "caretaker" isn't the wording they would use on a statement. Also the figures are not what I expect them to look like. They should have the £ sign, rather than the GBP letters.

Please log into your journal and have a look at your most recent statement to see what elements are included and to see if the carers element is included.

You also mention your salary being 1950 lire? which must have been a typo and you meant £1,950?

If you're entitled to UC then yes you should claim it and there's nothing stopping you from claiming it. Once a decision is made on the WCA if found to have either LCW or LCWRA then you'll be entitled to the work allowance so less of your earnings will be used for the deductions.