Carers Allowance
Carers Allowance is the main social security benefit for carers. You can qualify for Carers Allowance if:
- You are aged 16 or over (there is no financial assistance for younger carers)
- You spend at least 35 hours each week caring for a disabled person who receives Attendance Allowance, or Disability Living Allowance middle or highest rate care component. This might mean just being in the same house to keep an eye on them and helping when needed
- You are not earning more than £82 a week from work – as soon as your earnings go over this amount you lose the whole of your Carers Allowance
- You are not in full time education
It doesn’t matter what you partner, if you have one, earns and it doesn’t matter how much capital or savings you have.
If there are two people caring for one disabled person, only one can claim Carers Allowance and if one carer is claiming for two disabled people they can only get one award of Carers Allowance.
Carers Allowance is £45.70 a week in from April 2005, going up to £46.95 a week from April 2006. Claims for Carers Allowance can be backdated by up to three months.
To claim Carers Allowance:
- If you are under 60, phone 0845 601 6213. Your details will be taken over the phone and you will be given an appointment for an interview at a local Jobcentre Plus office.
- If you are aged 60 or over, phone the Carers Allowance Unit in Preston on 01253 856123
Carers Allowance and other benefits
Many carers, especially elderly carers, will not actually be paid Carers Allowance, even though they satisfy all the conditions. This is because they receive other, ‘overlapping’ benefits which are higher. If you are entitled to two ‘overlapping’ benefits you can only be paid the higher one.
The benefits which ‘overlap’ with Carers Allowance include:
- Retirement Pension
- Incapacity Benefit
- Bereavement Allowance and Bereaved Parents Allowance
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Maternity Allowance
But people who receive one of these benefits will often benefit from claiming Carers Allowance, even though it isn’t paid to them. This is because people who would have qualified for Carers Allowance, but for the overlapping benefits rule, will be classed as carers. If you are classed as a carer you may be entitled to other financial help, like the carer premium in Income Support or the extra amount for carers in Pension Credit.
In a few cases though, if the carer receives Carers Allowance, this can reduce the benefits paid to the disabled person. This can happen when the disabled person receives Income Support or Pension Credit and they have no other adults living with them.
For individual advice about the effects of claiming Carers Allowance, contact Wirral Welfare Rights Unit.
< Previous Page ... Next Page >
PLEASE NOTE: This information is correct at time of printing
|
