Change of circumstances

plug34

Hi everyone. I'm just back from CAB and totally confused and upset as the calculation they did is totally wrong and I am losing money .  I am on enhanced rate of mobility and care and am on income related ESA . My partner came over from Ireland and decided to stay with me and take care of me so we went to CAB who did a calculation . My partner was added to my ESA . I knew I would lose my SDP as I have a partner living here now . DWP calculated my ESA couple claim as follows 

£121 wk couple living expenses       25.35 wk  extra money because of disability income Guarantee

£40.60 because I'm in the support group  Total £187 wk  

My partners claim for carers allowance is not through yet after. 12 wks but we have advised when it comes through it will then be take of My ESA ?  Bringing that down to £118 and also I would get a cares premium of £38.85  making the weekly ESA total £156.85 and my partner would get carers allowance £67.70 wk leaving the grand total to be approx £223.85 a week coming in for two of us .  My calculations were that the Carers allowance would be added to the £187 not taken off it ??? And that   £187 +  £38.85 + £67.70  = £293.56 

Before this I was getting £199.00 wk ESA.   Can anyone help me understand this ?  Thank you 

calcotti

What you have been told is correct.
You have lost the SDP.
Your ESA standard allowance and the enhanced disability premium will change to the couple rate.
The CA received by your partner will be deducted from your ESA but the carer premium will be added.
(I haven’t checked the actual numbers used.)

poppy123456

plug34 said:

My calculations were that the Carers allowance would be added to the £187 not taken off it ??? And that   £187 +  £38.85 + £67.70  = £293.56 

That is not correct and your local CA are correct with their advice. The carers allowance will be deducted in full from your ESA and then they add the carers premium. If it was added to the ESA you would be paid twice.

Your partner will then receive the carers allowance separately. Your total weekly income will increase by £38.85/week once carers allowance is in payment. Your ESA will be £156.85/week and then the carers allowance of £69.70 per week on top. Total weekly income will be £226.55.

plug34 said:

Before this I was getting £199.00 wk ESA.   Can anyone help me understand this ?  Thank you 

Indeed but your ESA included the SDP which alone is an extra £69.40 per week. As you're now living with your partner your SDP has stopped.

poppy123456

I just checked the rates you were told by CA and they are almost correct give or take some pennies. Couples rate £121.05 + EDP (disability Income guarantee) couples £25.35 and Support Group £40.60. Total amount £187 - £69.70 carers allowance = £117.30 + £38.85 carers premium = £156.15 per week ESA. Then the carers allowance paid to your partner £69.70 per week.

Total weekly income £225.85.

plug34

Thank you Poppy , I understand now They take my partners CA of the ESA 

poppy123456

plug34 said:

Thank you Poppy , I understand now They take my partners CA of the ESA 

Your ESA includes extra for your partner. If the CA wasn’t deducted from your ESA then you would be paid twice. 

plug34

Thank you, Poppy, I think I understand it now. Much appreciate your help. Kind Regards  Plug

L_Volunteer

You are welcome @plug34. It is the very least you deserve.

Please don't hesitate to let us know if we can provide further clarity or support. We are all here for you and listening to you 

plug34

Hi again Poppy & L volunteer. I Just got a letter telling me I've been overpaid £177 and have to pay it back  late notification is given for the reason .," On the 04/08/2022 your circumstances changed and by the time you told us ,your benefit had already been paid ". . ( Periods of overpayment from 29/07/2022 to 06/10/2022

 It took until the 13th of Aug before I could get an appointment with an advisor at cab to do the claim . 

 My money stayed the same  until the 20th Oct  when  I received a two week payment totalling £362 so that was £181 a week. I know your calculation in the previous post said £187 but I pay fuel direct so that comes of .

The carers allowance is still not through  either. Can you advise Will the carers allowance be backdated?  and will that have to be through before I get £38.85 carers premium also will that be backdated?  How will they calculate all this and how did they calculate that I was overpaid by £177 ? 

I'm not good with numbers so don't know how this all works out  but am confused and anxious  your help would be much appreciated thank you 

poppy123456

The overpayment will be from when your partner moved in. Before your partner moved in your ESA (before deductions) was £204.75 per week. When your partner moved in you lost the SDP so your ESA would be £187 per week, which includes extra because you live with your partner.

The overpayment is for about 10 weeks and it will be the difference between those 2 figures.

£204.75 - £187 = £17.75 x 10 (amount of weeks overpaid) = Your overpayment will be £177.50. They will likely reduce your ESA payments to pay back the overpayment.

plug34 said:

The carers allowance is still not through  either. Can you advise Will the carers allowance be backdated?  and will that have to be through before I get £38.85 carers premium also will that be backdated?  How will they calculate all this and how did they calculate that I was overpaid by £177 ? 

Carers Allowance will be backdated to when your partner claimed it. The carers premium of £38.85 will be added to your ESA once the carer allowance is awarded and yes the carers premium will also be backdated to the date the carers allowance starts.

They will then deduct the carers allowance from your ESA. Therefore once the carers allowance is in payment your ESA will be £156.15 per week and your partner will then receive the carers allowance of £69.70 per week.

Your partner will also receive backdated carers allowance from the date they claimed it.

plug34

poppy123456 said:

The overpayment will be from when your partner moved in. Before your partner moved in your ESA (before deductions) was £204.75 per week. When your partner moved in you lost the SDP so your ESA would be £187 per week, which includes extra because you live with your partner.

The overpayment is for about 10 weeks and it will be the difference between those 2 figures.

£204.75 - £187 = £17.75 x 10 (amount of weeks overpaid) = Your overpayment will be £177.50. They will likely reduce your ESA payments to pay back the overpayment.

plug34 said:

The carers allowance is still not through  either. Can you advise Will the carers allowance be backdated?  and will that have to be through before I get £38.85 carers premium also will that be backdated?  How will they calculate all this and how did they calculate that I was overpaid by £177 ? 

Carers Allowance will be backdated to when your partner claimed it. The carers premium of £38.85 will be added to your ESA once the carer allowance is awarded and yes the carers premium will also be backdated to the date the carers allowance starts.

They will then deduct the carers allowance from your ESA. Therefore once the carers allowance is in payment your ESA will be £156.15 per week and your partner will then receive the carers allowance of £69.70 per week.

Your partner will also receive backdated carers allowance from the date they claimed it.

plug34

Sorry didn't mean to post again 

plug34

Thank you Poppy for your very good answer I still don't understand the overpayment part though but as the SDP payment was £69 a week ? Sorry I'm so bad with figures but you are so good at helping me understand 

poppy123456

You're welcome. Yes SDP is £69.40 per week. The overpayment will be the difference between what you were receiving when your partner moved in and what you should have been receiving. As advised here.

poppy123456 said:

The overpayment is for about 10 weeks and it will be the difference between those 2 figures.

£204.75 - £187 = £17.75 x 10 (amount of weeks overpaid) = Your overpayment will be £177.50.

The £204.75 was your weekly ESA before your partner moved in. The £187 weekly amount is what you're entitled to since your partner moved in.

plug34

Thanks Poppy much appreciate your explanation . 

L_Volunteer

You are welcome @plug34. It is the very least you deserve.

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

plug34

My partner has been waiting six months on a decision about carers allowance. He has called every week for the last six weeks and gets told a different thing every time . He has made a complaint twice it has never been dealt with. Two weeks ago the guy on the phone said he had been awarded Carers allowance and would hear in a week . Heard nothing phoned again following week .after waiting 25 minutes and because I called out his phone number as he is not good at remembering his no . He failed the security check in spit of me saying I was the person he was caring for . He called again I kept my mouth shut to be told his claim had not been actioned when he said he had been told a week beforehand that he had been awarded she said no he hadn't it was still being looked into . He then said I want to make a complaint she was so rude  asking him what he wanted to complain about and typing his answers . No apology or explanation about why he has been waiting over six months for a decision and a payment . A couple of days later I got a letter from ESA which now has £38 carers premium added and telling me I have £116 back payment which they are holding for now . I pay fuel direct for my gas so that deduction has been shown and also the £2.50 per week they are taking of me to pay back an overpayment of £177.00 . Still nothing about Carers allowance. We don't know what to do how can it take six months ? Can you advise ? 

calcotti

If the carer premium has been added to ESA that means Carers Allowance has been awarded. Hopefully you’ll get a letter shortly.

plug34

Thank you Calcotti yes it was on my last payment nearly two weeks ago I am due ESA on Thursday maybe we will get a letter by then .