Incapacity benefit, ESA and Carers! sorry

[Gatti]

Hello, I'm new to the forum and need advice! At the moment I am still on incapacity benefit, I suffer with a severe mental illness. I am also a carer to my ex-husband, in a way we support each other.
I'm still waiting for that letter from DWP and the form for ESA, I have decided if they ask me for an interview/medical I'm not going. I want to come off it voluntary, so what would happen? Would they just re-calculate my benefit? Carer's and the carer's premium?
I really don't feel well at all and couldn't cope with a medical,I see a Psychiatrist every 4 month's and she has increased my meds an added another one on.

So please if this happens what would I do.

Many thanks

[phaedra]

If you are a full time carer for your husband and receive carers allowance you should be able to stay on IB as a carer.

I was on IS for my own disabilities but also care for my Autistic son, they switched me over to ESA work related (no medical), I then found out that I should have been asked if I wanted to stay on IS as a carer, it took them 3 months to sort it out but I'm now back on IS.

[Gatti]

Hi thanks for your reply, I'm not understanding what can be done, sorry bit fuzzy at the moment.
I get something called underlying carer's allowance. I find the whole system very confusing.

[Stepheninleeds]

Do you have a good local CAB? If so, they can advise you on what benefits you can claim, help you to claim them & ease your mind. It is a maze of confusion. If it had not been for the CAB my mother & I would not have claimed most benefits.

[Carneucopia]

I'm afraid it isn't clear whether you get contribution based IB or not. In other words do - or would - you qualify for Income Support based on savings and other income?
You can certainly give up your IB claim, but you need to be sure first whether or not you would be able to claim any Income Support to top up the Carers Allowance you would be left with. You also need to be aware that your ex will eventually have to change from DLA to PIP, and if there is any risk of him losing the personal care element at that stage then obviously you would also lose your Carers Allowance.
So yes - please see a CAB or other advisor to look at all the detail for you before you decide.

[Gatti]

Do you have a good local CAB? If so, they can advise you on what benefits you can claim, help you to claim them & ease your mind. It is a maze of confusion. If it had not been for the CAB my mother & I would not have claimed most benefits.

Thanks for your reply,I don't have a CAB near me though, plus Welfare Rights in my area is very limited due to the cuts!

[Gatti]

I'm afraid it isn't clear whether you get contribution based IB or not. In other words do - or would - you qualify for Income Support based on savings and other income?
You can certainly give up your IB claim, but you need to be sure first whether or not you would be able to claim any Income Support to top up the Carers Allowance you would be left with. You also need to be aware that your ex will eventually have to change from DLA to PIP, and if there is any risk of him losing the personal care element at that stage then obviously you would also lose your Carers Allowance.
So yes - please see a CAB or other advisor to look at all the detail for you before you decide.

I get IB due to contributions, I also get underlying carer's premium? My ex hubby will be 65 when the PIP starts,so I'm hoping he would be ok with that? I don't have savings, my own income is made up of Incapacity Benefit,underlying carer's premium and my own DLA.
I don't have a CAB to see and where there was once a really good Welfare Rights advice it has now gone, I was really upset to hear that.

[Stepheninleeds]

You need to find some advice Gatti. You may need to consider traveling to a CAB. I know, not easy, & will cost money, but if you can find a good one, it could be worth the trip. You can call the Helpline & see what they can arrange, such as nearest appointment. You may find that a local medical centre, former church, etc, has CAB offices once a week.

[Carneucopia]

I've just realised this links with your newer post Gatti about your husbands IB.
We don't know yet what will happen to people on DLA at 65 when PIP starts. But your own Carers will be an underlying entitlement to Carers Allowance - not to a premium - as you clearly don't get any IS.
Your own age is important in all this as well, as I mentioned in my reply to your other post. But if you came off IB yourself and are of an age for a Pension Credit claim then the PC would include premiums based on the Carers Allowance. When you start to get your own State Pension that again would 'overlap' with your pension - as it does now with your IB. Obviously you wouldn't be claiming Pension Credit as a couple though.
There is certainly a lot to consider and you really do need to try to get advice even if it means having to travel to a CAB I'm afraid.