Right OK sorry
This is a latter but to an MP I was chatting to only last week so less formal than normal IYSWIM
I hope you don't mind but after talking to other people in a similar situation this weekend I have decided to contact my MP about the changes to a universal credit system, to explain how it would affect us. I will remind you from my previous email that we are a family with two autistic children (and two others), I am a carer and part time MA student, and my husband is a full time student who also has a part time income from his own very small business.
Obviously there are no details at this stage but I have a feeling that should we wait for them it would be too late.
The Government has reassured people that DLA will continue as a separate entity, and said that will help carers. However, legally DLA has to be spent (rightly) on the cared for person: it is not an income for us. George Osbourne has in the past referred to DLA as working against getting people into work: in fact, DLA is paid alongside work, study or school for many and is simply a benefit designed to cover the costs of a disability. Given that there is an entire system for under 16 years old, I cannot myself see how those children should be working but then it seems fairly clear George Osborne has very little understanding of the systems he helps administer.
What there has been so far is no mention of Carer's Allowance except a comment that the new system will help us if we want to take odd bits of work (actually quite useful in itself). That would seem to imply that we are covered, then.
Except at this stage Carer's Allowance is paid to any carer who cares for someone requiring medium to high rate DLA for more than 36 hours a week, works under 18 hours in a paid job and earns under £100 a week. If you get income support as well I understand you are allowed to keep a little of the Carer's Allowance, as it is recognised you are providing a service. I haven't claimed income support though so cannot confirm that.
What a new universal credit will do is means test a significant proportion of carers away from the system. At this moment, people are entitled to receive it regardless of their family income: it is considered apparently as compensation for the costs and work of care.
All these people will completely lose their entitlement under a universal system if it is truly universal, and if it did have extra clauses for carers then it would not be universal and would have the extra administration costs that they claim will be saved. Either way, something is decidedly up!
So far I have spoken to two people who are really going to be affected: one woman providing care for a family member that she really does not get on with and will return to work and pass the costs to the state if this comes in, and
I realise that there is only so much you can do but if you can help highlight how this may affect carers then we would appreciate it. There were so many pre-election promises about how we wouldn't lose out yet it seems we may well, by stealth. I won't be affected yet by the introduction of means testing for what replaces Carer's Allowances but a great many will, and there will be some for whom that is a push too far, especially in these days of Social Services cuts when respite and disability childcare are slightly rarer than moondust.
Whilst I am mailing though there is in fact one thing that would enable me to get back into work a year earlier than seems possible at the moment.