Any benefits experts about?

[StayInYourLaneBoy]

DP works full time, I'm a full time carer for my son so can't work. He's done his back in and needs to take a few weeks to a month off sick. SSP is only £94 a week. Would we still have to pay full rent and council tax out of that? Because that would leave us with less than zero. He's tried to carry on working (manual job lifting heavy steel and welding things) but his back is getting worse and just needs to rest it for a bit. TIA

[PennysPocket]

You can make an application for universal credits. It takes up to 4 weeks to kick in and is based on the previous months earnings. I am not sure you would qualify but its worth ago.

[Dowser]

Esa?

[StayInYourLaneBoy]

Ok, thank you
ESA is Universal Credit round here, we were actually really early to change over, well over a year and a half ago!
If we don't qualify, would we get any reduction in rent due to a low income? It's really worrying me how we'll manage

[jelly79]

Look at www.entitled.com

[userxx]

Is it a private landlord you rent from ?

[PennysPocket]

If we don't qualify, would we get any reduction in rent due to a low income? It's really worrying me how we'll manage

Sadly not.
HB is part of UC so if you do not qualify there is no other benefit to help with rent.

[StayInYourLaneBoy]

Its council.

That's shocking they expect you to pay full rent and council tax on £94 a week. Looks like he'll have to work until he's crippled!

[safariboot]

You should be able to claim Universal Credit. The Statutory Sick Pay will be treated as earnings for the purposes of UC. It's possible though that the UC 'decision maker' will be unreasonable and expect your partner to look for work despite being off sick from his current job.

It'll be 5 or 6 weeks between applying and actually getting any money from UC. Your initial application date determines when your monthly "assessment period" starts - if paid monthly I advise not applying close to your normal payday.

[StayInYourLaneBoy]

Thanks for that safariboot. He actually gets paid weekly so that's going to go against us, will it?

[MsFrosty]

You should claim uc. You will get personal allowance for the 2 of you, child element, disabled child element, housing allowance and carers element. You will get £287 income disregard as you have a child (work allowance) and then any earnings will reduce uc by 63p to every £1 earned. If you claim carers allowance then this will be deducted too. Claim TODAY. You should try and verify your ID online as then neither of you will have to attend the jobcentre (you will be in the no work related as a carer and your partner will be in the working enough as he normally works full time)

[MsFrosty]

www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles

It could be a 5 weekly period hits your first AP but you are likely to still receive a top up anyway.

Put a claim in for council tax reduction TODAY. Most councils have an online application process.

Back dating of both of these benefits is usually refused so dont second guess yourself, apply

[Breastfeedingworries]

You can apply for advance loan, I got one. Look them up. Good luck.

[Gingerkittykat]

Your husband will be able to claim contribution based ESA, but that would not help at all with the rent. I would advise you contacted CAB for a proper benefits assessment to see what would be best for you.

Do you get carers allowance?

Council tax benefit is separate and you need to apply to your counil for that.

[Thehouseintheforest]

You put in a claim that includes your housing costs. Your UC is made up of all the costs you have (rent , council tax) PLUS your specific circumstances ( Carer , disabled child, ) minus what is coming in... £94 in ssp.

Google 'entitled to' . and get on the calculator. Then get a claim in ASAP and apply for an advance .

[MsFrosty]

Dont use entitled to, the housing assessment is incorrect at the moment. Turn2us is giving correct figures at the mkment

[StayInYourLaneBoy]

MsFrosty my son is actually 20, but Autistic and severely dyspraxic and also mental health issues. Thanks for the info though

I do get carers allowance

Thanks everyone. It's all so confusing since it all changed over to UC!

[JustAnotherPoster00]

I do get carers allowance

If you're in receipt of carers allowance that should mean that you're getting PIP and ESA/UC for your son, if not you should look into it.

[MsFrosty]

@justanotherpostcard is right. Your son should be getting PIP himself. If he isn't getting ESA then he should be claiming UC in his own right. Are you his appointee?

[Stressedout10]

You can apply for housing benefit through your council they should have a discretionary housing benefit scheme/fund though if it's all been allocated for the year you'll be out of luck

[safariboot]

He actually gets paid weekly so that's going to go against us, will it?

Just be aware that when he gets five paydays in a month-long 'assessment period' he'll get less UC.

The assessment period is mainly an issue for people paid monthly with some variation, eg last Thursday of the month.

[JemilyJ]

I’m a CAB adviser with a bit of a disability benefit specialism. And all I will say is for the love of god go get professional advice. Your situation is complex and some of the advice on here isn’t right or may not apply to you.

If you can’t get somewhere for professional advice, I’d recommend turn2us over other benefit checkers.

[Babyroobs]

I've not seen any wrong advice on here. If you currently receive tax credits then you need to decide whether it's worth switching to Uc in the short term. Your husband cannot claim contributions based ( new style) esa until his SSP ends and assuming he has paid sufficient NI contributions over the relevant two years. the only way of getting help with rent is by applying for UC as you cannot make a new claim for housing benefit anymore except in some circumstances. If you do claim UC then carers allowance continues to be paid separately but will be deducted in full from Uc but then you would also receive a UC carers element. If your adult son does not receive Income related ESA or UC alongside his PIP then he can make a claim for UC.

[Babyroobs]

Sorry stressedout's advice is completely wrong - you can no longer make a new claim for housing benefit.

[Babyroobs]

Sorry I just also re-read my post and just want to clarify that the way it reads may indicate you could claim UC in the short term - you can't ( I should have said phrased things differently). If you are currently on tax credits and switch to UC there is no going back.

[janj2301]

My daughter's claimed UC twice as a single unemployed person and both times they offered her a loan repayable over 12 months. She didn't ask, they offered