ESA and SDP nightmare - change of circumstances

Hello there,

After speaking with Citizen's Advice, it was found that I may need more specialist advice, which is why I thought I would drop by and see if there is any way to clarify the situation I am in regarding benefit entitlement.

Currently, I am in receipt of these benefits:
- Personal Independence Payment (standard care rate)
- IR Employment and Support Allowance (with support component for LCWRA)
- Severe Disability Premium (included with the above IR ESA LCWRA payment)
- Housing Benefit (direct from council for being on a legacy benefit)

I was hoping that my partner could move in with me around the first week of January. There are a couple of things to note, however:
- My partner is looking to claim PIP too due to severe social anxiety and other issues
- The SDP gateway is being abolished on 27 January 2021
- My partner is moving over from the Republic of Ireland

The issue I have here is that immediately from the moment he moves here and the DWP are made aware, the following will happen:
1. My SDP will no longer be valid and payable as I am no longer living alone;
2. Due to no SDP being payable, the council will immediately stop my Housing Benefit payments as they will refer to me as a Universal Credit customer instead;
3. My IR ESA will stop as I will no longer be entitled to a legacy benefit.

This will leave up to a 5 week period where I will receive no money at all. I will not be able to pay the rent, I will start missing payments on my credit commitments (I am literally one year away from a 100% clean credit file), I will not be able to even afford to eat and things will get much worse for me and my partner.

There are a few things I need to understand. I saw online that if I get PIP, and a partner moves in to care for me, they will be entitled to Carer's Allowance - but despite coming from the Common Travel Area (CTA), he will not be able to claim it on the basis he hasn't lives in England, Scotland or Wales for the last 2 our of 3 years. If he could have claimed that, I could have taken the hit on the SDP as the Carer's Allowance would make up for that anyway, keeping the income the same.

My partner, once applying for PIP, would then probably go on to claim ESA or another related benefit (he's in a bad way right now, even worse than I am to be fair). There is also the issue with the SDP gateway being abolished. Moving in as a couple is a change of circumstance that could potentially force me off of the SDP and onto UC anyway.

I really have no idea what to do with this. From the period of having no money to being put onto UC (only for it to then be disrupted again anyway if my partner is awarded PIP), the issue of difficulty with money management due to my Autism (I have to use services like Money Dashboard to be able to understand and keep my finances going), the SDP gateway abolishment, the benefits my partner can claim (or how he would go about even claiming those) and everything else. I am absolutely stumped. Its like the moment he touches down into this country, nearly everything will be taken away from me.

I would appreciate if you could please advise or reassure me on what might happen here or how to go about things. Thanks for your time and understanding,

Jack

Hi again, so have just been confirmed the following by the DWP. When my partner moves in:

- My partner will not be able to claim Carers Allowance (as he has not been I'm the country for 2 years or more)
- My partner will not be able to claim PIP (for the same reason as above)

However,

- My ESA, SDP and Housing Benefit will stop;
- I will then make a claim for UC;
- I will be provided with a the standard couple's rate of £594pm;
- I will be given the following elements:
- Housing Element at £1250 pm;
- LCWRA element (which will be immediately applied as I am already claiming it, no fit note or assment needed) at £348pm
- Carers premium element (as I get PIP) at £164pm
- I will continue to receive my PIP at £230pm

It means that monthly income will be around £500 per month better off.

Jack