Please help me apply for carers allowance and explain dla/ uc payments. Thank you !!

[Winxx]

Hi not sure if this is the right category so please move if necessary.

My dd was awarded dla in April but it was backdated from Feb when I applied/ got the form. I got the payments and I think the uc element but I don’t actually know to be honest as it’s not broken down or explained anywhere.

My question is about carers allowance, I am going to apply as I have been told to by this employment company so thhey can take me off their job search list. I am having trouble with the first question and really needing help!
So the questions I am struggling with are

1. when do you want carers allowance to start?
2. Were you providing care for the person for more than 35 hours a week before this date?

what should my answers be?

1. today or tomorrow’s date? Or the backdated date from feb?
2. yes and then put the backdated date from February?

Inbetween q 1 and 2 I selected yes, I was caring for this child before this date.

I’ve had other previous comments and also been told in person to tell uc to backdate the payments, what payment? I think it’s the dla one? I am very confused with all of this and have very little
knowledge, I tried calling my local citizens advice but they just read out then screen which doesn’t help me.
I don’t understand any of the payments tbh and the different elements so no idea as to what I should be getting. I feel very embarrassed even making the claims.

please help me anyone and you can talk to me like a 2 year old, I’m clearly very thick!

Looking at UC first.

Look at your UC statements.

The statements will tell you the elements that make up your claim.

You are looking for the disabled child element or disabled child element depending on what rate DLA DD receives.

Then also the carer element if you meet the criteria for that.

These elements need to be backdated. To cover the time back to when DD was awarded DLA. You need to ask for these elements to be backdated if you haven’t already.

The carer element will remove the conditionality to search for work.

Now moving on to carer’s allowance.

1. Put the date in Feb when the DLA award started. You want CA to start when the DLA award started in Feb. Normally, CA can be backdated 3 months, but when caring for someone who has recently been awarded an eligible benefit, if you apply within 3 months of being awarded, it can be backdated to the start of the award. So if DLA was awarded in April, you may have to apply quickly if you want CA backdated to Feb.
2. If you put Feb’s date for when you want CA to start, you can put no (because even if you say yes it won’t be backdated before the DLA award began). Or you can put yes but know it won’t be backdated anyway.

Thank you so much scoop, would you mind walking through it with me? You’ve broken it down wonderfully for me btw, and I had no idea they provided statements!

So I’ve just checked the statement for this month and the payments are for
standard
child
carer- it states ‘because you’ve told us you care for someone.’

It won’t be carers allowance because I haven’t applied yet. This must be the automatic carers element that I’ve been told would apply, does this need to be backdated or not?

This is all the uc payment for myself and then there is a separate dla payment which comes at a later date. Does that sound as it should?

I was going to ask if I needed to still apply for carers allowance but I remembered you said it would eliminate the job search criteria so I probably should. I’m kind of answering my own question here but I guess I’ll start the application now! I will wait for your reply hopefully, as I really appreciate your guidance through it. Thank you so much- you’ve helped me way more than the professionals in just a single post. Thank you ☺️

You are welcome.

Breaking it down again.

Yes, DLA and UC are separate benefits and paid separately.

Looking at UC’s carer element first.

You have the carer element on your claim.

Yes, it needs to be backdated to the start date of DD’s DLA award. If it hasn’t already been backdated and you haven’t already requested it and are just waiting for it to be processed, you need to request it is backdated via leaving a message on your journal.

The carer element removes the conditionality to search for work. If that hasn’t happened for you, you need to remind them.

Now looking at UC’s disabled child/severely disabled child element.

If you only have the standard element, child element and carer element on your claim, you are missing the disabled child/severely disabled child element. You should have the severely disabled child element if DD receives HRC DLA. If it is any other rate of DLA DD has been awarded, you should have the disabled child element.

For this, you need to report a change.

Then also request the element is backdated to the start date of DD’s DLA by leaving another message on your journal.

Now looking at carer’s allowance.

It won’t give you any more money. Although you will receive carer’s allowance it will be deducted £ for £ from UC. It also won’t make any physical difference to you right now. However, you should still apply for carer’s allowance because it gives a better class of NI credits than UC does.

Do you rent or own your own home?