Severe Disability Premium and Living Alone Rules

I am in receipt of income related employment and support allowance and disability living allowance at the higher rate of care and lower rate mobility. No one gets carer's allowance for looking after me.

I have just applied for the severe disability premium. I have a 21 year old daughter who is at university in Bristol. I live in London. Outside of term time, my daughter resides with me and is also on the electoral roll at my home. During term time, she resides in student accommodation in Bristol.

I want to know whether or not she is considered as a non-dependant living with me. Do I qualify as living alone because, for the majority of the year, my daughter normally lives in Bristol?

I also understand that I qualify for the enhanced disability premium, given that I am under age 60 years and receive the higher rate of DLA. Can I apply for this as well as or instead of the severe the disability premium?

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

libra1 wrote:

I am in receipt of income related employment and support allowance and disability living allowance at the higher rate of care and lower rate mobility. No one gets carer's allowance for looking after me.

I have just applied for the severe disability premium. I have a 21 year old daughter who is at university in Bristol. I live in London. Outside of term time, my daughter resides with me and is also on the electoral roll at my home. During term time, she resides in student accommodation in Bristol.

I want to know whether or not she is considered as a non-dependant living with me. Do I qualify as living alone because, for the majority of the year, my daughter normally lives in Bristol?

I also understand that I qualify for the enhanced disability premium, given that I am under age 60 years and receive the higher rate of DLA. Can I apply for this as well as or instead of the severe the disability premium?

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

Hi l1,

As the questions that you pose are pertaining to your personal circumstances, and it would be impossible for us to have access to all your personal details on the forum, I'm afraid that I cannot give a definitive answer.

If you are entitled to "disability premiums" this in fact means that the amount of money that the government states that you need to live on increases, any extra payments would be made in the form of IR ESA top ups.

You should get face to face advice, see :

Where to get advice?

These links may help also :

www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits...rsomeone/DG_10018705

www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Fina...AndSupport/DG_068683

www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

bro58