Income support now have to claim JSA — Scope | Disability forum
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Income support now have to claim JSA

aries
aries Community member Posts: 46 Courageous
hoping for some advice please.
my carer' money (careers allowance) has stopped as I have been refused PIP.
However I am appealing this decision (Mandatory Reconsideration).
They are now saying he will need to claim JSA from June as he is no longer entitled to income support. 
Although, he has to continue to care for me. I cannot manage physically without his support and care!  So how could he be available to work? 
Any advice would be much appreciated 

Comments

  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    Hello Aries

    Unfortunately it is correct that Carers Allowance and thus Income Support will stop if you are not receiving PIP.  Let's hope that your Mandatory Reconsideration is successful and you get a quick decision.

    To check other benefit entitlement, does your carer have dependent children or does he have any health conditions himself?

    In regards to JSA, a person has to show that they are available and actively seeking work to be entitled to benefit.

    Availability for work considers for example if a person can take up work straight away, what times and days they can work, and are prepared to work for at least 40 hours a week A person can restrict availability for work in any way for example if they have a physical or mental health conditions or if they can prove that they would still have a reasonable prospect of obtaining work.  The DWP must agree to any restrictions.  I have to say, that it is extremely difficult for such restrictions to be agreed by the DWP if a person is not ill or is looking after a child under 16 years of age.  

    Regards

    Maria
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • aries
    aries Community member Posts: 46 Courageous
    Hi Maria,
    no he does not have any children but does have health problems.
    He is a type 1 diabetic not well controlled, he suffers from depression (another illness that goes hand in hand with diabetes). His one arm has restricted mobility due to a childhood accident. He also has been diagnosed with Dyslexia/Dyspraxia, therefore, being on the autistic spectrum.
    what do you think?
    Aries 
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    Hello Aries,
    I agree with Maria that if your carer has health issues of his own, then JSA might not be the best option for him, as claiming JSA means having to be available for work, and showing that you are actively seeking work. The alternative to JSA for people who are not well enough to work is ESA (employment and support allowance). It is a good idea to read up a bit on ESA before you claim, so that you know how the process works. After making the initial claim (usually over the phone on 0800 0556688) and sending in a doctor's certificate, your carer would then go through an assessment process, usually involving a questionnaire and a face to face medical assessment. He would have to score enough points (15+) from the DWP's list of activities to show that he was unable to work. You can find some excellent information on ESA from the benefits calculator page on this Scope website, and also from another website called www.benefitsandwork.co.uk. If your PIP is reinstated, then your carer may be able to revert to the benefits he was previously claiming, but this may depend on what is happening with Universal Credit in your particular area. You could also consider calling the Scope helpline (0808 800 3333) for further advice about your own PIP claim.
    Hope this helps!
    Jayne
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • aries
    aries Community member Posts: 46 Courageous
    Thank you for the response. I have just showed him and I think it might be worth considering. 
    Aries

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