DLA v PIP and Caring

[David_170712345]

Hi I am new and unsure on how to post, it seems to be very complicated, I have tried to ask a question but it was thrown out because there were to many search words that I placed a + or a - infront of, I have also spent a few days looking through many posts to see if there is an answer to my question. My subject is simple, it is DLA v PIP and Caring. Anything else I type would probably not make sense or be far to long so, Let me start from the beginning, 25 years ago both my wife and I were working then disaster struck my wife got ill, she was diagnosed with ME which was quite rare 25 years ago, she was bed bound for many years, and because we had a mortgage, our money was tight, our income had dropped so I got 2 jobs, which took a toll on my health, my wife also had serious back pain and an mri found degenerative disc disease the doctor said it could not be fixed, she was prescribed morphine and other pain meds to help and she has been on these ever since, she has mobility issues and can walk slowly but needs to stop frequently to rest. She applied for DLA and was seen by a doctor and was awarded HRC and HRM for life, although I was working at this time and I also had 2 jobs I was advised to apply for carers allowance which I did and I am not sure how much was paid, my wife was also paid incapacity benefit as well. Fifteen years later I got ill, I was assaulted at work, threatened to be put in a wheelchair by 2 thugs and because of the stress and strain of having 2 jobs, caring for my wife, not getting enough sleep, I just didn't have the ability to get better and one night after losing both jobs I tried to commit suicide as I had hidden PTSD from family and friends for years I am a vet who served in a vicious conflict in the 70s and memories were flooding through me. I was then advised to also claim DLA which I did, I was seen by a doctor and examined, I was also awarded HRC and HRM as well as incapacity benefit, so my wife claimed carers for me and under the DLA rule it was granted so I called the DWP and queried this but a lady said that my wife can claim carers for me and I can claim carers for my wife, it's not in payment it's an underlying entitlement however we get top ups in ESA, I am in the support group and my wife is connected to my claim Now comes the real question, someone has told me that the rules have changed and that if someone is disabled and claiming PIP then they cannot be a carer is this true and if yes what should we do.

[bowlingbun]

Carers UK has a brilliant helpline to answer exactly this sort of question in full.
They are so much better than the DWP's own helpline. DWP said I wasn't entitled to CA, but CUK's helpline gave me all the information I needed to challenge the DWP decision, and I won. It's often busy if you phone, so send them and email instead and they will usually get back to you within a week.

[Colin_1705]

How has it affected your monthly income though?

[Colin_1705]

PIP is the replacement benefit, basically speaking, for the benefit previously known as DLA.

Is it the DWP who have told you this thing about caring, and did they put it in writing?

[susieq]

Carers UK has a brilliant helpline to answer exactly this sort of question in full.
They are so much better than the DWP's own helpline. DWP said I wasn't entitled to CA, but CUK's helpline gave me all the information I needed to challenge the DWP decision, and I won. It's often busy if you phone, so send them and email instead and they will usually get back to you within a week.

I suggest that you contact the Carers UK Adviceline team as they are the experts on all matters related to caring and benefits.

Need expert advice? You can talk to the Carers UK Adviceline five days a week, no matter where you are in the UK or how complex your query is. We do benefits checks and advise on financial and practical matters related to caring.

Freephone: 0808 808 7777
email: advice@carersuk.org
Open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm

The Carers UK Adviceline also includes a listening service, there for you to talk through your caring situation with a trained volunteer who understands what you are going through. Available Mondays and Tuesdays, from 9am to 7pm.

If you can’t get through on the phones (lines are often oversubscribed) then send them an email, they’ll usually get back to you within 3-5 working days.

[sunnydisposition]

https://space.carers.org/t/a-warning-to ... ng-pip/671

I'm not able to find anything that states you can't claim carers allowance. And receive pip at the same time.

The above information link... is good to know as I didn't know.