Advice on telling DWP about a change ?

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Apollo14LMP
Apollo14LMP Online Community Member Posts: 66 Contributor
in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Good morning,

Can anyone offer some advice please.

I have tried to phone the DWP to tell them I am no longer entitled to SDP (Child left education). I want to make  a claim for carers allowance for myself - caring for wife. I then wish to claim CA my wife caring for me. I believe that we will both then get the carers premium of £37.00 per week ( wont get the CA itself).

Problem is - I cannot get through by phone to the DWP despite trying over the past few days. It seems impossible to speak to them.

Does anyone have any advice - I dont wish to keep the SDP coming as it will not end well in a overpayment !

Likewise I want to sort this out ... 

I cannot simply sit on a phone all day ...

Any advice anyone.. ...

Thank you, take care out there ... 

Comments

  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,611 Championing
    edited September 2020
    Hi @Apollo14LMP, how are you? 

    Do you mean you are just being put on hold for ages? It is notoriously hard to get through to the DWP, I was on the phone for about an hour and a quarter a few weeks ago before somebody picked up on the other end.

    They recommend to call during the day but not on a Monday.

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    edited September 2020
    Hi,

    It can very often take an hour, sometimes longer to get through and they may also be doing reduced hours i know some DWP departments are only open from 9 to 4. Try ringing early in the morning, if possible as that seems to be the best time to ring. Number is here.0800 169 0310

    For the carers allowance the quickest way to claim is online here. https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/how-to-claim

    You will receive the carers allowance, which can either be weekly or 4 weekly payments and then it's deducted in full from your ESA entitlement. They then add the carers premium to your ESA.

    If you're claiming housing benefit and council tax reduction then you'll also need to report the changes to your local council.


  • Apollo14LMP
    Apollo14LMP Online Community Member Posts: 66 Contributor
    Good idea   . Thank you all ..
    If i bang in the carers allowance claim will that get rid of the SDP so to speak ???? 
    I ca not vlaim UC as i have been on Sdp .... wait fir transistion 
    Cbeers   ... 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    Yes you could claim UC because you're no longer entitled to the SDP but claiming the carers allowance doesn't prompt a move to UC anyway, although you could potentially be much better off claiming UC now you're not entitled to the SDP. UC LCWRA pays more per month than Support Group ESA does. Also the standard allowance has increase until April 2021 by £90 per month.

    To answer your question then yes, a claim for CA will of course end the SDP entitlement but you'll still need to report the changes because you'll have an overpayment from the time your daughter left full time education.
  • Apollo14LMP
    Apollo14LMP Online Community Member Posts: 66 Contributor
    She has only just left education ... tax credit stopped Friday.....

    She now needs to claim uc till she gets a job.

    Me rather stay on ESA  ... Universal chaos is not my thing ....

    90 pounds uc will soon stop and i must learn to manage  without sdp .

    Nightmare .... 

    Thank you for your help ..  . . 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    You're welcome. It will probably be a lot easier to just claim the carers allowance and then your SDP will stop. Yes it's a lot of money to lose each week, for sure.

    I agree the £90 will end in April but even without that it still pays more. I do understand why you prefer ESA though.

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