Hi,

Its been over 4 weeks since the DM agreed to backdate the severely disabled child element, i have chased them numerous times and keep being told the back payment will be sent seperately once a case worker looks at it, i have no debt with them, so the debt management shouldnt be holding the payment up, is it normal to wait so long? 

Also,the review person told me they were satisfied with the documents i submitted and explanations etc (in the last phonecall) but several months on they are still replying to my journal chasing the back payment, do they inform you in writing in your journal when the review is satisfied/complete? And could it be they are waiting for change of circumstance they initiated (i was being underpaid) of SDC element to be paid out then they'll close the review?

I see, i think that is where i misunderstood CA when quoting it in my previous posts.

If i choose not to apply for CA (as it would just be taken from my SA anyway), am i still noted to have caring responsibilities (like you mentioned in a previous post)  with the CE? If i were to lose LWCRA then i would qualify for CE? 

Also, i assume there is no overpayment then of my SA then, as i have applied for CA?

With regards to the backpayment of the SDC element, it been 7 days since the DM agreed to BD it, would that payment be added to my march payment or will it be paid seperately at some point? 

When i was going through the uc review, i had to complete two change of circumstance:

1.Report child dla award (to recieve the severely disabled child element)

2. Report my caring responsibilities (as i recieve lcwra, i assumed i would be considered for CA by uc in this reporting the change, as i do not qualify for CE) 

Then it was in the hands of the DM to backdate or not. 7 days ago they decided to allow it for SDC element and carer's element. 

Should i be applying for CA directly to CA? Will they backdate more than 3 months though? 

I just re-read the journal message and it appears the DM has agreed to the back for severely disabled child element and carer's 'element' not allowance but i recieve LCWRA and assume i didnt qualify for carer's element and carer's 'allowance' was being considered and was equivelent the the standard allowance. This months statement still shows the standard allowance, no carer element. 

The letter attached states:

"Changes to your Universal Credit entitlement will be shown in your monthly statement". 

If they are seperate,will i have to pay the overpayment back in instalements for the standard allowance? If so, how much per month? 

As the backdate for the disabled child have been agreed, do i have to request the backdate money or will it be paid seperately to my usual uc payments? (its been 7 days since the DM sent the letter).

There is no prompt to contact CA seperately in the journal or letter, do uc inform CA that the DM agreed to the backdate and CA will write to me automatically or do CA now do a seperate assessment to see if i qualify for CA?

The DM has decided to backdate the severely disabled child element and carer's allowance, however, i received my statement the next day and no adjustments had been made fully (no carer's allowance yet (still states standard allowance but the SDCE has been added going forward only. I have a few questions:

1. Does carer's allowance write to me separately and still have to make the decision if i qualify for CA? 

2. Its been 7 days, no back payment for the SDCE yet, would that be added to my next month statement (march) or paid separately imminently? (As i received this month statement (February) the following day after the DM made the decision, maybe too soon to re-calculate/make adjustments).

3. With the CA, what happens now?

As i would have been overpaid for the standard allowance but due the CA back payment, as they are the same amount, do they keep the CA BP to pay the SA overpayment or pay me the CA BP and tell me to pay back the SA overpayment (monthly), if so, how much would that be? (I would rather they just take the CA BP to pay the SA OP 

i dont have an OP marker on my account.

Do you mean £6k or more throughout a tax year and totaling at the end the £6k+ or at anytime in that tax year that amount for one item as one payment? Does it matter to them that its 'regular' sales? 

On 04/05/2023 at 07:12, tomtom256 said:

It wouldn't/shouldn't be treated as income, as you are selling personal items and not running it as a business.

You can sell as many personal items as you like.

Is there a certain amount that the DWP allow you to sell without it affecting benefits?  Is it anytime or per tax year?

It's selling outgrown old clothes to fund replacement clothes (only way i can afford to do it and save landfill too) and seems 'regular' and not a 'one-off', as children are growing constantly and need the next size up regularly.

I mean, i can list a majority of them as a 'one-off' (in matching sizing to show i am a private seller) but can appear 'regular' as they trickle with sales and take months. Just as i sell one batch size (taking many months), we are then outgrown the next size to sell. 

Also, i do not understand this new article, given i am on benefits, would it mean i can sell max 30 items (or £1700)? That isnt profit though for me.

Is it Jan 2024-Dec 2024 or Apr 23-Apr 24 before platforms report to HMRC? 

Selling online and paying taxes - information sheet - GOV.UK

WWW.GOV.UK

When i did my change of circumstance, informing uc that my child receives DLA HRC (with a back date), I assumed they would calculate the backdate and process it but nothing to date.

Do i have to request it myself by putting a note in my journal under 'payments'.

I just assumed due to the holiday period it was delayed. 

Do i have a choice whether to proceed with CA? I was told in my review to report i care for someone. If it doesnt make any financial difference then can i just say that in a journey message?

I just remembered,

at the start of my review, i had to go through each section and check the information was still correct and up to date.

My health section was missing one illness that i was diagnosed with 5 years ago but failed to report it as a change, so added it.

Would this be why the 'what date did your health change' appear in my to do list? 

My lcwra expired during lockdown and is overdue (i believe its different to the review i am currently going through, as was told this review is to check if i am receiving the right benefits/amounts),

will the changes of the additional illness and the new caring responsibilities prompt a review of my lcwra?

I am still unsure whether to proceed with the CA or not and just keep my UC standard allowance in full and as i am in LWCRA at the moment, i am unable to work anyway. 

Do i need to inform PIP (whether i claim CA or not), that i care for my child? 

Why would they have started that though? Thats whaj was confusing me.

Yes, i cancelled it and put the no change in a journal message, havent heard anything, maybe they are not in until mid week. 

Yes, that is the two changes i did. What do you mean a change? They havent said anything, just appeared in my 'to do list' i have no idea why.

Just before the health/fit for work date question appeared in my to do list then asked if i had any childcare costs.i said no.

I get lcwra so didnt think CE applied to me, only CA.

So its adviseable to let the CA claim continue? 

When i reported the two changes (caring for someone and my childs DLA HRC award) in my uc review, i am now being asked 'when did my health change/became fit to work date'. If i am not effected then why am i being asked this?

i should let the CA claim continue?

Is there any benefit in doing that though, if they are just going the claw it back (backdated) and going forward from my uc standard allowance.

If i stop it, there is no money to claw back as an overpayment, right?

The only way it would be of use (if i have this correct) is that if my LCWRA award was re-assessed and taken away,

then i would have to have CA in order to be put in a group where i am not obligated to work due to my 'caring responsibilities' of 35+ hours per week. 

I understand that.

will the CA claim i had to do under 'report a change', will it trigger my own PIP? 

I just wanted to thank you all that helped with the first part of my uc review (bank statements etc), that has been satisfied and above board and now onto the next part, dealing with the two 'report a change' that came up,

1.Informing them that my child is now in receipt of DLA HRC,so that i can get severe disabled child (SDC) element added to my uc claim.

2. Stating i am a carer (assuming they want to put a CA claim through).

They seem to be withholding my SDC element back payment until i declare my position of current health/care duties towards my child.

I thought they would process that part regardless or do i have to get CA in order to get the SDC element?

Question 1

Carer’s Allowance: Your 5 top questions answered 

CONTACT.ORG.UK

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Almost 100 parent carers took part in our recent Facebook Q&A about Carer’s...

Online.

When many disabled parents (on PIP) themselves make a claim for CA, their PIP is flagged and taken away as PIP say you are a carer and thats it.

UC have prompted me to do a change of circumstance and report i am a carer for my disabled child,as the CA gets deducted from my uc standard allowance, it doesnt make any financial difference, can i cancel it and state i do not want to claim CA?

I believe if the CA claim proceeds, this will flag up my own pip claim and i will lose my PIP, as its seen as 'how can you care for someone else but not yourself',

I understand that but it isnt that black and white, our needs are different and i have family to support me with what i struggle with my my child) but PIP just see you as a carer and do not care how you say you adapt/navigate it and take away your PIP.

Can i stop the CA going through? 

That was my understanding too. So do i ignore their message asking "what date did your health change" and just send a journal message stating it hasnt changed?

Hi,

i need advice for the next stage of my uc review,

Just a recap:

Lone parent-Recieving uc lcwra and PIP enhanced (Care & Mobility).(Physical)

Disabled child-New award DLA HRC and LRM. (Physical & mental)

In the last UC review tel call, i was told to report two changes immediately in my journal whilst on the phone:

1.Caring-that i care for my child more than 35 hours per week.Despite me stating that I have family support for the physical part of my childs care that i am unable to do (daytime) and i do the night time care but no physical intervention (more my childs disturbed sleep-mental) but was told even sleeping hours count as care and that i would get CA, which now i realise i wouldnt, as i get LWCRA (cant claim both, i am fine with that).As no 1 family member helps more than 35 hours per week CA isnt an option for them either,which is fine.

2.Add child new DLA HRC award-which i did. 

Now they are asking when my health changed (seeing me as a full time carer) physically caring but i am not, my health hasnt changed. I think they are looking at removing my lcwra and applying an huge overpayment. 

How do i deal with this please? 

If they take my lcwra and put me as a FT carer, will i lose my PIP too?.

It seems i am being penalised for having a disabled child. 

What benefits would they be? 

This is a similar situation i am in.

Although my family do not want any money from me, i know they see it as a moral duty and want to do it.

However, even if they did want money by claiming CA, as it isn't one consistent family member (although it tips the 35 per week criteria, its multiple family efforts to help me and my child), therefore, they wouldn't qualify to claim it individually with the hours they do (less than 35+ hours pw each) and even if they did, its a shocking £2.11 per hour. 

Could you explain why please, as i am in the lcwra group?

As i thought uc lcwra was for those who are not fit for or search for work due to disabilities but if caring for another person then i thought it would affect uc.

Even if i am in the LCWRA group for physical disabilities? Am i classed as a carer (due to the night time), albeit, i have a support network doing the main portion of the caring during the day and evening (until bedtime).

I have a question please in relation to my uc review. 

I am in the uc lcwra group and i receive PIP.

I also receive DLA MRC (daytime care) for my disabled child.

I have a family support network that supports my child during the day as i am unable to meet their physical needs during the day. 

At night, my child has sleep disturbances that i deal with, as they are mentally demanding rather than physical.

Very rare it is physical and i would have a relative come over during the night.

Will uc define me as a 'carer' and remove me from the lwcra group?

My own disabilities are physical, not mental and my child is both.

Should my family network breakdown/change, can i use the child DLA to pay for care?

The other 50% is accounted for, as i credited it to my bank 4-5 months later.