A carer wanting to clain PIP

cathycook

Hi, i have been a full time carer for my husband for 30 years. My health has been bad for years but recently it is getting worse so much so i am struggling to care for him. Ive been told i can claim my own benefit but i read that not all applications are granted. My concern is once i have declared  i cannot care for my husband anymore and my claim isnt successful i will loose my carers allowance and will not be able to apply again,  we will not be able to live on just my husbands benefit. 

janer1967

Hi and welcome to the community, as far as I am aware you can claim for PIP and still be a carer but if as you say you can no longer care for your husband then you should get some expert benefit advice as to what you can and cant claim

A lot of this will depend on both of your circumstances and what you are claiming at present.

If you can give moe information our expert benefit adviser will be able to help @poppy123456 can you help here

cathycook

Thank you Janer1967 for the advice i am new to this one ive pressed on the link can you tell me if the chat is private or open. Thanks. 

janer1967

Hi it wasnt a link it is what we call a tag it will alert the other member to the post 

This is an open chat that any member can read you can private chat once you have posted 25 times 

To do that click on your user name top right and select the inbox symbol you can then send to individual member 

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

May i ask what benefits exactly you are both claiming? I know you're claiming carers allowance for looking after your husband but what other benefits do you both claim? Possibly ESA or Income Support?

cathycook

I only get carers nothing else, my husband gets industrial injuries, ESA income related mobility. And A small £40 a month pention. 

cathycook

Thank you Janer1967, i wasnt sure what questions was going to be asked, i am recovering from a stroke and sometimes get a little confused. 

poppy123456

PIP maybe possible but it will depend on how your conditions affect you as it's not awarded based on any diagnosis. A successful claim could potentially take several months. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

Regarding your husbands ESA, are you sure it's Income related ESA that he's claiming? and not Contributions based instead? The Industrial injuries benefit and his pension would reduce his ESA £1 for £1 if it was income related ES.

Income related ESA mobility doesn't exist because there's no such benefit.

It's extremely difficult to give advice here because i don't know all of your circumstances and i don't know any figures for the benefits that he's claiming. I'm going to advise that you speak to an advice agency for a full benefits check and they will give you the correct advice for your circumstances.

Use this link and put your postcode to see if there's any advice agencies near you for some further advice. https://advicelocal.uk/

PIP isn't means tested so that can be claimed regardless of any benefits your husband is claiming.

cathycook

Sorry  he gets ESA and PIP. As i said i am recovering from a stroke and i sometimes get confused with the ESA wether its income related or contibution linked all i know is its the one where everytime i get a letter to say you may be entitled to free dental and glasses plus other things and  everytime i applied i was turned down as one of those prevented me from getting it. Hope that makes sence. 

poppy123456

Thanks for that. Yes, that does make sense, Just as i thought, he's claiming Contributions based ESA. You can use a benefits calculator to see if you'll be entitled to any Universal Credit. As this is a means tested benefit then you'll need to claim as a couple. His pension and industrial injuries benefit will be classed as income and reduce the amount you're entitled to.

As he's in the Support Group for ESA then this will be honoured in UC and he'll be placed into the equivelant group which is LCWRA. His Contributions based ESA will continue as normal and be deducted in full from any UC entitlement. Very complicated but whether you'll be entitled to anything will totally depend on his pension and his industrial injuries benefit.

cathycook

Thank you for your reply its really helpful. I am Sorry its taken time for me to reply to ill to reply. My husband receives £40 a month on one pention and his industrial injuries benefit is £291 a month. I also for got to say i am 65 in december.  

cathycook

And will receive my basic government pention sorry

poppy123456

His pension and Industrial injuries benefit will be deducted £1 for £1 from any UC entitement. The advice regarding the ESA is still the same. When you start claiming your state pension this will also be deducted £1 for £1 from any UC entitlement.

A benefits calculator will tell you if you're entitled to any UC. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/Intro/Home?cid=224ee11d-836f-426d-a3e7-b583cc6f6cdd

If you're unable to use the calculator then i'd advise you to speak to an advice agency for a full benefits check.

Hope you feel better soon.

cathycook

Thank you will give the calculator a try.

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @cathycook, please let us know how you get on.

cathycook

Hi, i found the information i received was helpful.