Advice needed please

ebony55
ebony55 Community Member Posts: 1 Listener
in Universal Credit (UC)

I wonder if I could get some advice on something.

My wife and I have amicably ended our relationship and she has moved out. She has her own tenancy with the council now. All our financials are in the process of being separated. My universal credit claim has been changed from a joint claim to a single claim.

However she is very disabled (physical disability, mental health issues and memory problems) and needs a lot of support with various things. She gets full PIP. She doesn't have any family really or friends that live nearby to support her. I have been her full-time carer for the last year as her disability has progressed, though I don't claim carers allowance for her because I already get it for my disabled children.

Now she has moved out I need to continue to be her carer and friend, though we are no longer in a relationship. I have been helping her to move house, helping her get settled, etc and going forward I will need to help her with cooking, doing laundry, taking her shopping, coming with her to hospital appointments, etc. But I am very worried if universal credit ever investigate us we'll be accused of fraud.

Am I better off being up-front with universal credit that though we are no longer in a relationship I do need to continue as her carer and friend? Will that affect my benefits?

Thank you

Comments

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 8,861 Online Community Team

    Hi @ebony55, welcome to the community. If you can explain to them and show that you both live apart and budget separately, that should all be okay. They will be looking for any evidence that you are living together as a couple and that would usually be things like sharing bills, buying food together (from the same bank account), having a joint bank account or living at the same address.

    It sounds like you're now operating as separate households despite your caring responsibilities, so providing you've got evidence to show that, it shouldn't be too much of a problem that you'll be her carer.

    It's lovely that you've managed to keep things amicable and that you're still caring for her going ahead. But it may be a good idea for her to have a needs assessment to make sure she can cope okay if she's struggling on her own at home. That may take some of the pressure off you too and ensure she has all the support and equipment she might need ☺️

    How did you find the process of splitting your Universal Credit back into a single claim, was it all quite easy?

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