Universal credit

Rottweiler78

Hi can someone please help me understand I'm working part time I did do 3 days but I've dropped my hours to two days due to my health also my husband has had to stop working due to bad health we applied for universal credit and it came back as £0 I'm looking after him as well he's in heart failure he's sent off a LWCR form in but is it my hours that prevent us getting anything do I have to write in the journal that I've reduced my hours again as my health has been affected bad due to everything that's happening any information would be appreciated he's got a pip assessment on the 5 th of this month and I've got a tribunal hearing at the end of this month for pip as well

poppy123456

You can report that your hours have reduced but they should know that earnings are reduced because DWP check your earnings through HMRC when your employer reports them.

When did you first claim UC? Did you claim it as soon as your husband finished work? If you did and he received his final earnings from his employer after you claimed UC then those earnings would have affected your UC entitlement that month.

Whether there's any entitlement will depend on your joint circumstances.

Has he also looked at claiming New style ESA for himself? If he was working in tax years 2021/22 and 2022/23 and has the correct NI contributions then he'll be able to claim it. This isn't means tested so your earnings will not affect the amount he's entitled to. He will need to provide a fit note when he claims. If there's entitlement to any payments then it will be deducted in full from any UC entitlement. Please see link.

https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/eligibility

Does your husband currently have a daily living PIP award? If he does then you'll be able to claim carers element of UC for looking after him. If he doesn't and he's awarded once a decision is made on that claim then you'll be able to claim carers element, providing the PIP includes the daily living part.

Rottweiler78

Thankyou so much for the reply my husband was self employed and when we was at the job centre they said there was no point in applying for ESA as he has not contributed enough national insurance

Rottweiler78

poppy123456

As self employed he would need class 2 NI contributions in the tax years mentioned above. I honestly wouldn't listen to what you were advise by your local job centre because they are not benefits advisors. They wouldn't know what NI contributions he has anyway, unless they actually looked. (which they wouldn't)