Does a new claim for carers allowance trigger a claim for Universal credit?

[johnsmi]

Hi,

I am on ESA support group (CB) and we get tax credits as well, also receive high rate DLA (both components) for our autistic child. We don't receive any means tested benefit.

As I was migrated to ESA from Incapacity benefit, and because under IB because we had a child I received an adult addition for my partner which I still get paid under ESA under transitional protection but is due to end in April 2020 next year.

My partner can't claim carers allowance for our child at the moment because as I understand it, I receive that adult addition and she is considered to have something called an underlying entitlement.

Now she would like to claim carers allowance from next April, when my ESA transitional protection ends. We are in a fully rolled out UC area.

Our concern is would this claim for carers allowance be considered a change of circumstance that would trigger a UC claim, which we don't want to claim.

Any clarification as to whether claiming carers allowance can trigger a UC claim would be welcome.

Many thanks.
John

[nukecad]

Carers Allowance stays outside of UC and will not trigger any UC claim or migration. CA can still be claimed in it's own right.

As you say the TA from IB-ESA transfers ends on 5 April 2020.

So if your partners CA is only being stopped from being in payment because of that TA then when it ends he should ask for the CA to be put into payment.


PS. You are actually claiming an Income Related (means tested) benefit - Your Child Tax Credits will eventually be migrated to UC as we said in one of your previous threads.
But even when that happens your CB ESA and any Carers Allowance will still stay outside of UC.

Have you had a letter yet about the IB to ESA transfer review that is currently taking place?
I can't see you mentioning that in any of your previous posts.
They made a mistake and have only being paying CB ESA to some who transfered from IB, when they should have been paying them both CB ESA and IR ESA.
That could also be important and could change your benefits for the better.
In your particular case though that is complicated by the Transitional Addition.

As you currently have CTC which is Income Related then it suggests that you are also entitled to some Income Related ESA as well as the CB ESA.
This may not be being paid at the moment because of your Transitional Addition, or it may be that they just haven't reviewed your case yet.
If it's not being paid because of your TA then once the TA stops next April then the IR ESA payments should kick in.

TBH I'd need to know just what ESA/TA you are currently getting, and probably more details of your circumstances to work anything out about that.

[johnsmi]

Thanks Nukecad for your very helpful reply. I see your point about Tax credits being a means tested benefit, but as I understand it doesn't take max amount of savings allowed into consideration (16k) like other means tested benefits, just the interest earned on any savings, that is over £300

I do not think I would have qualified for any ESA income related at any time in the past because of savings we have, so probably if they wrote to me to review my ESA migration from IB I would just write back saying that I don't think I would be entitled anyways at any time to a top up because of the savings rules.

Just want to do everything by the book.

Many thanks once again.

John

[nukecad]

I do not think I would have qualified for any ESA income related at any time in the past because of savings we have, so probably if they wrote to me to review my ESA migration from IB I would just write back saying that I don't think I would be entitled anyways at any time to a top up because of the savings rules.

If they write to you then always fill in the form.

There is more than one member here who was convinced that they didn't qualify only to be very pleasantly surprised to get a backpayment, and an ongoing increase.