Coming Off Benefits

[HoolaCoola]

I'm in a bit of a pickle with the whole benefits saga and not sure of a way out. Because I had carers allowance for my adult daughter I could never work more than 16 hours a week. I have been struggling for years and cut lots of corners just to live - only basics and essentials so no beauty products, no household goods, no garden products, no new clothes, skipping meals etc etc. Now my daughter has lost his DLA (new PIP rules) so I lose my CA. I would need to work an extra 8 hours a week just to cover that loss. Another 8 hours work and that should cover the loss in housing benefits because I'm now earning more money. Anything else worked will probably get taken off my tax credits and then there's employees tax and NI to pay. So I somehow need to find a 40 hour job and still not be able to eat! No clue how or where I find this job. Then there is leaving the child constantly home alone. They have just started secondary school so not too young. Any wise ideas anyone?

If you are getting working tax credits then if you can do 30 hours there is an additional 30 hour element, or maybe get a Universal credit calculation done as some people are better off on UC ( despite the bad press) and you would still get a rent element. Ask CAB for a better off calculation of which would work better for you.

Go back to pip, this is a known government tactic on changeover from dla. But the child doesn't magically get better or stop being disabled. Take the forms to cab.

Also if you don't challenge now it's harder for your child later on post 18 to get help.

Hoola, please ask for a mandatory reconsideration with regards to the PIP.

If that fails go on to Tribunal.

If your DD needs care and support then she is entitled to PIP.

My son who can wash and dress himself gets enhanced rate care and mobility as he needs so much prompting to wash and dress himself. In five years time he might not need PIP at all ...we just don’t know.

His friend was also refused ...and further declined at Mandatory Reconsideration. I helped her do the forms for Tribunal but they never got there as the DWP reversed their decision before it went ahead...her son now gets enhanced rate care and mobility.

This seems to be happening a lot.

If your daughter needs care don’t accept the decision.

Sadly that's the reason why people who work 40 hours and do just only get by resent those who are not worse of then them on benefits.

There are many such people and you have no choice but to make changes to your budget to make it work. Even on nmw, working 40 hours, you should be able to live without skipping meals and buying some household products, beauty, and garden products, if not all each month.

swing and that’s fine if her daughter doesn’t require care. If her daughter DOES require care then doing “a NMW 40 hr week” may well be nigh on impossible.

She needs to ask for a mandatory Reconsideration and then go to Tribunal if this is refused.

I’d love a 40hr a week job or even the 37hr well paid one I used to have. Fact is that what I want doesn’t matter as my son requires a great deal of support.

Benefits should be there for those who need them. Nothing the OP posted tells me that she doesn’t require them....what she needs is advice about appealing the PIP decision because far too many people are being turned down. As an example another friend whose child has severe issues has just been refused PIP. The child..just turned 16 spends half her life in a wheelchair and is incontinent. She also has hearing difficulties . Despite this an assessor deemed her able to what, able to cope with public transport and able to care for herself. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so bloody appalling I am hearing this all too frequently.

Challenge the decision not to award PIP. Visit Citizens Advice and ask them for help with that as well as working out your options and calculating how your benefits will change if/when you change your working hours.

So it is your adult daughter that you claimed CA for, and a younger child that has just started secondary?

Have you put an appeal in yet? What are her care needs in terms of impact on your week? Do you have a partner who can help with care to facilitate work?

A return to work was probably inevitable at some point, what did you do previoi?

Previously 😬