Carers Allowance

floppy
floppy Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
in Benefits and income
hi everyone, I am looking for some help, I care for my partner and am in receipt of both Carers allowance and Universal Credit, I understand CA is deducted from UC and it has being for the last 4 years. Last year I got some paid work for a few months just 20 hours or so a week, CA have suspended my allowance whilst they confirm I was still entitled to it, but UC are still deducting CA from my benefit even though I am not receiving it, so I am down £300 this month, I don’t see how the can do both, even if there has being a small overpayment it’s UC who has had it not me I don’t gain a thing from CA, I was still caring for well in excess of the required hours, can anybody give me advice many thanks 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 63,736 Championing
    Put a note onto your journal under the payment section and tell them that you're no longer claiming carers allowance.

    Does your UC also include the carers element of £168.81/month? (providing you're not claiming the LCVWRA element for yourself) If it doesn't and you're still caring for that person for at least 35 hours per week then you need to click report a change of circumstances, then click caring for someone and then tell them you care for someone.

    You don't need to claim carers allowance to be entitled to carers element. There's also no earnings limit with carers element like there is with carers allowance.

    There's no financial gain to claiming carers allowance at the same time as UC because as you're aware it's deducted in full.

  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,005 Championing
    poppy123456 said:
    Put a note onto your journal under the payment section and tell them that you're no longer claiming carers allowance.

    …
    You don't need to claim carers allowance to be entitled to carers element. There's also no earnings limit with carers element like there is with carers allowance. 

    There's no financial gain to claiming carers allowance at the same time as UC because as you're aware it's deducted in full. 
    Sounds as if payment of the CA claim is suspended while the earnings are reviewed. If the work has stopped there would probably be a closed period supersession meaning that CA is stopped for a period but then restarted. Payment of the CA will then result in an overpayment of UC for any period the CA resumes from.

    At the moment OP hasn’t stopped claiming CA, just holding on a review of the payment entitlement. Although he isn’t being paid at the moment he may be paid retrospectively from when the work ended once the review is complete.

    OP, if you think you will sometimes work and exceed the earnings limit you may find it easier to manage if you close the Carer’s Allowance claim.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 63,736 Championing
    Thanks calcotti, didn't think that it was likely to be just suspended.
  • floppy
    floppy Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    calcotti said:
    poppy123456 said:
    Put a note onto your journal under the payment section and tell them that you're no longer claiming carers allowance.

    …
    You don't need to claim carers allowance to be entitled to carers element. There's also no earnings limit with carers element like there is with carers allowance. 

    There's no financial gain to claiming carers allowance at the same time as UC because as you're aware it's deducted in full. 
    Sounds as if payment of the CA claim is suspended while the earnings are reviewed. If the work has stopped there would probably be a closed period supersession meaning that CA is stopped for a period but then restarted. Payment of the CA will then result in an overpayment of UC for any period the CA resumes from.

    At the moment OP hasn’t stopped claiming CA, just holding on a review of the payment entitlement. Although he isn’t being paid at the moment he may be paid retrospectively from when the work ended once the review is complete.

    OP, if you think you will sometimes work and exceed the earnings limit you may find it easier to manage if you close the Carer’s Allowance claim.

  • floppy
    floppy Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    Thanks for your help, I think it is just suspended, but my main point is if I am not receiving CA due to a suspension pending investigation I don’t understand how UC can continue to deduct an amount I am not receiving, we simply can’t afford a £300 cut in income.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 63,736 Championing
    As there's no financial gain anyway you can just cancel the carers allowance completely and tell UC that it's now cancelled.
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,005 Championing
    floppy said:
    I think it is just suspended, but my main point is if I am not receiving CA due to a suspension pending investigation I don’t understand how UC can continue to deduct an amount I am not receiving, ..
    They are probably not aware that you are not being paid.
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,005 Championing
    poppy123456 said:
    Thanks calcotti, didn't think that it was likely to be just suspended.
    If the period of work is ended they can do a closed period supercession which just says OP was not entitled between dates x and y and then resume repayment  subject to recovery of the weeks overpaid.
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,005 Championing
    edited January 2023
    poppy123456 said:
    As there's no financial gain anyway you can just cancel the carers allowance completely and tell UC that it's now cancelled.
    OP may want to retain the Class 1 NI credits however if they think they will work from time to time then it makes sense to cancel it because it doesn’t need managing.
  • floppy
    floppy Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    calcotti said:
    poppy123456 said:
    Thanks calcotti, didn't think that it was likely to be just suspended.
    If the period of work is ended they can do a closed period supercession which just says OP was not entitled between dates x and y and then resume repayment  subject to recovery of the weeks overpaid.

  • floppy
    floppy Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    Thanks to you both, if there is any overpayments as I have always being on UC and CA deducted from that any overpayment  will be offset by the over deductions from UC
  • annaloui
    annaloui Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener

    Hey Floppy ,


    Did this get resolved? I’m in a similar situation


    thanks

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 63,736 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/891794#Comment_891794

    This thread is 18 months old and the member hasn't been active since then so you may not get a reply.

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