Carer's Allowance - Stopped without explanation

Big_Al
Big_Al Online Community Member Posts: 5 Connected
in Benefits and income

Hi Everyone,

Not sure if others have had this same experience? Hopefully what I share will help others in times to come.

I was awarded CA in September 2024 for caring for my wife. She's in receipt of Personal Independent Payment (PIP) Enhanced on Daily Living and nothing for Mobility. We had not claimed previously on account of not meeting the 'Financial conditions'.

We received a letter upon award and back payment for previous two months. In November 2024 there was no payment - Contacted the CA Team via phone to be told "I cannot see why you Allowance was stopped. Someone has placed a hold on payments but there is no note". I was advised to call the Employment Support Allowance team (I receive Contributory ESA NOT Income related ESA). When speaking to ESA office they confirmed that I was not on income related ESA.

Back to CA office - Spoke to a very helpful person who told me they would place a "note on my file marked urgent". As we moved into December 2024, I contacted the CA office again to be told by a person who was so "unenthused" I felt bad for waking him up. "What can I do to get and answer?" Reply: "Maybe wait until the New Year it's extra busy with it being Christmas and all".

Somewhat perplexed. I couldn't face either another queue waiting marathon with the nagging thought of no answer when my call is answered.

January 2025 - No payment. I called the CA office was taken back by the swiftness with which my call was answered. Went all the way through security questions. Then went into the 'on-going saga'. After all the energy, after all the hope… "Sorry Sir, the systems down so we can't really do anything".

I'm NOT one to complain! However, sometimes I do… It's not good for my blood pressure but my Therapist says the act Therapeutic". "Put the anger on the page Al".

I attach the letter I intend to send.. If anyone has been through this situation before/Is in this situation in the future… Comments/feedback/support would be appreciated…

Complaint CA 15.01.2025 - Copy.docx

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 63,864 Championing
    edited January 27

    I can see exactly what the issue is here even before I read the letter you attached. The advice you've been given from ESA is not correct. As your ESA is contributions based, this is treated as an overlapping benefit with carers allowance, which means you can't receive full payment for both benefits. In this case only the higher benefit will be paid, which would be ESA.

    Yes, you were originally awarded but you shouldn't have been and that was an error on their part. I can see why it's stopped due to overlapping benefits. It's just a real shame that no one seems to have been able to give you any answers.

    Are you in the Support Group for ESA? If so then I would expect your ESA to be £138.20/week (£276.40/fortnight) is that correct? If so which ESA is it that you're claiming? Is it New style ESA or the old contributions based?

    You can see information here about overlapping benefits.

    https://www.turn2us.org.uk/jargon-buster/overlapping-benefits

    Is your wife claiming any other benefits other than PIP? Or does she work?

  • Big_Al
    Big_Al Online Community Member Posts: 5 Connected

    Hi poppy,

    I've just spent the last 3-4hours looking through gov.uk and using various Benefit Calculators. Entitleto - Suggested that I/we would be paid extra ESA
    Turn2us - Not entitled at all
    Policyinpractice - suggested we were entitled to ESA

    In answer to your other questions
    My wife can only claim PIP as she works 15hours a week and salary is above the £151 threshold.
    I am ill-health retired and receive PIP, New style ESA (Support Group) at £68.10 p/w I have a pension which gives £870 p/m.

    My angst as I have said becomes from poor communication and the mistake in the first place (which I am partially at fault for). Checking back letters from ESA. one says "we can no longer pay you ESA because you are being paid Carer's Allowance. Then another letter dated the same saying "We have looked at your claim again and then informs me of an amount to be paid. Another letter then stating, "we have looked again at your claim and there will be no change".

    So… I look forward to a 'Repayment demand'. I knew it was too good to be true!

    Carers Allowance 21st August 2024_Redacted.pdf
    ESA 11_12_2024 - Copy_Redacted.pdf
    ESA 14_10_2024 2 - Copy_Redacted.pdf
    ESA 14_10_2024 - Copy_Redacted.pdf

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 63,864 Championing

    A benefit calculator is only as good as the information you put into it so if that’s wrong the calculation will be incorrect.

    Your ESA amount doesn’t seem right to me. You said your pension is £870/month. Work that out as a weekly payment and it’s £200.76. (£870 x 52 divide by 52) for every £1 of pension over £85/week your ESA is reduced by 50p/week. Your pension is £200.71/week - £85 = £115.76/2 =£57.88 deduction from ESA. ESA Support Group £138.20/week. Total ESA payable is £80.32/week.

    Please check exactly how much your weekly pension is.

    DWP departments rarely share information and when you claimed carers allowance you should have informed ESA.

    From April this year the carers allowance earnings limit is increasing to £196/week which is up from £151/week at the moment. If your partners earnings are less than that amount from 8th April 2025 then she will be able to claim carers allowance for looking after you.

  • DuffersMum
    DuffersMum Online Community Member Posts: 198 Empowering
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/974980#Comment_974980

    I’m having a nightmare with Carers Allowance, I advised them in Sept 24 that I was doing some casual typing work at home, my earnings are roughly £80 a week, sometimes it’s nothing. I received a phone call asking some general questions and the woman said that’s fine, all within limits, but I need you to complete a form.

    No form arrived and when I received a letter in early January saying I was still entitled to Carers Allowance I thought no more of it. Last week a form arrived dated 3/1/25 saying please complete and return by 20/1/25, I didn’t receive it till 22/1/25.

    I rang to query whether I needed to complete form bearing in mind id received a letter saying I was entitled to claim, I was told yes. I then noticed on the form it said they would stop my CA until they’d received my form and actioned it. My CA was due to paid on Monday (it obviously didn’t arrive)

    I sent form back last week via 1st class signed for post and of course it’s not arrived. I will give it a few more days as know sometimes things don’t get signed for and things take time to get scanned onto their systems.

    My letter of complaint I sent the following day, also by signed for post, has been received and signed for. I complained that they were causing me financial hardship because I was doing things the correct way in advising them of my casual work. Also that the form took 3 weeks to arrive and according to it, it can take a further 6 weeks after they’ve received it to action it.

    I’m furious. I did send a copy of my complaint to my MP and much to my surprise she is going to look into this on my behalf.

    So I’m £300+ a month down now yet still caring for my husband who has osteoarthritis, Parkinson’s Disease and Heart Failure and this month I’ve earned the huge sum of £100.

    I certainly didn’t have to fill out any forms last time I advised them that I was doing casual work. I should add I have no problem with filling out the form but I do have a problem with them insinuating I am not telling the truth. Now they have snooping access to bank accounts they could quite easily see what I have paid into my bank account.

    I have no doubt they will now have to send me a further form which will probably take another 3 weeks to arrive and then a further 6 weeks to action, providing Royal Mail can actually deliver it.

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