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How will being a carer affect UC?

SystemSystem Posts: 489 Scope community team
in Universal Credit
This discussion was created from comments split from: LCWRA.
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  • geeforcegeeforce Member Posts: 29 Connected
    I’ve been uc since being offf work sick I’m now fit but I have a joint claim with my wife she was put on lcwcr group unfortunately her health is deteriorating so I’m going to have to be her carer at the moment we receive £834 how will that change if I’m her carer 
    kind regards 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    edited September 2019
    geeforce said:
    I’ve been uc since being offf work sick I’m now fit but I have a joint claim with my wife she was put on lcwcr group unfortunately her health is deteriorating so I’m going to have to be her carer at the moment we receive £834 how will that change if I’m her carer 
    kind regards 
    Does your wife claim a qualifying benefit such as DLA mid/high rate care or PIP daily living?
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • geeforcegeeforce Member Posts: 29 Connected
    Sorry poppy pip enhanced mobility 
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  • david235david235 Member Posts: 170 Pioneering
    @geeforce - PIP Mobility (at either rate) is not a qualifying benefit for Carer's Allowance or the Carer Premium in UC. Your wife must have a Daily Living component in her PIP award for you to get Carer's Allowance and/or Carer Premium.

    There are other qualifying benefits for Carer's Allowance / Carer Premium, but none can apply to someone who has a PIP award.
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  • geeforcegeeforce Member Posts: 29 Connected
    Thanks David she gets pip standard care sorry I should of put that I’m not very educated on all this 
    kind regards 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    edited September 2019
    As she has a daily living award of PIP then you'll be able to claim for the carers element of UC, providing you don't receive the LCWRA element yourself.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • geeforcegeeforce Member Posts: 29 Connected
    Thanks poppy for ur help 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    You're welcome.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • Adrian_ScopeAdrian_Scope Testing Team, Community Team Posts: 7,944 Scope community team
    edited September 2019
    Hi @geeforce, will you be applying for Carer's Allowance or just requesting the carer's element of Universal Credit?
    Carer's Allowance has strict rules in terms of how much you can work and earn, whereas the carer's element allows you to earn any amount. 

    Carer's element adds an additional £160.20 a month to your claim. Carer's Allowance is paid weekly or roughly £66 a week but it then deducted £ for £ from Universal Credit and the carer's element is added on (so both leave you with the same total income). The benefit of receiving Carer's Allowance is it can be paid weekly and contributes higher NI Credits for the claimant, but you don't need to claim CA to receive the carer's element. 

    I hope that helps.
    Senior Community Partner
    Scope

    If you have a few minutes to spare, we'd appreciate your feedback on our online community.
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    Thanks for that @Adrian_Scope, forgot to mention the carers allowance. Also if geeforce lives in Scotland then claiming carers allowance means he will receive a supplementary payment of £226 each year, paid in 2 payments. This payment is also taxable.

    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • geeforcegeeforce Member Posts: 29 Connected
    Thanks Adrian so I’m right my payments will be 
    £498 standard 
    £336 lcwra premium
    160 Carer’s premium
    kind regards guys 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    Yes, that's correct. If you don't already receive the carers element you will need to report those changes on your journal, otherwise it won't be added.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • geeforcegeeforce Member Posts: 29 Connected
    Thanks a thanks again poppy your so helpful I was getting confused with the Carers allowance and the Premium on uc now I know you only get one 
    kind regards 
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  • geeforcegeeforce Member Posts: 29 Connected
    Hi there I care for my wife we get the following 

    Standard rate 498
    lcw for my wife 336
    housing element 470
    carers element 160
     I was signed off work 2018 but I work part time as a taxi driver as I’ve got better I’ve had a message on my journal today saying I have to fill in a questionnaire and may have to go for a work assessment will my benefits change as I’m confused 
    Kind regards 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    Even if you are placed into the LCWRA group your UC amount will remain the same because you can only receive 1 LCWRA element in a claim, even if both are in that group. Your UC amounts won't change.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • geeforcegeeforce Member Posts: 29 Connected
    thanks a lot poppy I was confused Because my wife’s in the lcw and I’m in the other one so will I still have to go to work assessment or when I fill in the forms Will  they realise that I’m my wife’s carer and work part time 
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  • poppy123456poppy123456 Member Posts: 22,218 Disability Gamechanger
    In a comment above you said that your wife receives £336 extra, this means that your wife is in the LCWRA group and not LCW.

    I'm assuming you've been sending in fit notes to start the LCW process off for yourself which is why you have to fill out the work capability assessment form. If you haven't sent fit notes in for yourself then the form will be for your wife and not for you.
    Community champion and proud winner of the 2019 empowering others award. This award was given for supporting disabled people and their families for the benefit advice i have given to members here on the community.
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  • geeforcegeeforce Member Posts: 29 Connected
    Ok thanks again poppy 
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