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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To claim carers allowance purely to dodge 'work focused interviews'

147 replies

LuckyButton · 26/04/2017 11:07

I am disabled, so is my three year old ds.

My DH is already my carer and receiving CA for me, so when ds started receiving high rate DLA I didn't bother applying for carers myself.

Neither of us works, we receive income support etc.

However since dd turned 1 the job centre has been calling me in every two weeks or so for 'work focused interviews'

I obviously can't work, even if I could there is no employer that would touch me with a barge pole due to my health.

After going through PIP assessments for myself and the DLA for ds I didn't have the fight in me to claim ESA.

However, carers is so easy to apply for (just a quick online form) and it at least means that they can only call me in once every three years.

I don't feel like I am being unreasonable but a 'friend' is appalled according to latest her Facebook status. Apparently as I'm so disabled it's a scam for me to claim carers for ds.

On the other hand carers UK, after I listed what I do for ds said it was fine.

So, Aibu?

OP posts:

ImYourMama · 26/04/2017 11:08

How can you be a carer for someone else if you have a carer? It's ridiculous

Original poster

LuckyButton · 26/04/2017 11:09

Oh and we won't get any more money, it all evens out as I think they will take it off the income support.

It is purely as I said to avoid being called in to the work focused completely useless hour long meetings every few weeks.

OP posts:

Original poster

LuckyButton · 26/04/2017 11:12

I don't much fancy going into my families exact disabilities, but, my Dh needs to be in the house to care for me, I can't be left on my own, struggle to move around and have regular health issues.

I can still care for my son though. I change him, I can cook with help get him and we can bath him together.

I put together his visual timetables and calm him after meltdowns. We take it in turns to stay up during the night for his needs.

I do care for my son, even though I need caring for myself.

OP posts:

Bumbumtaloo · 26/04/2017 11:12

If you are too ill to work you should claim ESA. Your DH is paid to care for you - meaning he cares for you for over 35hrs a week. I'm not sure you would be approved for CA when someone is being paid CA for you.

I am now too ill to work, I didn't have to fight for ESA I simply sent off all information and was automatically placed in the support group. I know I'm one of the lucky ones but it does happen.

1nsanityscatching · 26/04/2017 11:12

I think you should do what you need to do and if claiming Carers would stop the pressure from the JC then do that. Be aware though that if you are reassessed for PIP they will question your need for PIP if you have claimed to be able to care for someone else for 35h pw.

Original poster

LuckyButton · 26/04/2017 11:17

My reassessment for pip is next year.

I can't see it being an issue though, all my circumstances and issues are the same. I was caring for ds anyway during my last assessment, I just wasn't claiming carers for it.

I'm a disabled mother but I can still help to care, with support, for my son.

OP posts:

zenasfuck · 26/04/2017 11:19

You are receipt of pip for yourself ?

Whirltime · 26/04/2017 11:20

From what i believe. 2 people with disabilities can claim careers allowence for caring for each other then use the money to pay careers to come in so i dont see it affecting your pip claim.

Original poster

LuckyButton · 26/04/2017 11:20

I've just found this on the benefitsandwork.co.uk site:

Can I claim if I am getting DLA, PIP or AA myself?
There is nothing to prevent you from claiming carer’s allowance if you are sick or disabled yourself if you meet the conditions. However, we would suggest you seek advice as if you are providing 35 hours of care as your own benefits may be reassessed depending on the condition you are claiming for and what you have said you can and cannot do yourself.The care you provide can be supervision as well as assistance, so it may be perfectly possible to be a carer alongside having your own health difficulties.

So I think we will be fine. Even if we have to go to a tribunal I'm almost 100% we can prove that I'm entitled to it.

Will do many people really see it as wrong though? I'm quite worried about that.

OP posts:

Original poster

LuckyButton · 26/04/2017 11:22

Yes I get the highest rate of PIP (daily living, not mobility)

It's mainly that I need constant supervision from DH, which I get. This enables me to look after ds, with his help.

OP posts:

zenasfuck · 26/04/2017 11:23

I don't think they can insist on you attending work interviews if you are on PIP

zenasfuck · 26/04/2017 11:24

Also op yes you can claim carers yourself

As long as the caring you do doesn't contradict your own care needs for pip

So if you've said you need help showering yourself but then claim you are showering the person you care for, for example

But yes, you can claim carers allowance yourself and keep your pip award

1nsanityscatching · 26/04/2017 11:25

No not saying your needs have changed nor saying that you don't care for your son. More that they will see that you have claimed Carers and they will want you to justify how you can provide care alongside having the difficulties you report.
So you say you are able to bathe with him and cook with him they will see this as evidence you have no needs with regards to bathing and preparing food as you can do it for/with your son.
They will determine you have no cognition or memory difficulties because you provide care for another person.
They will use the claim to disprove any needs you might have.
Just be very careful that doing one doesn't leave you even worse off in the future.

Original poster

LuckyButton · 26/04/2017 11:25

Well they definitely do, I've spoken to them before about it and I was told as some people on PIP can work then it doesn't get you out of the work focused interviews.

Which is ok but I'm quite obviously not one of those people

OP posts:

freshmarigold · 26/04/2017 11:26

I get carer's allowance for caring for my DS and I get PIP for my own disabilities as well. I am a lone parent so obviously I'm caring for him all the time he is at home. You need to care for 35 hours but that includes sleeping time, so it definitely sounds like you're caring for him for 35+ hours.

There aren't any rules against claiming both PIP and carer's. My sister claims carer's for me (although she lives nearby not in the same house) so there's nothing in the rules about not being able to claim carer's if someone else is getting it for you. I'm a single mum but my DS is 12 so getting carer's is the only route for me to get IS. You should get about £35 on top of your current IS rate, as they do take off your carer's but then add a premium on your IS. I don't know how it works as you'd already have one carer premium through your DH.

I transferred from DLA to PIP without any issues and I was on carer's allowance throughout that time, it wasn't queried at all. I won't get reassessed for PIP for another 8 years.

You could claim ESA rather than carer's but that would mean having assessments and it would replace your income support as well. I don't think you'd be better off on ESA financially so I think IS and carer's is the easiest route. If you are ill enough for ESA but also meet the criteria for carer's, there's no reason you should opt for ESA over carer's. I have work focused interviews once a year in my area, but there isn't any obligation to seek work, it is more like checking the details of the claim and ticking a box, there is no pressure at all.

You also get NI contributions paid on carer's allowance (which might be currently paid through child benefit but it only gets paid up to age 12 for child benefit) so it's worth claiming carer's just for the NI contributions once your DS is over 12.

1nsanityscatching · 26/04/2017 11:27

I don't think there it's anyone else's business what you claim so don't worry about that just be wary of what the implications might be.Good luck.

ZilphasHatpin · 26/04/2017 11:27

Will do many people really see it as wrong though? I'm quite worried about that.

Who would you be telling about your personal finances?

JustAnotherPoster00 · 26/04/2017 11:28

OP have you said if you are in the support group or WRAG component of ESA?

Original poster

LuckyButton · 26/04/2017 11:29

But I couldn't do any of those things without DH there?

If DH want stood next to me basically doing it helping then I couldn't help cook.

I help in the bathroom by keeping ds calm and singing, is what I meant by help 'bathing'.

I know they'll try their best to fob off my claim on reassessment anyway, but I've already detailed what help I provide on Ds's DLA forms so it's not new information.

I've already been through the appeal process, I'm not scared of it. If anything it wa more enjoyable that the assessments!

OP posts:

zenasfuck · 26/04/2017 11:29

You could apply for esa but to be honest id just claim CA if it will get you out of the work interviews and you won't be any worse off

freshmarigold · 26/04/2017 11:30

I also don't tell anyone outside the relevant authorities that I'm claiming carer's allowance or even PIP. That for me solves the issues of whether people think it is wrong to claim. It's none of their business and they aren't decision makers so it makes no difference what they think. But it also protects me against any potential malicious reports.

1nsanityscatching · 26/04/2017 11:30

You could try asking on here as they seem to know their stuff by the looks of it.

marabounuts · 26/04/2017 11:30

apply. you still care for your DS. A lot of people with disabilities are in effect also carers. I have a friends on PIP who also have children with disabilities. The still care for their disabled children. it's not that rare.

CrochetBelle · 26/04/2017 11:31

Who is the named person who takes care of your DS' DLA claim?

summersloegin · 26/04/2017 11:31

I wouldn't mention to anyone what you claim, it's no one else's business really.

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