possible to claim PIP for a wife, and her carer husband?

[mafiaduck]

Hi guys,

 

Trying to help out a couple I know who have been after some information, but can't seem to get a solid answer.

 They're both in their late 40's, the wife is disabled and subsequently gets PIP. The husband is registered as her carer. They live together, do everything together. He however has to leave the house on occasion to get shopping, attend his own medical appointments, have some time to himself, things like that. But he suffers from a huge anxiety issue, and also from Migraines which can come on suddenly and require him to get home quick (the anxiety can help spark them). He's unable to work, due to his illness and also being a carer for his wife.

 Would he be able to apply for PIP? the extra money would enable him to feel more comfortable when out of the home, being able to rely on taxis instead of buses, also help with his costs because he has to attend doctors appoints at a specialists which is a £15 taxi ride away. But if he uses the buses, it takes him 2 hours to get there due to poor connections.

 

 He has arthritis in his shoulder and left wrist, and uses specialist equipment to help him with jars and such.

 

They are concerned that if they apply, that him asking for PIP would indicate that he is unfit to be a carer for his wife, even though he does everything for her without issue (even if he uses an aid sometimes)... or that if he gets PIP, her claim would be affected.

I've told them that from what I understand, as PIP is a non-means tested benefit, that any claim for him would be separate from his wife as it's not reliant on household income. I've found things which seem to back this up, but also other posts which indicate that as a couple, like with ESA, only one person would be able to make the claim, but finding official rulings on it is proving hard. In fact, they got told to apply for PIP by an ESA adviser, who said only one could apply, but they had an assessor on the phone say she thought they both could, so not even the DWP gave them a solid answer. So I said I knew a forum that is great with advice about this sort of thing and here I am, asking for help once more. 

 

Thanks for any help, it will be of great use to them either knowing they can now apply... or knowing that it's not possible so not to concern themselves.

 

 

[dx100uk]

why dont you try

Benefits Calculator - entitledto - independent | accurate | reliable | www.entitledto.co.uk

WWW.ENTITLEDTO.CO.UK

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Check what benefit entitlement you are entitled to. The entitledto benefits calculator will check which means-tested benefits you may be entitled to e.g. tax credits, universal credit, housing benefit …

 

ive found them very reliable in the past

[mafiaduck]

1 hour ago, dx100uk said:

why dont you try

Benefits Calculator - entitledto - independent | accurate | reliable | www.entitledto.co.uk

WWW.ENTITLEDTO.CO.UK

---

Check what benefit entitlement you are entitled to. The entitledto benefits calculator will check which means-tested benefits you may be entitled to e.g. tax credits, universal credit, housing benefit …

 

ive found them very reliable in the past

 

 

Thanks for the help, I tried that site before (and again just now) and whilst it is great for letting me know what benefits they are entitled to, there's no section on it which lists PIP other than "You may also be able to get" ... and in that section, it does not mention whether two partners are able to have independent claims.

[unclebulgaria67]

Never seen anything to suggest a couple cannot both claim PIP and don't think it affects being able to claim Carers Allowance.

 

But of course PIP  subject to assessment and they may not pass this.

 

If there were definite exclusions, these would be clearly stated.  It would be pretty unfair if 2 disabled people who are part of a couple could not both claim PIP.

[dx100uk]

ive just checked and he can get pip too as the disabilities for each are diff. i'e he is able to do things for her that she cant and his qualifying criteria for pip like using aids etc doesn't prevent him form helping her as a carer too.

 

dx

 

 

dx

 

[mafiaduck]

Thanks for the help, just spoken with him today and he's going to apply tomorrow morning.

I'll update this to let you know if it all went smoothly when he gets his decision... which from previous experience will be sometime next July.