Last year after I was made redundant i claimed carers allowance as I was already providing 35+ hours a week care to my partner who I do not live with.
Anyways around about 4-5 months later my partner then received a notification that she had been overpaid her severe disability allowance and that she owned £1000+ back. I felt awful I had no idea this would happen to her I immediately cancelled my carers allowance and was told over the phone by someone from the jobcentre who handles the ESA payments that they would reinstate the severe disability premium to my partner as I am no longer receiving carers allowance and she can see that on record. No mention of the carers element I also received in my universal credit.
I assumed that with my loss of carers allowance that the carers element top up that you get with universal credit would also stop so to my surprise when my next statement came threw and it was still on I popped intoy local jobcentre to enquire about this and if it was wrong and they told me no you don’t have to receive carers allowance to get that element I just have to he entitled too it and does not matter if I claim carers allowance or not and my partner was still receiving her severe disability premium so I just assumed everything was fine.
How ever when talking to someone about the situation they mentioned to me that even carers element will stop severe disability premium and when I have searched into this online it does say this on many websites and I’m now really worried again that she is going to receive yet another overpayment letter she is still getting severe disability allowance now and I have been receiving the carers element for around about 6 payments from universal credit😔