Can someone explain this to me

[newnameuser]

m wondering if anyone else can help me get my head around this as I don’t understand any of it and my dad doesn’t make sense to me when she’s telling me these things.
She is nearly 17, diagnosed sdhd a few years ago and now left school but don’t go to college (her words she doesn’t want to do the coursework) believe me we have tried with her, set her up and interview at a local dental practice (refused to go) got her several job applications etc and really really tried to get her into college.

Anyways, she is claiming pip, she was awarded the standard rate but appealed this as she thinks she entitled to the higher rate, so is taking it to tribunal now as they’ve declined her appeal twice. She was also claiming universal credit and getting fit notes ? Off the doctors to say she isn’t capable of working or something like that, this is what I don’t get, she is capable of working, goes out alone, manages her own money, very independent as lives between her nans, moms, here and friends houses. Universal credit have today closed her account and said she is fit for work. She is absolutely fuming about this and says they’ve done her over. Surely if she’s looking for work whether she’s fit or not she’s still entitled to the job seekers? Have I got that wrong ? All I know is how myself and dh are going to be expected to fund her lifestyle until she does get a job, which let’s face it she hasn’t exactly been trying very hard to get one as she has been relying on the benefit money.
So could someone explain this all to me ? Why would they close her account down and say she isn’t entitled to anything as she’s fit for work? even with her diagnosis ? Thank you

Sorry for the typos

I thought Jobseeker’s Allowance was only for over 18s? I might be wrong though.
I wouldn’t be funding her lifestyle, she sounds a lazy madam. Essentials, yes. The rest she’ll have to go without or get a job.

Why would you need to give her money if she is housed and receiving PIP and JSA?

I'm a bit confused by your post, but there are strict requirements to meet if you are on UC about looking for work. It doesn't matter whether she has a fit note from her GP to say she's not fit. The DWP will do a Work Capability Assessment and they can decide that she is fit to work and has to meet their criteria to show she's doing everything she can to get a job - this means she will have a work coach and have to attend appointments, and meet all the requirements in her Claimant Commitment, which means demonstrating you are spending 35 hours a week searching for work.

If she's not done any of this they will close her claim as she's not meeting the requirements to receive UC.

You say she's fit for work, and the DWP have obviously decided she is. She can't just claim UC without putting a lot of effort in to trying to find a job, and it's pretty clear she's not intending to do that.

They haven't 'done her over'. They have decided she's a young person who could look for work and isn't prepared to, and therefore they are not prepared to give her UC.

Benefits aside you don't "have" to fund her. You're housing and presumably feeding her until she decides to make herself homeless.

By the sounds of it she's brought it upon herself.

Surely she needs to have HAD a job to claim job seekers.

I think if you’re receiving pip you can claim it from 16

I’ve no idea how it all works now it’s universal credit

She told us getting a fit hire meant she didn’t have to do the requirements of looking for a job, going to the job centre and meet with her work coach etc, because she has adhd she gets certain allowances

This is the point, she won’t be from now on. Pip is suspended while she appeals their decision to award the standard rate care and now her uc claim has been closed

On what basis does she qualify for the PIP ? Asking for a mandatory reconsideration ( I assume this is what she has done ) is actually quite a risk unless she has very good medical evidence that she qualifies for the higher rate. She could end up losing what she has already been awarded. I did think though that if she has been awarded, she would get that payment whilst waiting for MR or appeal whichever stage she is at.

For the whole UC claim to be closed and her not to even be receiving basic UC standard element there must be another reasons such as not attending appointments etc. Was she previously getting any UC though as I didn't think 17 year olds could claim it unless without any parental support.

Exactly. Job seekers allowance now only exists in the contributions based form and she would have needed to have been paying NI contributions for the past 2-3 years to claim it. It is UC she is claiming not JSA.

I'm appealing my pip decision but still receiving the lower rate until the tribunal. I wonder why your daughter has had her universal credit claim stopped??

This is what i thought, from some basic research online it seems claimants do still receive payments whilst appealing so none of it makes any sense unless there is something she’s not telling us. It’s all really weird.

This is what I don’t understand either ! There must be more to it

Sorry that’s my mistake as I thought it used to be job seekers and now uc. What’s the uc for then?

So most people have to pay for their 17 year olds, your situation has been quite unusual.
i think you now have to be quite strict. Lay out your expectations - presumably you expect her to get a job and contribute. Don’t give her fun money. Pay a basic phone only etc.

I've also been diagnosed with ADHD through ADHD Certify, and while everyone is different, a diagnosis alone doesn't automatically mean you're unable to work. PIP and Universal Credit assess different things, so it's possible to qualify for PIP but still be found fit for work by UC.

True but to be badly affected enough to be eligible for PIP ( unable to cook a simple meal, wash and dress yourself etc ) you would think they may not be found fully fit for work or at least awarded just LCW.

No she was previously getting DLA, well her mum was, they don’t get on, that’s all to do with money aswell. Dsd and mum were trying to get the highest rate of pip and had a fall out about it all, Dsd rang the pip people up to say she didn’t want her mum being her appointee and wanted the money (when she got it) to go into her own bank account, so they then did a face to face assessment and her mum hit the roof and said they will find out she lied on the claim forms as she’s clearly not as disabled as she had made out. Dsd did end up getting awarded it but just the standard rate, that’s why she is now appealing the decision. In the meantime she claimed uc

I had jobseekers briefly when I was 16 and living in a homeless hostel on my own.

I suspect the reason Uc has stopped is that a 17 year old can only claim it if they have a health reason to not be able to work. Therefore as she has been found fit for work she is not eligible for it at all even the basic standard rate. This would change once she turns 18.

https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/eligibility
The criteria for 17 year olds are explained here.

Yes but in this case the young person is not without parental support.