Universal Credit Advice

AlexC

I am claiming UC and I'm listed as 'Limited Capability' due to a disability, so am not required to look for work etc. My wife is my Career, is listed with my GP as my Career and Carry's a Photo ID Careers Card. She provides care for 35+ Hours. Recently she has been asked to attend Jobcentre Plus. We have explained she cares for me and can not attend a 'Face2Face' interview due to her careering commitment to myself.

My questions are, please .....

1/ Can we insist that they have a 'Telephone' appointment instead, due to her commitment.

2/ Realistically, due to her careering commitment to myself, she can not attend interviews or be looking for a Job etc. We have applied for PiP, so she can apply for the Careers Element .… Can we ask them to temporarily stop the requirement to be available/look for work, until a PiP decision has been received.

I may not be able to reply straight away, to any replies, but will do later.

Thankyou

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

Unfortunately, if you don't currently claim a qualifying benefit such as PIP, your wife would not be classed as a carer for UC purposes. For that reason, she will be classed as a Job Seeker and expected to attend work related appointments.

She can explain the situation to her work coach, and they have the discretion to turn off work commitments, though they have no obligation to do that. The same goes for telephone appointments, she can ask for them, but there is no obligation to accept from their end.

As you say, once you get PIP, she will be able to claim the carers element of UC, and have work requirements switched off. But there can be very long waits for PIP results.

AlexC

Thankyou kindly for your reply and explanation. That's pretty much what I had worked out and needed confirmation. Not sure what we can do now ... My wife can not be looking for work and carrying out her Career position at the same time. Would you know if there was an appeal procedure.

Thankyou

poppy123456

You need a daily living award of PIP for her to claim carers element. As Overlyanxious advised, she can speak to her work coach and tell them her caring duties and they have discretion to reduce or turn off commitments or even have the interviews through telephone while you wait for the PIP decision.

If her work coach refuses then she can ask for a different work coach and hopefully that one will be more sympathetic but she is treated as a job seeker until you're awarded daily living PIP.

AlexC

Thankyou Poppy for your advice. Kind Regards