Hi, my adult daughter is autistic with severe anxieties and during covid this has resulted to an escalation to adult mental health, suicidal ideations and medication increases and changes to medication.
I notified DWP Carers department in August 2019 that I would be taking up a part time job called a VeRR - Voluntary Ex-Regular Reservist with the RAF.
This allows me to work a MAXIMUM of 90 days a year, but to remain eligible for carers it was worked out that I could do 70 days without it affecting my CA. This would be achieved by me working two full days one week, then one full day the next. This kept me under the maximum I am allowed to earn if averaged out monthly. I was informed this would be fine, I therefore took up the job.
However shortly after Covid struck and meant due to my own underlying health (asthmatic and awaiting spinal surgery) I was no longer allowed to attend the workplace and thus for several months did not earn any money at all. I only get paid for the days I actually work. This was a government instruction telling the RAF and other government bodies not to allow 'vulnerable; staff into the workplace.
This went on for over 4 months at which point I was issued with a laptop and told I could work from home and could I catch up on the days I had missed.
End result - I worked condensed hours over a shorter period of time but overall earned less than £13 per day over the entire financial year!
Carers are now telling me I did not notify them of a change in my circumstances, but there was NO change, same employer, same number of days a year, same job.
Surely there must be allowances they can make because of Covid!
Not only are they saying I claimed more than I was entitled to but are demanding I repay over £2000, even though my annual working income was less than £5000! And I had no option but to do condensed hours due to GOVERNMENT EDICTS/
Is there anyone else in my position and is there any kind of COVID based campaign to ensure people in my position are not punished by the government for doing what the government forced us to do by not letting us go to work throughout the financial year!
I feel I’m being punished because of a pandemic AND following government rules on self isolating!