For anyone worried by changes to benefits

[g.herschel]

if a carer moves onto universal credit , they will in fact receive an increase in their allowance / benefit , as the universal credit will be set at the same rate of J.S.A. (whatever that will be in a few years time) at the moment cares allowabce £53 per week j.s.a. is over £60 per week ,,,,, but as the only carers who move onto the universal credit will be in receipt of other means tested benefit , they will not receive any extra cash ,,,
i strongly believe we, that is carers who are , or will be entitled to the new universal credit will have a good claim re discrimination, as they will be req by law to "work" for their universal credit 35 hours per week , while others will not have to work at all, and will receive the same level of benefit ...

the carers allowance should have been set aside from the universal credit , and raised to the same level of the universal credit , with no loss of any other means tested benfits .....

when i retire in a few years time , as i have a private pension i will be unable to claim the carer premium thingy bog whatsit ...
and if the state pension becomes a universal pension at £140 per week this is above the means tested level of £132 per week, which will result in many pensioners being forced to pay their council tax and rent ....

[marie66]

the carers allowance should have been set aside from the universal credit , and raised to the same level of the universal credit , with no loss of any other means tested benfits .....

George I would have prefered this too as I would then not have lost the recognition of 'Carer' and been back in the unemployed pot!

marie x

[Lazydaisy]

one of my big worries is that the universal benefit is supposed to be paid as one payment per household.(the last time I read about it; who knows it could have changed by now).
My son with Downs Syndrome lives with us, he has benefits in his own right. If it is amalgamated with ours, will Social Services be able to take our finances into account when assessing Ben's ability to pay for services?
How long before our disabled adult children lose the benefits they are at present entitled to?

[Scally]

What annoys me is that someone who has never saved a penny or even paid National Insurance contributions will still get £180 or whatever in universal credits and so on from the State, this isnt fair to hard working low-waged savers who will have build up a modest pension pot but effectively stand to gain very little from it, like George if you like. The average public sector pension is only around £7,000 per annum. The future still appears to belong to the feckless .. unless I have read it wrong?

[charles47]

one of my big worries is that the universal benefit is supposed to be paid as one payment per household.(the last time I read about it; who knows it could have changed by now).
My son with Downs Syndrome lives with us, he has benefits in his own right. If it is amalgamated with ours, will Social Services be able to take our finances into account when assessing Ben's ability to pay for services?
How long before our disabled adult children lose the benefits they are at present entitled to?

As Ben is an adult, he is not considered part of the household - that is, he is a non-dependent who happens to live in your house. So he'll have a right to his own income, even under the new rules.

[Lazydaisy]

Thank you Charles.

[JohnT]

]http://www.carersuk.org/images/icon_confused.gif[/img] now i am getting even more confused.

Join the club Audrey

[kenneth2dundee]

Good briefing, very clear]"Online community of 3000 carers" [/i]... I think that constitutes hype, and its easy to check. Plus that figre includes people who no longer post ... best to avoid using contentious figures like this.

I just feel that we carers mean nothing and thats why l dont post anymore. just no bothered anymore we are been screwed left right and centre l agree with above kendundeenowfife

[Scally]

Carers haven't really been screwed, Kenneth. We just never tried hard enough to negotiate from a position of strength. If a few more tens of thousands joined the only democratic carers organisation, Carers UK and took an active part: then we would have a better negotiating position. But if they don't join, then we are a weak force, a Voice yes, but in the wilderness. After twenty years of active membership I am entirely phlegmatic.

[cheekipixi]

I am totally and utterley confused. Not only have I too deal with this, I have had my diagnosis taken from me, so now thearetically I am not ill and can return to work but my illness is bipolar and Borderline Personality Disorder.
#
In addition to this my son who is in an out of county primary school (having been basically thrown out his 2 previous primary schools) due to his illnessess and issues (Combined ADHD, ODD, Dyslexia, Learning Difficulties and Severe Behavioural Problems) has recently become a Residential Pupil due to his Social unawareness, Learning Difficulties ans Behavioural Problems, voluntaraly - I asked for this, to give hima better chance of a better future, will be soon having his money stopped/reduced because he is now in a Residential setting. He still comes home on a Friday and returns Mondays and is home all holidays. His problems are still there, where he loses items of clothing, needs constant stimulation ie activities to get rid of his energy, he destroyes things ie, doors, front doors, furniture etc, I still have to find the money for those from somewhere.

Having an unrecongisable illness even though we have a diagnosis in this Country nowadays, well what can I say apart from, we might as well be dead!