Hi there, I’ve applied for carer’s allowance whilst claiming Universal Credit…bad mistake..
Whilst I was waiting for a CA decision they gave us £2000 payment which was ‘owed’ to me as my wife’s full time carer.
A person at the job centre told me to stop the claim as it might clash with the UC. So I did, in the meantime I specifically asked the CA people, ‘do we have to pay this back?’ and they said no that is owed to you.
Well guess what, we’re now on a pickle as UC/DWP want all that money back now… great!!
This really messed up my mental health and not quite the best thing when I need to take care of my wife 24/7
@RamonF78 please seek advice about this either from the Carers UK helpline or Citizen Advice Bureau as many DWP UC staff don’t know about carers allowance and those dealing with carers allowance vary in their knowledge too.
Agreed! The Carers Allowance Unit told me I wasn’t entitled to CA once my son became a boarder at school. The CUK Helpline gave me case law to show that in fact I did qualify. Made me £50 a week better off when I really needed it. I like to sing their praises now and then.
That mix up happens to a lot of people because CA and UC don’t line up cleanly. UC treats CA as income, so when they backdate it, UC often asks for the difference back even if you were told otherwise. It’s frustrating, but you can ask for a mandatory reconsideration and explain the advice you were given. It helps to keep notes of who said what so you can show it wasn’t your mistake.
My son has just “migrated” onto UC, had a message to look at his journal.
Why can’t they just use the English word “diary”?!
It’s as clear as mud.
Surely they could do an explanatory paragraph saying what you used to get, what you are getting now, and explain any difference?