Carers allowance

You're welcome. You didn't answer my question, which is really important. Do you rent your home from either social/council housing or is it privately rented? I'm assuming because your rent is low that it's social housing.

You're very welcome. If your employer reports earnings to HMRC 4 weekly then yes, that's what it will be. UC check earnings with HMRC.

If you give up working then your UC will increase by £29.48/month due to no earnings. For housing element, you will be entitled to full rent because you have no spare bedrooms and no non dependant deductions.

As you rent from social housing, you will not need to provide any proof of rent because UC will contact your landlord directly. You can also ask for this to be paid directly to your landlord.

One other thing, if you do decide to claim UC then any Income Related ESA and housing benefit will continue for 2 weeks and then stop.

Once a claim for UC is submitted yes, Income related benefits stop after 2 weeks. Your husbands ESA will continue but it will be £138.20/week, paid fortnightly, as always.

Your first UC payment will be just under 5 weeks after claiming but due to the run on of those other benefits it will be only 3 weeks without all of usually money. You will not be left with nothing due to ESA continuing at a lower rate and your carers allowance, (if it's in payment by then)

When I did the calculation for UC if you claimed that, what I forgot to do is a comparison with your current benefits.

ESA.. £168.45/week. (£729.95/month)

Housing benefit.. £360.76/month

Total income = £1,090.71/month. Once Carers allowance starts this will increase to £1,288.31/month.

Calculation of UC, ESA and Carers allowance entitlement per month = £1,682.18/month.

This means you're £393.87/month better off.

My calculation is based on the information you told me. I haven't included council tax reduction is my calculations.

It's clear that you're better off by claiming UC as soon as possible and don't wait for a migration letter. However, I can't tell you what do, that has to be your decision. I did mention UC to you on your other thread.

The reason why you're better off is because your earnings reduce the ESA quite a lot because there's only a £20/week disregard. For UC £404/month of your earnings are ignored.

Your husband will not need another work capability assessment if you claim UC.

ESA is a weekly benefit, UC monthly and there are 4.3 weeks per month.

That's why the figures seem wrong but actually are right.

Universal Credit would also give you free prescriptions, as the claim would include LCWRA element & your earnings would be well under the work allowance.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/help-with-health-costs/help-with-health-costs-for-people-getting-universal-credit/

Your husband is in the Support Group for ESA.

This means he will be put in the LCWRA (Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity) group after you apply for UC.

It does take a few weeks for ESA & UC to talk, and it's best once you've made the claim to add a note on the UC Journal (UC is managed through an online account) to say he gets ESA SG.

Citizens Advice offer a Help to claim UC service

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/help-to-claim/

LCWRA is Support Group for ESA. The figures I did for ESA are worked out as a monthly payment not 4 weekly. If I did it as 4 weekly then the amounts would seem less than they actually are.

Yes, if you do claim UC then your husband will need to put a message onto his journal to tell them he's in the Support Group for ESA.

Citizens advice have help to claim phone number and you can contact them for help and support to claim.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/help-to-claim/

For free prescriptions there's no exemption certificate for Income Related ESA. You just need to tick the box on the back of the prescription that says "Income Related ESA."

Edit to add, cross posted with Kimmy and didn't see their last comment until after I posted mine.