Help re.compliance interview

Benefits, finances and funding
1

Hey everyone,

I am brand new here and came across the very helpful forums you guys run when I did a Google search about the following issue!
So, bare with me if this becomes long winded!

I am disabled and receive high rate care/high rate mobility. My partner is my full time carer, and claimed carers allowance.
He was advised to apply for PIP for himself because of his own disability/medical issues.

HIs pip was refused, so we asked for a mandatory reconsideration, which they again refused. We decided to push this to an appeal because according to their own guidelines he should be entitled.
We have recieved all of the paper work for the appeal(which is quite frankly an incredible mass of utter lies :rage:)

Anyway, we haven’t had a date for the appeal yet, but with everything going on with covid19 and the lockdown I’m not surprised!

He had a voicemail the other day from a DWP officer wanting to do a review of his carers allowance and stated that she needed to speak with him urgently.
He managed to return the call, to find out it was a compliance officer and she needed to review his application as, because of his application for pip they were now questioning if he could continue to be my carer.

It almost came across as, if you are disabled/ill yourself you cannot be a carer.
Luckily she was happy with his responses and has closed down the enquiry and has put his statement on file for 14months.

I’m quite upset that this has even been broached. More because pip have said he is not entitled to the award because his needs aren’t high enough, but then they can say to the compliance officers that they are questioning it because they think he isn’t able to do the caring.

So he is too disabled to care for someone but not enough to claim pip?!!!

Has anyone had anything similar to this? I was under the impression that it didn’t matter if you received pip, as long as you are caring for the other person for 35+ hours, you are perfectly entitled to claim both.

I am also now super worried as whilst on the phone she noted down that I claim carers allowance for our teenage daughter who is in DLA.
I’m just concerned they are going to try and come after me for the same thing. I shouldn’t be worried really as I do more that 35 hours, but it’s trying to explain to them what I do for her that entitles me but should not affect my pip.

Urgh, I’m so bemused and worried :woman_facepalming:t4:
Sorry for the long post. Hopefully someone can offer advice etc x

2

There was that case in the papers where a lady claimed she was disabled and alsorts, claimed almost a million pounds falsely.
She claimed she was blind, couldn’t walk or wash or dress herselfs or use the toilet without help.
The benefit investigators found out she could drive and picking up the grandchildren from school.

The benefits are just trying to cut down on fraud and fraudulent claims.

It is well known that disabled people look after each, disabled husband and wife, the stronger does the caring, they care for each other, one does tasks the other can’t do.
I am disabled i look after others, others look after other disabled, we are all disabled and look after each other.

We have all been through the benefit fraud officers, i went to the benefits job interview the bloke sat and worked it out, off the record i was better off not working, if i worked i would be about 2 pound better off.

So don’t worry provided you are genuine, nothing to worry about.

3

Hey Londonbound,
Thanks for replying and super fast!

To be honest that’s what I said to my other half when he got off the phone and was worrying and anxious. That we were doing nothing wrong, and that we are perfectly entitled to claim both carers allowance and pip.

Think the thing that pi*sed him off was that pip have said he’s not disabled enough to claim pip but he is too disabled to claim to be a carer!
Bloody insane!

4

There’s just been so much fraud in the past, the government giving out money like sweets, that they are trying in reign in the claims, do regular checks.

There is so little understanding about carers, I am ill and a carer, how can you do that, I just do and so do thousands of others.

You need care but your a carer, just confuses people?