Carers Element

voodoochick66

Since the Winter Fuel Payment was stopped, I decided to go onto the Entitledto website to see if my partner was entitled to pension credit as I had heard that even though we are above the threshold, as he is my carer, he is indeed entitled to PC of around £8 pw.
He gets his SP as retired ( 76 years old) and 2 private pensions.
I myself get PIP high rate on both ( I’m 58 and terminally ill)

We get legacy housing benefit pension age , don’t claim anything else.
In the calculation from entitled to, it shows how the PC is worked out, it shows as getting carers element , not carers allowance , just the element side of it.

How do we get the ‘carers element’ where do we claim it from ? If we get PC even tho it’s a small amount, we would get the winter fuel payment which would be so handy for my electricity bill which has shot up as I have an oxygen concentrator.

Thanks in advance for any advice 😊

poppy123456

If you live together then you would need to claim any means tested benefits as a couple. You are under state pension age which means neither of you will be able to claim Pension Credit because of the mixed aged couples rule.

As a mixed aged couple the only benefit possible to claim would be Universal Credit. (UC) If you claim UC your housing benefit would end 2 weeks later.

Carers element isn't a benefit on its own, it's part of UC. His state pension and both other pensions would be deducted in full from any UC entitlement. Whether there's any entitlement will depend on your joint circumstances.

When you say you're terminally ill do you mean you have 12 months or less left to live? The reason for asking this is if you claimed UC then you would need to report your health condition and provide a fit note (formally known as sick note) if you have 12 months or less left to live you would be able to claim under special rules with the SR1 form which needs to be filled in by a medical professional.

Unfortunately your partner would still not be entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment because the qualifying criteria is you also need to be claiming a qualifying means tested benefit between 16th and 22nd September.

Please also note that because you're currently claiming housing benefit, you will at some point receive a letter asking you to apply for Universal Credit as part of managed migration because HB is ending for working age people (include mixed aged couples)

voodoochick66

.Thank you, I didn’t know what was meant to do with my outcome on entitledto, as it doesn’t explain very well .
I had an SR1 form done to increase my PIP when I got my diagnosis.

poppy123456

Thank you. The SR1 form can also be used for a claim for UC and you'll automatically be entitled to the LCWRA element from the start of your claim. There will be no assessment and no waiting period for the extra money. It may take a little while for that decision to be made because I'm unsure how long it takes for a decision with the SR1 form.

Your partner can claim carers element of UC as I advised above. Before starting a claim please use a benefits calculator to make sure you won't be worse off by claiming UC because once you claim this your housing benefit will end 2 weeks later. Help with the rent will then be through UC, if there's entitlement.

If the benefit calculator says you could be worse off then I'd advise you to wait until you receive the managed migration letter.

Or your partner can have a full benefits check done at an advice agency near you.

voodoochick66

Thank you, I didn’t have an SR1 form, I was having a phone appointment with my doctor about something else, and it was her that suggested the special rules, as my health had declined even further. So she did the form and posted it off and then I had a letter saying that was entitled to both high rate on pip and that it had been backdated a bit.
I think the calculation on entitledto, is worked out as if I am already getting UC as even I will be getting my total rent and council tax paid.

With regards to the housing benefit, it has always been in my name, and has been since partner retired, as it’s me that does all the forms etc. His details of income is of course on it also as pension age.
should the actual HB be in his name ? That’s what confuses me. (In fact all household bills are in my name)

I’m not sure on what I should be doing and starting to find things very difficult now as I have been in denial for so long 😢