19yr old Disabled Student and UC child elements.

Luna51

Hello all

Could someone possibly advise me about this please?

I have checked my UC payment this morning and as expected we are now getting £700 less per month, the child element and disabled child element have ended (this is devastating for us, as I am already a carer for another daughter in her 20's with a neurological condition and epilepsy, so I have no way of increasing my income) 

My daughter in question has just started another non advanced college course (full time) so UC is not payable. 
I have taken advice about this and it seems we have to try and claim ESA even though she won't be entitled to it, but if successful (for a credits claims only) it will trigger a WCA meaning if she's found unfit for work, we can claim UC because she will not have any work based commitments. 

My question is that the assessment period we have just been paid for, runs from 9th August - 9th September her entitlement ended on the 31st of August - are we not due any payment at all from the 9th of August to the 31st?

After bills I will be left with just £7 a month of my own money to live on.
The girls both get PIP but it's not my money. 
How is this fair on families supporting disabled students?

Sorry for the rant and thank you in advance for any advice you can give me.. 

P. S if all else fails, should we move to Scotland as they seem to take much better care of their disabled community! 

poppy123456

UC child element ends on 31st August after their 19th birthday. As UC is based on entitlement on the last day of your assessment period then they are correct not to include it in this month’s statement.
I don’t believe your daughter can claim New style ESA for a credits only claim. This because to claim UC the rules are that you must have been found to have limited capability for work before the college course started. 

I understand that your daughters PIP claim his hers but are you able to take some of that money to help with her keep?

Luna51

Hello @poppy123456

Thank you for this, I appreciate you taking the time to reply. 

It's absolutely ridiculous! 
Why are our disabled youngsters always at a disadvantage.
Imagine all the other families that will have to deal with the same scenario and in this current climate too. 
I'm just so tired of fighting and dealing with it all.. 

But, thanks again for your help

Best Wishes to you 

L_Volunteer

So sad @Luna51 I can hear how you are tired of fighting and dealing with it all.

What, if anything, would make this feel more manageable for you at the moment? We are here for you if you would like to share more with us. 

Please don't hesitate to let us know if we can do anything to help. We are all here for you 

Luna51

Hello @L_Volunteer

Thank you for your kind words. 

My daughter has just left College (after just two weeks) due to struggles with her mental health and anxiety.
She has been flagged up for support to find voluntary work but that will not begin until at least the end of February (they are overwhelmed) and to be honest I don't think she's ready for anything until she has some therapy to cope with everything. We have had a referral from her consultant for help from the community learning disability team as well for therapy. 

I suppose the fight for Universal Credit will be next, we are so short of money but I'm struggling to find the strength to fight for anything right now. 

It's nice to know that there are people who care, so thank you, your kind offer of support is very much appreciated. 

Best wishes to you 

poppy123456

If she’s no longer a full time student she will be able to claim UC in her own right. When she claims she will need to report her health condition supported by a fit note within 7 days. She needs to continue to send the fit notes without any gaps until a decision is made on her work capability assessment.

Luna51

Hello @poppy123456

My daughter isn't able to claim or fill in the forms for UC for herself, she already gets PIP and I am already her appointee, can I do it for her? 
Thank you 

poppy123456

My daughter was exactly the same last year. You appointee will not apply to her UC claim and you will need to apply for that again.
What I did is applied for UC as if I was her. Once the claim was up and running and I had access to her journal i put a message on there asking to become her appointee. I was then contacted by a work coach who sorted that out for me. Very simple process with no issues. 
If I were you I’d speak to her GP for a fit note first and then you have it when you apply. 

She may need to attend appointments with you though. As you maybe aware that it’s a work coaches discretion whether they turn off or reduce work commitments until a decision is made on her claim. 

Hope this helps.

Luna51

Thank you @poppy123456

That's sound advice and bery much appreciated. 
I will sort out the fit note ASAP.
Hopefully we will also get an understanding work coach.. 

Take care and thanks again.

poppy123456

You're welcome. You can ask for a advance payment but this will need to be repaid back from future payments. As she's under 25 her monthly entitlement will be £265.31/month. First payment will be 1 month and 6 days after starting her claim.

If found to have LCWRA she will receive an extra £354.28/month from the 4th month.

Luna51

Thank you again @poppy123456
I've requested the fit note today. 

We're very lucky to have you on here with such helpful advice Take Care.. 😊 

poppy123456

You're welcome! Thanks also for the very kind words!

Luna51

Hi again @poppy123456

With your knowledge of UC can I ask you a question please?
I am making a claim for UC my Autisic daughter and the form has asked for a fit note.
The surgery have told us, my daughter must self certify for the first seven days, so a standard for note for just one week.
I am really worried as I know my daughter's situation is a long standing issue and not for just one week! 
Should I go back to the surgery and ask for another sick note?
Thank you so much for your help.. 

poppy123456

The surgery is correct, it's self cert for 7 days, which means they don't need to give a fit note for that time but you must send a fit note within those 7 days. If they've given a fit note for just 1 week, that makes no sense.

Luna51

Hi @poppy123456

Thank you once again. 

I've been holding back somewhat with this claim, as I am dreading the process!
I have started the claim, but not actually put it through yet.
I got to the fit note part and signed out.
I then asked the surgery again for a fit note to run from this week and for two months, so I think I may have got it all wrong, as I haven't even put in a self certificate for the first seven days of the claim.
I am so confused by it all and I'm probably not making any sense (menopause brain isn't helping either! 🙄)
So sorry, I tend to panic when I think I'm getting it wrong.

Should I just abandon the claim, talk to the surgery and start again?
Thank you.. 

poppy123456

You don't need to put a self certify in for the first 7 days because they give you 7 days to send the fit note details after you report the health condition. If you don't report the fit note within the time then if found to have LCWRA then the waiting period will be delayed starting.

I claimed UC on behalf of my daughter back in Jan 2021 and found it quite an easy process but i'm familiar with the whole benefits process so that helped me a lot. I also claim ESA for myself so i'm familiar with the work capability assessment process because it's the same for both benefits.

The work coach my daughter had was very understanding and she didn't have any work commiments while waiting for the WCA decision other than 2 phone calls, which i talked on her behalf because the appointee was set up just after i claimed. I explained her health condition and how it affected her, with her inability to use phones and go out alone and they accepted it.

The only part i found a little stressful was the telephone call for her work capability assessment but i find my own very stressful so it wasn't unusual. The hard part for me was trying to imagine i'm her and to tell the assessor what i see everyday and what she can and can't do.

You don't need to abandon the claim because it won't start until you submit it. The longer the fit note is for the better it will be for you and her because the process could take several months.

Once you sibmit the claim if you need further advice please do ask and i'll be happy to advise further.

Luna51

Thank you for your help @poppy123456 and your kind offer to advise further if needed, I really do appreciate it. 

I do have some experience of the system as both of my younger daughters have various disabilities, but I still worry myself over it and getting everything right. I do have a lot of supporting evidence for my youngest's difficulties as she has several conditions, but we all know it's still a challenge! 

I will complete tomorrow and let you know how it goes, as we go.

Thank you so much again and take care of yourself.. 🙂

L_Volunteer

You are welcome @Luna51. It is the very least you deserve. I can completely hear how, despite having some experience with the system as both of your younger daughters have various disabilities, you worry about it. 

I agree, it is a challenge and you are doing really well to even acknowledge the challenge it brings. It takes strength to acknowledge that it is not just you and that you are doing well in having a lot of supporting evidence despite the challenge. 

What, if anything, might help this to feel more manageable for you at the moment? We are here for you and listening to you if you would like to share more with us. Otherwise, we wish you the best of luck with completing it and we will look forward to hearing how it goes for you.

Take care of yourself for now and we will look forward to hopefully hearing from you again soon   

Luna51

Hi @poppy123456 and @L_Volunteer
I hope you are keeping well.. 🙂

Just a little update, as we have begun the UC process!
I am my daughter's agreed appointee and we are only having weekly phone calls (the coach agreed this and that she only needs to speak to me) regarding my daughter's commitments.
The coach was really lovely and very understanding when my daughter and I had to go in to complete her identity check (and then again to complete the commitment agreements)

The WCA form came today and I will start filling it in tomorrow. 

All seems good so far, but I thought would update as you were both so kind and helpful 
Thanks again.. 😊

Alex_Alumni

Best of luck with the form @Luna51 and let us know if you need anything

I'm glad the community can help you feel supported too!

sarawillmakeitok

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/95604/19yr-old-disabled-student-and-uc-child-elements

oh my you have just described me and my situation with my two daughters. How did you get in in the end. They’ve turned my daughter down at moment as apparently’full time non advanced education’ in specialist college and pip and appointee is not enough for them to pick up on and send for lwrca assessment. The system is still a joke. I have had advice from cab and she is entitled. Just wondered how you got on.