Universal Credit – Carer Element

jayleek

Hi Everyone,
I hope that I have come to the correct place for help as I am at my wits end. Each place I have been to has sent me somewhere else without giving me an answer. I live with and care for my mother who is on the clinically extremely vulnerable list and receives the severe disability premium. I was told if I claimed Carer’s Allowance she would lose this amount so I applied for and received carer's credit while working part time. Due to the pandemic I am not working and I am on universal credit. My UC work coach told me that I should apply for carers element of Universal Credit and that this would not effect her severe disability premium. However the government website, Turn2us, which etc says the opposite see below
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https://www.gov.uk/disability-premiums/eligibility

Severe disability premium

You cannot get the severe disability premium if someone is getting Carer’s Allowance or the carers element of Universal Credit for looking after you.

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I have been pushed from pillar to post and no one can tell me who is right instead they send me somewhere else which is how I find my self here. I do not feel that my mother should lose money that she is entitled to and if I apply, what if she loses this benefit and can't get it back. Could you please let me know if you know whether she lose this benefit or not. Thank you Jay

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

You say you live with your mother, may i ask if you claim a disability benefit such as PIp daily living or DLA mid/high rate care or are you registered blind?

The reason i ask this is because the criteria to claim the Severe disability premium is that you must live alone. If you don't live alone all the adults that live with you must also be claiming one of those benefits mentioned above or be registered blind.

  If none of those apply to you then your mother shouldn't be claiming the severe disability premium. I'd advise you to double check exactly what benefits she's claiming and if she is definitely claiming the SDP then she needs to ring DWP and report that you are living with her.

You can see the exact crtieria for the SDP here. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/severe-disability-premium

May i also ask if your mother claims a disability benefit such as PIP daily living, DLA mid/high rate care or Attendance Allowance? You mention she's clinically extremely vulnerable but being entitled to the severe disability premium has nothing to do with a person's disability/health.

jayleek

Hi Poppy123456, Am I asking the wrong thing? My mother receives the highest rate of DLA and Attendance allowance, it was my work coach that mentioned SDP. Does this mean that applying for carers element of Universal Credit would not affect her?

poppy123456

She can't possibly be claiming both DLA and Attendance allowance because you can't receive both of them at the same time. You really need to check exactly what benefits your mother is claiming because without all the correct information it's not possible to give you any further advice. Once you know exactly what she's claiming then the correct advice can be given.

jayleek

Hi Poppy123456,
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my queries. I am sorry that I am providing incorrect terms and the wrong benefit names. I genuinely believed that DLA and Attendance allowance were the same thing. I have checked She is on the highest rate of DLA.

When I was previously unemployed I was told by my work coach that if I claimed carers allowance my mothers benefit would be deducted and it was recommended that I claim carers credit (I worked part time due to the time I spent caring for my mother). I worked for seven years until the pandemic.

I am now on universal credit and after explaining about my mother and the fact that carers allowance would effect her benefit my work coach said she would look into it. She told me that applying for the carers element of Universal Credit would not effect my mothers benefit. This is where everything went wrong, i have obviously been asking the wrong questions and been giving incorrect information.

So knowing this and hopefully finally asking the right question could you please let me know if applying for the carers element of Universal Credit will affect my mothers DLA allowance. Thank you

poppy123456

You're welcome. With regards to the SDP, as i advised yesterday, it's extremely unlikely she's claiming this because you are living with her. I'm assuming that DWP and her local council are aware that you are living with her, is that correct?

You claiming carers element will have no affect on her benefits. You don't need to claim carers allowance to be able to claim carers element of UC. You just need to report a change of circumstances on your journal and tell them that you are caring for her for at least 35 hours per week.

jayleek

Hi Poppy123456,
Yes that is correct the DWP and local council are aware that I live with my mother.

Thank you for answering my question.and putting my mind at rest. You have been very helpful and informative.

I now feel confident enough to apply for the carers element of Universal Credit, knowing that by doing so I will not adversely effect my mothers benefit.

Kind Regards

Jay