help please with pip/carers allowance when recieivng universal credit

soph123

Hello  
 
My partner was awarded PIP last month (finally! are waiting 79 weeks!!!) . he was awarded standard daily living, and standard mobility. Also, we are currently receiving universal credit. I was advised by his disability advisor, to apply to be his carer, so I have done this, and now just waiting to hear back! 
I am just very confused! everything I have read, says that our universal credit will be deducted £1 for £1 as we will be receiving carers allowance, is this true? (if so, I don't see the point in applying for it!). I also received an email from the carers allowance, to say that we should receive a letter with a decision by the end of next week, and if it is awarded, it will be backdated to when he first put the claim in, is this correct? if we receive a back payment, will this affect our monthly universal credit payments as it will look as though we have received a large payment of money as it is classed as an income? will our universal credit be stopped and will we have to re apply? 

sorry for the million questions, I am just struggling to get my head around everything! I don't want to go ahead and accept the backpayment, if it is going to mess up our universal credit!!


I hope that this makes sense!!


thankyou to anyone who has read this far! 

thespiceman

Hello @soph123   Pleased to meet you welcome.

Thank you for sharing. Good to hear eventually got PIP. I am unsure of answer to your benefit query. All I know some one from our community will know or a member of our team.

May I suggest have you spoken to CAB . They are worth contacting over benefit enquiries. I understand the situation and problems. Benefits system is complex and confusing.

I would also consider looking at our benefit advice on the forum. Lots of information and useful knowledge.  From our members and team.

I hope we can be supportive to you. We are a friendly community. Who care and share and concern.

Hope we can help some one will be touch .


Please take care

@thespiceman

soph123

@thespiceman Thankyou so much for taking the time to read my post! 
Yes that’s a good idea, I had never thought of speaking with CAB! I shall try to speak with them tomorrow! 

Thankyou so much  

thespiceman

Hello @soph123 Thank you for reply. I use them for form filling in, benefit enquiries and anything.

To be knowledgeable about benefits. I am yourself as many others all confusing.

Remember we are here to help with anything you wish to know.

Ready to listen whenever you want to.

Pleasure to help.

Take care

@thespiceman

poppy123456

Hi,

As you've applied for Carers allowance it will be deducted £1 for £1 from your UC monthly payment. Carers allowance then pay you the £64 ish. UC then add a carers element on top of the UC which is about £156 per month. It may look like you're worse off but in fact you'll be £156 per month better off. The carers element will be backdated to the start of the PIP claim providing you were caring for him for at least 35 hours per week at that time. You also need to make sure they change your work commitment because you're a carer. Backdating the carers element won't affect your monthly UC payment. Hope this helps.

soph123

@[email protected]

thankyou so much , that makes more sense now! I was getting so confused! 

So if the carers money is backdated, (in one lump sum), how will this affect our universal credit ?  his pip money has been backdated by 76 weeks, if the carers is backdated by the same then that would be a lot of money, and don’t want to end up coming off universal credit and having to re apply? If that makes any sense at all? 
Thankyou so much again! 
 

poppy123456

Have you been claiming UC for the whole time the PIP decision took? If so then it's not the carers allowance that will be backdated, it's the carers element of £156 per month and it's won't affect your UC payment. It will be paid as a separate payment but this could take 8-12 weeks.

mikehughescq

The bizarre thing about UC is there’s really no need to claim CA as receipt of the Carers Element does not depend up on it at all. Credits may assist if needed.