Leaving work to be a carer - advice needed regarding benefits

[Alibex12]

Hi,
I have two children (4&3) who are both autistic and non verbal. My eldest receives HRC and youngest MRC. I am classed as my sons carer and my husband currently works.
We receive UC and I get carers allowance. As caring for both children alone is becoming too much, with reduced timetables at school, constant appointments and just a general lack of safety when out and about, its looking like my husband might need to give up work to help out. My question is what is the process for going about doing this? He would have to work an & week notice period at work and then we would inform universal credit that he is no longer in work, whilst applying for carers allowance for our daughter, which he can't apply for until he is no longer working (as this is over the carers allowance threshold.) It says carers allowance can take up to 3 months to make a decision, but will this impact us with UC or can he be accepted as a carer beforehand?

Thanks!

DH should already be getting the carer element of UC. That isn’t related to DH working/his earnings. You don’t have to be receiving carer’s allowance to get it. If DH isn’t already receiving UC’s carer element, you can report a change now and also request it is backdated. Once DH stops work, you can inform UC. Although when his earnings stop, they will know he doesn’t have any income, anyway.

You should also be getting the carer element of UC. Your claim should have the severely disabled child element for DC1 and the disabled child element for DC2 too.

Separately, do you think either DC meets the criteria for HRM DLA? Do you think MRC is the right rate for DC2 or do you think they meet the criteria for HRC?

As an aside, unrelated to benefits, do DC have EHCPs? You could also look at social care assessments. On their website, Contact has model letters you can use. Also, have a look at your local short breaks offer. And it is worth asking if Home Start can support you.

Thanks so much for the reply! I thought this might be the case so we are going to make a change on our account later to update this.

If he was no longer working would he be expected to be looking for a job or would he be exempt due to being a carer? Also, he wouldn't be able to claim carers allowance until after his last month of work as prior to that he will have earned above the threshold and then it is taking around 9 weeks to have the carers claim looked at. Do you know if this will this all be ok in terms of commitments with UC and will it be accepted without having confirmation of carers allowance for potentially 3 months?

Yeah, I get the carers element for my son and we get the SDCE and DCE also :)

I'm currently appealing my son's DLA as he definitely meets the criteria for HRM, just at the stage of awaiting DWP's response to the appeal. I am planning on doing a COC for my daughter as I think she also should qualify for HRC.

Son has an EHCP, started school in September and is in a designated provision and daughters nursery is about to do the needs assessment request for her. Thank you for all the extra advice, I will have a look into everything mentioned!

As a carer, there won’t be any work related requirements as part of DH’s commitments. This isn’t dependent on DH receive carer’s allowance. He should be down as a carer on your UC claim now.

You should have 2 carer elements on your claim. Both you and DH should already be receiving them. Are you? DH does not have to be receiving carer’s allowance for this.

No, we only get one of lot of the carers element, but we’ve been in touch with them now to make sure we get the 2nd carers element added!

Request that it is backdated too.