Carers element universal credit

coppertop

Can someone advise me please. Myself and my husband both get UC. I also get PIP and cannot work My husband hasn’t been working due to health but it starting to go back to work. He has applied for carers element. I have been in the wrong group and awaiting a nee assessment for lcwra. My question is he’s applied for careers element but have to wait apparently for the carers element until I get lcwra. They said he can’t get backdated until I’m in that group as he’s in that group at the movement. So can only get it one person per family. So when Ii get it he’ll come off it my questions is will it be backdated to when he confirmed he was caring for me or does he have to be actively working to get the carers benefit. At rhe min he’s on permitted to work so I’d he works now while I’m waiting for my assessment he’ll then get the money backdated ? Or if he doesn’t do any work he won’t get carers element backdated ? It’s quite confusing design. The way I think it is while I’m waiting for my new assessment and to hear about lcwra he has to work to-be able to get the back payment of carers element on uc. If he doesn’t work he won’t get that backdated is that eight? 

poppy123456

The reason he can't be paid the carers element at the moment is because he's claiming LCWRA for himself and you can't be paid both elements at the same time. It's the law so it can't be changed.

If you're found to have LCWRA then you can claim that for yourself and then he will be able to claim the carers element, so your maximum UC entitlement will increase by £168/month.

coppertop said:

I have been in the wrong group and awaiting a nee assessment for lcwra.

Did you report a wosening of condition so this will be a reassessment? If you did and he reported being your carer at the time then the carers element can be backdated to the assessment period in which you reported the change to your health condition.

coppertop said:

 The way I think it is while I’m waiting for my new assessment and to hear about lcwra he has to work to-be able to get the back payment of carers element on uc. If he doesn’t work he won’t get that backdated is that eight? 

That's not correct, claiming carers element has nothing to do with working, at least not in this way. To claim this he needs to be looking after you for at least 35 hours per week.

Alex_Alumni

Good morning @coppertop and welcome to the community, thanks for reaching out with your query

Has the above reply helped answer a few things for you?

If there's anything else you need a hand with, please do ask, and we'll do what we can to help. 

coppertop

Thanks for your reply. I asked my work coach about a back payment for husband and as we’re still not getting the carers element  even though he applied back in May. Apparently he had to be working to get the carers element. Then I’ve said we have to wait til the outcome of my uc50 application/new assessment which doesn’t seem
right to me as he’s caring for me over 35 hours a week they said he has to be working and I have to wait for the outcome sorry repeated it but I already get pip so dorn see what the uc50/new assessment  outcome has to do with it  as it said y the person had to be in certain benefits to get the carers element and I am so I sonr
swe what the problem is and we should be entitled to a back payment surely as he applied in May and he’s doing the caring I vent see how work has got to do with it either 

poppy123456

coppertop said:

I asked my work coach about a back payment for husband and as we’re still not getting the carers element  even though he applied back in May. Apparently he had to be working to get the carers element.

That's not correct, your husband doesn't need to be working to claim carers element.

coppertop said:

Then I’ve said we have to wait til the outcome of my uc50 application/new assessment which doesn’t seem
right to me as he’s caring for me over 35 hours a week

The reason he can't claim carers element for you now is because he already claims the LCWRA element for himself as previously advised here.

poppy123456 said:

The reason he can't be paid the carers element at the moment is because he's claiming LCWRA for himself and you can't be paid both elements at the same time. It's the law so it can't be changed.

If you are found to have LCWRA then you can receive this for yourself and your husband can claim carers element for looking after you, providing your PIP includes the daily living part.