My LD/autistic daughter moved out at the weekend to live in a Housing Association flat with her boyfriend. I was told she has to come off ESA and to get her on Universal Credit. he is already on it. I have done his for ages as he also has Learning difficulties.
I wasn’t allowed to do it until they moved in together so did it yesterday and what a nightmare! I totally messed it up. I was told I had to sign her up then do a joint claim. i had to get linking codes and I honestly don’t know how other people do it because it was beyond me and I filled loads of stuff in wrong.
I didn’t sleep at all last night with worrying what UC will do or say and I have been crying all morning. I feel wretched.
I hear that CAB help with these things but I didn’t expect not to be able to do it myself and also with covid restrictions you can only talk to people on the phone rather than go to their offices.
I cried down the phone today to the man at the local council who advises on people leaving home and he said he will email them and tell them what’s happened and see what they can do. I don’t suppose I will get any sleep tonight either.
I even went to Mum and Dad’s grave today and had a cry.
Penny I’ve never heard of this …Hopefully, you mentioning it will help other people. Sorry you had a difficult time.
If your partner has already submitted a claim to Universal Credit and declared a partner, they may already have been given a linking code. If you asked for a linking code to be provided, the next screen will offer a code for input by your partner when they make their claim to Universal Credit.
Sorry to hear about your situation, that sounds like a lot to cope with I can only imagine how upset you must be Penny. Have you tried to contact our advice line on 0808 808 7777 from Monday to Friday, 9am and 6pm or email us at adviceline@carersuk.org and see if they can help you.
I am sure other members will pop more information on your thread too.
Hugs Penny, maybe it was time you had a good cry?
So much has happened, practically non stop, there is only so much even the strongest woman can cope with. Let all the tears flow, for everything.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Penny, am so sad this is still happening to you. A good cry is better than any more bottling up. Hopefully you will sleep tonight as exhausted. ((((Hugs)))
I agree with BB, the crying was probably a build up of lots of things and not just the whole UC debacle. I’m having one (again) over S’s UC. The system is SO inflexible, the staff only know the straightforward stuff and I really don’t know how many people cope with the system.
If you think you have made a mistake when you entered your information, you will have a chance later on to go back and correct it. However, you can’t do this until you have completed all sections of the claim.
Also if what you have filled in doesn’t make sense - the folk at the DWP will be quick to point it out!!
You can’t access the journal until both people have completed their claim. How mad is that? Even on her boyfriend’s account we always used the journal but once you are part way through another claim you can’t.
there was a section asking what disabilities you have which I answered. Then it asks whether it affects your ability to apply for work. I ticked yes because it does. My daughter has very poor reading and writing skills so obviously it would and she would not be able to work a till for example or complete paperwork in any job. Then it says you need a fit note to say you are not fit for work. She has never had a fit note and I can’t see the GP repeatedly giving her fit notes so I had to go back and put No but that isn’t correct either.
I had another go yesterday and have moved on a bit but I have spent literally hours and hours on this and I get so stressed in case the internet goes off part way through or we get timed out or something.
Penny,
I had to ask the GP for a fit note for S. She wrote it was the case ‘indefinitely,’ the UC system wouldn’t allow me to enter indefinitely- so they told me to enter the longest time it would allow - not needed another yet - he has been on it several years now.
Are DWP falling foul of the Equality Act?
Where are the “reasonable adjustments for disabled people”?
If someone intelligent like Penny struggles with the system, it’s simply not fit for purpose!
It is incredibly difficult and there is no way either my daughter or her boyfriend could complete this. Towards the end there was a section which asked whether you had completed this by yourself or had needed help and by whom. I said on both their parts that I had had to help them because they have poor computer and reading skills.
And on and on it goes. I dread opening my emails because UC keep leaving messages for daughter or her partner. Today they are asking her to verify her ID. I have no idea how to do that and obviously she can’t so tonight I have to get my son to upload her passport details and other stuff.
It is wearing me down and I feel so sick I can’t eat.
Now that won’t work either! To verify your ID you need a passport (got) a driving licence (never had one) an app (she is not here and can’t do that anyway) a credit or debit card (got that). The 2 items we have are not enough so you have to go to “prove my identity another way” then it tells you you will receive a call and to wait for it. No call came. If it comes when we are not together she won’t know what to do anyway. I am nearly tearing my hair out!
Another sleepless night ahead.
Penny what a state of affairs. Can you and your daughter ask for a walk in appointments at the local job centre. So your daughters details can be verified. Has your daughter a bank account. If so would the bank provide evidence. Your daughter should have a NI number that might do.
Finally managed to verify everything this morning with help of my son. It involved downloading an app. Then taking photo of passport picture and uploading a selfie. None of which I could have done and daughter certainly couldn’t.
Final hurdle is a phone appointment tomorrow morning.
You can’t ring local Job Centre and you can’t visit.
Thanks for listening to my moaning but I pity anybody else who has to go through this.
it has taken a over a month and 17 messages from me, re-entering information, resubmitting the same information, receiving a letter for S saying he hasn’t declared something (that hadn’t even happened) and that he owed money (he didn’t) dealing with a a letter to him posted on his journal with the wrong address on (have they sent information about him to others too?!) plus me phoning up. Once this is sorted I will be complaining - staff need to be properly trained and prepared to learn what they don’t know!!
Made me wonder how the your UC battle was progressing?
Oh Melly, it’s so depressing I didn’t want to bore you all with it. . Since you asked though they did get a payment this month but not very much. My daughter has savings which obviously I declared so they took off a lot for that. I still don’t understand how the Statement was made up. Remember we were told daughter would no longer get ESA and she had had to go on to UC? I got 2 identical letters on same day last week saying what the rates for ESA are. halfway down the page it then said “we are UNABLE to pay you ESA”. I then read on and it said the ESA was going up a bit. I was completely confused.
I spent 55 minutes holding on the phone to ESA to ask whether she would or would not get ESA. They confirmed she will! I asked why it said they were unable to pay it and this is honestly what he said. In 1980 something the system was updated and to date they have not been able to take those words off!! Can you believe that?
I want to complain too because it is ridiculously complicated and people with special needs have no chance doing it. However, I guess we will just get a standard letter and they won’t even look into our complaints.
I’m sorry you had a tough time too. It is so damned frustrating. I can feel my blood boiling and then I get so frustrated I cry and not much makes me cry these days.
not needed another yet - he has been on it several years now.
. Since you asked though they did get a payment this month but not very much. My daughter has savings which obviously I declared so they took off a lot for that. I still don’t understand how the Statement was made up. Remember we were told daughter would no longer get ESA and she had had to go on to UC? I got 2 identical letters on same day last week saying what the rates for ESA are. halfway down the page it then said “we are UNABLE to pay you ESA”. I then read on and it said the ESA was going up a bit. I was completely confused.