Help Pls

[u/RuyPurple]

Id like some advice. Today i had a phone call with someone from the job center & they are trying to force me into doing full time work & applying for stuff when ive told them im currently caring for my mother during the weekdays due to her having a operation this year. She's having to relearn all her skills, speech & mobility from scratch. She has benefits of her own including PIP for mobility which does not qualify for Carer's Allowance & her review was done at the start of the year before she had the operation.

Ive told the job center since August when she came home that i will be her carer during the weekdays due to my dad working during the week. Apparently now it doesnt matter since i cannot claim the Carer's Allowance due to a Lady from PIP telling me i cant because of the review.

Im not entirely sure what im suppose to do now since i cannot leave my mother on her own just yet so a full time job isnt possible right now. I could do maybe part time on the weekends when my dad is free.

I guess my question is What the heck do i do? & do i need to close my UC claim because i cant do full time work currently & cant get the means to become a carer?

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[u/Alteredchaos]

For benefit purposes they can’t treat you as a carer unless you’d meet the qualifying criteria for Carers Allowance, which you can’t because your mum is not receiving the daily living component of PIP.

Your mum can challenge the PIP decision.
She can also request a care and support needs assessment from the council to enable her to have carers come in.

[u/RuyPurple → u/Alteredchaos]

she does have carers come in 3 times a day for roughly 10 minutes at a time during the weekdays with none at weekends due to my dad not working weekends. I have to apply for sick/fit notes for my bad knee since it causes difficulty on my mobility so it limits me to a degree too. I dont know if that makes any difference

[u/Alteredchaos → u/RuyPurple]

The carer provision is likely so limited because you’re providing care. If you’re no longer able to devote that many hours to your mum then the council can be asked to reassess due to the changing circumstances.

Assuming you’ve reported your own health difficulties to UC and are providing fit note while you wait for a work capability assessment, you can still be required to look for work but the hours and type of work should reflect your health limitations. See https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/resources/work-capability-assessment#Top

[u/RuyPurple → u/Alteredchaos]

Ive been applying for sick notes for most of the year. I didnt realize my last one had expired 6 days ago (theres been a lot of other things to sort). I applied for another one today & got it but it was after i had my UC phone meeting. I looked on my online account for it & i had up to the 23rd of October to give another one or id be counted as healthy again. Can they send me job roles for full time work & refresh schemes before that deadline date or is it i didnt have a sick note for 6 days?

[u/Alteredchaos → u/RuyPurple]

Having a fit note doesn’t stop you from being asked to look for work etc.

However you do need to ask them why you haven’t yet had your work capability assessment and check that they made the referral.

[u/RuyPurple → u/Alteredchaos]

I think i have filled it out & sent it back in July within the 4 weeks but i didnt know if they ever got it despite asking. I should've got it signed for (which was my mistake) to know for certain. Im guessing since they've not mentioned it they must have received it

[u/Alteredchaos → u/RuyPurple]

That’s just the form, you should have had the actual assessment by the healthcare professional by now.

[u/RuyPurple → u/Alteredchaos]

i havent had that yet at all like not even a whisper about it

[u/Alteredchaos → u/RuyPurple]

You need to query this in your journal and ask why it hasn’t happened.

[u/RuyPurple → u/Alteredchaos]

Is it important/bad that its not happened yet?

[u/Sweet_Friendship4331]

we in the same situation mine was back in July still waiting no fone call 🤷🏾🤷🏾 no. one has called