Hi everyone, I don’t won’t this to sound wrong, my wife has recently been diagnosed with ms, she has had mobility problems for seven years, we have two young children, and I work 6 days a week to try and support them, my wife gets high rate dla and we get tax credits, Now this is where I dont want people to think of this the wrong way, But is there anything that we could claim so that I can cut down my working hours so I can spend more time at hom. To help my wife, We tried claiming help with carers allowance, housing benefit, but because I work we have been knocked back because I am on a (high) income, I earn 13,500 per annum, is there anything else we can try? Thank you very much in advance for any advise, Regards
I have MS and explored income options when I had to retire on health grounds. The only success I had was my county council assessed me and I receive £108 a month following a referal from social services. This money is used for treatment I get from my local therapy centre. All other avenues proved a dead end. I wish you both well. Peter.
You say your wife gets high rate - mobility - how about the personal care part as she might be on the low rate and could be getting more. l was getting 'severe disablement ’ and high rate mobility DLA + disabled car tax free. Now l have had to claim my state pension as they have stopped the SDA - because l am of pensionable age. l am going to see if l can claim a higher rate for personal care - as my situation changed many years ago and l never informed them that my condition had deteriorated.
The benefitsandwork site is good for finding out what you are entitiled to - except you have to pay a annual fee. directgov might be another one to try. And of course Citizens Advice Bureau.
You might find you are entitled to family credits etc.
Hope you get some financial help. l know if l did not have a OH who had a good job - [now both retired] l would never have been able to live on my benefits.
And do make sure - if you have not already - get an exemption certificate for prescription charges. lts a case of - lf you don’t ask you won’t get. MS is a progressive illness - l never paid for my prescriptions years ago. Now l am over 60 -l get exemption anyway.
Thanks for your replies, she is only entitled to the mobility component on her dla, we did apply for Both components but they said because im in full time work, she can’t get it, im quite baffled by it all, im worried about the situation in the future if my wife needs more help and I would have to cut down my hours/ give up work completely to be a full time carer, and be in a worse position than we are now, I will definitely look into seeing the cab service, Thanks again
It might be worth giving the MS Society helpline 0808 800 8000 a ring to see if they can suggest anything.
Good Luck**!**
Anne
Hi Have you looked at the benefit advisor section of gov.uk to see if you would be better off reducing your hours at work to see if you would be eligible for housing benefit, carers allowance or higher tax credits. You can play around and enter different figures to see of possible entitlements. Sorry I can’t help more. Neil
You haven’t mentioned if your wife is claiming carers part of DLA?? I’ve just recently applied for change of circumstances and was given the lowest level of carers part, which is £84 month. Of course take all the great advice already given. It could be working part time may bring you into the benefit bracket. Personally!! considering you have two young children and a wife just diagnosed with ms and other mobility problems, you could do with a break. Good luck to you all.
The quick and brutal answer to your question is “NO”
Let me try and explain. Your income is way too high to qualify for anything that is means tested and I can’t think of anything else. I know that you want to cut down your hours and I can understand that but there are no benefits that will replace that level of lost income.
Lets say – for example – that you had to give up your job completely to care for your wife – you would be eligible for carers allowance of £59.75 per week. You would also fall into the housing benefit (if you are in rented) and Council Tax Benefit bracket. The other thing that would happen is that your wife would be eligible to apply for income related ESA (about £100.00 per week) But that is only if you give up your employment altogether.
Clearly that level of benefit would come nowhere near what you are earning now and there is nothing to replace just part of your income. I am sorry to be so harsh but the hard fact of life is that when disability comes in the door, standard of living zooms out of the window.
I have racked my brain to think of something I can point you to but have come up blank. The government expect you to be able to live on a paltry sum each week and if you are earning above this figure (even part time) you are more or less expected to get on with it.
Sorry
Jane
Hi, dunno what, if any, contribution you would have to pay, but have you thought about Direct Payments? I use this to pay carers to come in and help me with personal care and 1 sleepover a week, to give hubby a good night`s sleep.
I dont have to pay anything, as we still have a sizeable mortgage and pay full council tax. Plus we have no savings, so this entitles me to free care.
Hope it helps.
pollx
Hi, I can’t offer much help really but I am really confused by your comment that your wife is only entitled to the mobility component of dla because you are in full time work. This is incorrect. Dla is not dependent on income or work and is not taxed. Your wife’s entitlement to any component of dla is not dependent on your working. If I have understood what you have said correctly and this is indeed what has happened, the first thing you must do is to apply for the care component of dla. I don’t know your wife and what problems she has but from what you have said it sounds like she should qualify for the care component. Btw, I work and so does my husband and I am in receipt of both mobility and care component of dla. Cheryl:-)
Thanks for all your comments, I ment that she cannot claim carers allowance on her dla as I am working more than x amount of hours, we will try again next time it is due for renewal. When I applied for housing a few years ago the council told me a couple can live of 90 pound a week between them, I don’t know if it increases if you have children? Just another quick question she is awaiting the form from the dvla to inform them of the change in medical condition, what exactly happens after they get the form back, she is quite worried they will revoke her licence. Sorry for all the questions it is quite daunting,
Ah, carers allowance, yes that is different. Can I just confirm then that she does receive both the mobility and care components of dla. Cheryl:-)
Sorry, don’t know anything about the benefits. The DVLA will only revoke her licence if the medics say she is unfit to drive. I’m on a 3 year restricted licence with mini bus / van entitlement taken away. Think that’s usually the case. Good luck with the financial part - hope you can get the support you need. xx
Hello Chaplow. Can you just be clear about what your saying in relation to your wife and care component of DLA. When claiming DLA your wife as claimed high level for the mobility?? as she claimed for the care part of DLA section on the form?? Its not means tested so as got nothing to do with you working.
Thank you all for your comments, they are very helpful, and I will look into what I will be able to do regarding work etc, in relation to your question blossom, when she first applied for dla she didn’t put down for care component, as she wasn’t as bad as she is now, so will have to apply next time when dla needs renewing.
If that’s what you want to do chaplow…fair enough. I’m on indefinate award for DLA so I did a change of circumstance form. I don’t know where you live but I’m in the area were at present there not swithching to pip for applications to change of circumstance so could be worth you checking.
You won’t need to wait till dla needs renewing, if you think she should now be entitled to the care component then you should reapply now. Cheryl:-)
With regard to a DLA change in circumstances.
Any DLA change that you wish to report with regard to care or mobility will cause the whole award being looked at again. It is entirely possible that a previous high rate component can be changed even though this is not the one that you want looking at.
If you are in Wales, West Midlands , East Midlands or East Anglia a request for a change will prompt an invitation to apply for PIP and you will become subject to the more rigorous 20M mobility rule. The rest of the country will come into this October 2015.
Jane