Can anyone advise please as I’ve tried myself but I don’t understand the benefit calculators.
Background
I am on PIP enhanced rate for both care and mobility, and ESA (support group).
My son has just been granted DLA - high care, low mobility.
My wife is named on my ESA claim as my partner and receives Child Tax Credit for our two children.
Question
My wife cares for us both but has never claimed carer’s allowance. If she does make a claim, will this trigger a move to UC? Will it affect our other benefits, and if so would it be worth it? We do not want to claim UC until we have to.
Current claims
I have added everything up and as a family we currently get, per month:
- ESA: 582
- PIP (me): 358
- DLA (my son): 453
- Tax credits: 840
- Housing benefit: 316*
- Council Tax benefit: 108*
Note: these are not all paid monthly, I have simply added the amounts up to show the monthly total. Eg. ESA is paid fortnightly, child tax credit weekly, PIP and DLA monthly, etc. Amounts above have been calculated by me multiplying by 2 weeks, or 4, etc.
*These benefits are not paid to us but automatically to the council.
Thank you for any help.