Hi, I’m Tracy, an unpaid carer, and terrified about UC switch!

It will help to know which benefits exactly you're currently claiming.

The phone call is part of the claims process. As you're claiming carers allowance for your daughter when you claimed UC did you report that you're a carer? If so then the carers element will be included in your UC maximum entitlement.

Carers allowance will be deducted in full from any UC entitlement. As a carer you will have no work commitments.

Now comes the options.. Your husband can report his health condition and provide a fit note and this will start the work capability assessment process off. He will be referred for a work capability assessment usually from day 29 of your claim. See link for details of UC with a health condition.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition-quick-guide/universal-credit-if-you-have-a-disability-or-health-condition#:~:text=When%20you%20make%20a%20claim,Work%20Capability%20Assessment%20(%20WCA%20).

However, he will be treated as a job seeker while he waits for a decision. It's a work coaches discretion whether they turn off or reduce commitments, some do and others don't.

He can also report being a carer for you, as he will not have any work commitments by doing this while he waits for a decision on the WCA. If he's found to have LCWRA then the carers element will stop and your claim will include the LCWRA element from the 4th month of your claim. This is because the same person can't receive both carers element and LCWRA element at the same time.

Also only one LCWRA element can be received per claim, which Is why I only advised one of you going through that process.

One thing I'm unsure about, if your Income Support included the couples SDP I'm not sure if claiming carers element in the first assessment period would affect any Transitional Protection. I know it does for natural migration but unsure for managed migration. You may want to get some expert advice on that one. Or he can claim carers element on the 2nd assessment period.

Tracy, I don’t like the fact that the DWP think that every single claimant can cope with monthly pay to suit their agenda. I have been on ESA for such a long time and I have always preferred the fortnightly frequency that I have on ESA at the present time. We don’t all have the ability to adapt to monthly pay just to please the Department for Work and Pensions.

An opinion posted on the Benefits and Work website, someone agrees with me on the monthly pay. I knew many would have the same opinion as me on this “monthly” UC.

It is so an angering 😡 man that the DWP think that all claimants up and down this country can live under monthly pay. Not all claimants can move to that frequency of payments (I AM ONE OF THOSE, FOR DEFINITE).

I will be getting more on UC but I cannot be expected to just accept a lump sum of just over £800 on my monthly basis and cope. 😡

My time will be coming, sadly, to do the swap. They’re meant to be sending out the letters from autumn 🍂. I was actually hoping Labour 🗳️ would delay the transition for ESA only claimants. Obviously, that’s not the case.