AUBU to worry how we'll cope?

[UndertheCedartree]

I just had a message to check my UC journal. My heart lifted as I thought there had been a step forward in helping with my housing costs. I've been applying for this help for over 3 years now but it took a couple of years for them to send me the forms and now they keep losing them.

I've just looked and I feel like crying. The message was to tell me they are stopping the £80 odd that was the Covid extra. I'm struggling so much as it is without taking away money. I also got a message today to say my DS's DLA claim has been accepted but now I'm worried it won't equal any extra money as this is being taken away (not sure I'm phrased that well but hope it makes some sense).

My anxiety has gone through the roof and I'm just sitting here shaking and trying to hold back the tears, hiding in my bedroom so my DC don't see. It always feels like we can't catch a break. I'm dealing with some incredibly stressful stuff around my DS's education ATM too

Everyone is losing the £83, it was a temporary uplift
If your child has been awarded DLA then you will be hugely better off. Not only will you get the DLA money itself but also a disabled child element and as long as he has been awarded middle rate care component you can also claim a carers element even if you work and earn too much to claim carers allowance.
All this extra will be much more than the £80 odd pound you will lose Do you know what rates of DLA he has been awarded?

I also don't know what housing forms you are talking about - rent costs are reported on your journal and you can upload a tenancy agreement ?

I should also add that you need to report on your journal that your child has been awarded DLA and report a change of circumstances on the home page. You also need to report that you are a carer for him and ask for the disabled child elements and carers elements to be backdated to the date that the DLA was awarded from. hopefully they will do this and you will get some backpay.

I'm sorry to hear your family is having such a hard time at the moment! That's awful that they keep losing the housing form that you have sent- make sure to send everything signed for/recorded delivery.

I'm not on UC but follow a lot of UC related groups from when I helped a friend claim and knew the extra £80 was being stopped next month, it was never going to be a permanent change and was always going to be stopped.

What housing forms do you mean? When I helped my friend she needed her tenancy agreement and her housing element was added to her claim. I know some people who rent from parents or immediate family members have had issues but even then it hasn't taken years to sort out. Something sounds wrong if they've made you wait for years for a form and then lose it.

Sorry you're having a hard time. If you're entitled to housing benefit it shouldn't take years to sort out and I'd be making a formal complaint about that. A friend on ESA didn't get any extra money for covid, she felt hard done by at first but now says she's pleased she didn't because she'd struggle when it was stopped.

And YANBU at all!

@Babyroobs - I don't know what level he has got but thank you for that information it has made me feel better. Re: housing costs - I am applying for the loan to help with the interest on my mortgage. I know everyone is losing it but it doesn't make it any easier.

@Babyroobs - thanks for that information about reporting the DLA, I will do that.

Oh and yes, hopefully some backpay. I applied in March. That could really help with getting some things DS needs.

@54321nought - thank you

@emilylily - the problem is I have to send the form to my mortgage company and then they send it to the DWP so I have no control over that. The mortgage company are pretty good at filling the form in and sending it off quite quickly as they let me know they have done it. Then there are months of trying to find out what is happening - being told something different each time I phone and then finally being told I have to do the form again. I did them for the 3rd time in May and I'm keeping everything crossed that this time it will be sorted!

@AnAnonymousCheerleader - I'm trying to apply for the loan to help pay the interest on my mortgage. It seems there is perhaps a lack of training around this loan as I get told so many different conflicting things. My issue is always going to be passed to a caseworker who will phone me but never does. I know it sounds unbelievable but it seriously took 2 years for me to get the first lot of forms! Yes, that makes sense with your friend - it was a shame they didn't get the increase but I suppose it was always going to be difficult for those of us who had it when it stopped. I was very naive and thought it wouldn't be taken away. I thought they would realise the UC rates were too low and keep the raise.

Could you work a couple of extra hours whilst the children are at school to make up the difference or is that not a possibility with your current employer?

You have to have been claiming UC for nine months before you can claim.

Also,

If you receive Universal Credit

You cannot get SMI if you get any of the following income:

earnings from your job if you’re employed or self-employed

Basically if you or your partner earn then you are not eligible for the loan.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss - I'm unable to work at the moment unfortunately.

@Dishwashersaurous - I'm single and unemployed.

YANBU OP. I've only been claiming since January so whilst I knew it was a temporary uplift I also don't have experience of managing on the lower amount. I will manage but will really have to cut my cloth. I've signed up my youngest DC to an extra day in preschool and have requested to increase my hours at work but my employers may well say no.

[quote UndertheCedartree]@Babyroobs - I don't know what level he has got but thank you for that information it has made me feel better. Re: housing costs - I am applying for the loan to help with the interest on my mortgage. I know everyone is losing it but it doesn't make it any easier.[/quote]
Ok so even if he was only awarded middle rate care component, you would get an extra £129 per month disabled child element and £163.73 carers element and the DLA paid separately, so I'm guessing at least £500 a month better off overall. Also if you are affected by the benefit cap currently that would be lifted once your son is awarded DLA. If he was awarded higher rate care, the disabled child element is more like £400 a month so even better off if awarded that. just giving you a few figures to put your mind at rest that you will be ok. Sorry I can't help much with the SMI, but it does seem a lot of hassle to claim and not a lot of people seem to claim it with it now being more of a loan.

@cadburyegg - I'm sorry to hear this will affect you too, best wishes

@babyroobs - thank you for that - I really had no idea there was a disabled child element. He won't get higher rate but I'm hoping for middle but we'll see. You have made me feel so much better.

Is there any scope for you to work in the future? Is the dad contributing?

@idontlikealdi - I hope so - I'm a nurse and would really like to get back to that. The DC's dad does contribute but he is on a low income so it is not much.