How to apply for joint Universal Credit

Sookie

I need some advice. My son has autism, he got married last year and his wife is also autistic. They both get individual PIP and ESA. I let the authorities know when they got married but his wife’s mother didn’t. She’s now told me that they have to apply for joint Universal Credit and have to log in to a site on a daily basis for some reason, but as their situation is an unusual one, I’m finding it difficult to get the info I need. I spend 2 and a half hours on hold yesterday trying to get the information I need, but I can’t do that every day hoping that someone at the other end picks up. Please can someone point me in the right direction, that’s not a phone? Thanks.

Ami2301

Hi @Sookie welcome to the community!

Sorry to hear this, it must be very frustrating for you. I am unsure how to advise however I am sure a member of the community will be able to help you and will be in contact with you soon

Please let us know if there is anything else that we can help you with!

Sookie

Thanks Ami. I could really use some help with this one. 

Sam_Alumni

Hi @Sookie
Welcome to the community and Im sorry to hear you are struggling to get help with this.

I have asked @BenefitsTrainingCo to take a look at your post to see if they can help.  You could also email our Scope helpline on [email protected]

jillyw

Hi there you need to make the uc application online and get verified either by the post office which you need to download the app or there are other options on how to become verified, they can also do a home visit if disabled. I have found the whole experience horrific and I've lost nearly 600 in benefits, I was taken off income related ESA and put onto a contributions based ESA which makes you lose any disability premiums they may have had before, also you can no longer get council tax benefit you need to apply to the local council for council tax support this does not cover your council tax it only gives you a very small reduction, my advice to you would be stay on the benefits they are on at the minute, make sure they save as much cash as possible as they will most definitely need it when they do move over to uc , don't move to uc unless you absolutely have to ie local council in now a full uc service area , if you can hold off until DWP send out letters stating you need to change over hope this helps 

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hi @Sookie

Firstly, if your son and his wife are both in receipt of Severe Disability Premiums (which they might be as they are both on PIP) then they are excluded from claiming UC at present.

If there are no SDPs then yes they will probably have to claim UC if they are in a full-service area and there is a change of circumstances triggering a new claim - nothing you have said above sounds necessarily that it would, but presumably there is some new claim for something being made (housing benefit?).

With UC, the claims do indeed have to be made online, however there is provision for claimants moving from ESA to UC to take their limited capability for work with them, meaning that they should be excused from the work-search requirement (which I think is what the logging on daily you mention refers to).

First thing to need to find out is - are they getting SDPs on their ESA (or should they be - if they're both getting the DL element of PIP and no one is claiming Carers Allowance for them then they should be) if so they should not be claiming UC at all and should be staying on ESA until the DWP can sort out transitional protection for them.

If this is not the case, then you need to ascertain why they are making new claims for benefit, and not just adding one partner to the other's existing claim for ESA/HB. It might be that neither of them currently have an income-related claim for ESA, or that they're moving house etc, but you don't mention this above. If it's just a change of circs on an existing claim then again that does not trigger a claim for UC.

If none of this applied and it IS a claim for UC - maybe try and put your son and daughter-in-law in touch with a local agency who will assist with the IT aspect at the outset if you cannot - there was supposed to be localised funding for this, but it's been used in different ways by different benefit agencies - some jobcentres may also be able to assist via the Disability Benefits Adviser there.

If they end up on UC being asked to log in daily to look for work - know that something has gone wrong and they will need to challenge the decision that they do not have limited capability for work - local CAB or Welfare Rights may assist with this.

Hope this helps!

Kind regards,

Mary

poppy123456

@BenefitsTrainingCo please can you post a link that confirms the changes have taken place for those that currently claim SDP that don't have to move to UC because of a change of circumstances. No further announcements have been made since June 2018 as far as i know and the changes aren't in place yet.

Sookie

Neither my son or daughter-in-law have SDP’s. I’m not sure if her mum has claimed carers allowance, but they’ve been living as a married couple and staying in our house for over 18 months. 
Thanks for all the help so far. This is invaluable and will get my son and his wife where they need to be. 

poppy123456

Hi,

If they're claiming Income Related ESA then they should be claiming as couple and not individually and you or they need to contact ESA to find out what exactly they are claiming.