carers allowance - 35 hours

[Gary2]

Apologies if this has been asked before - but search doesn't seem to be working...

I would be entitled to carers allowance - but dependent on the hours spent with my dad. He lives a good distance from me and I currently visit him every fortnight. I am thinking of increasing this to weekly to give him more support. Would I be able to include the travel time 2 X 4hours within the 35 hours caring time required. The allowance would help to cover the petrol.....

 

[Beate]

No one is asking for proof about these hours on the form. I don't know about the travelling time but caring isn't just time physically spent with the cared for. It's also time you spend making or chasing appointments, dealing with his finances, shopping for him, collecting his medication from the pharmacy, filling in forms for him, writing letters on his behalf etc. But if it takes 8 hours out of your time to be able to do the physical caring, I would count that.

 

[Saffie]

Are you saying that you live 4 hours away from your father?
That is pretty long distance for a daily caring role. However as you have been told you are entitled then I dare say it is possible.
I understood it meant regular daily care but perhqps the following might help.

Taken from Carers UK

The 35 hours can include:

• time spent physically helping the person
• time you spend ‘keeping an eye’ on the person, eg preventing them coming to harm by walking out of the house
• time spent doing practical tasks for them, eg cooking
• time taken doing practical tasks, even if you don’t do them in the presence of the person you are looking after, may also count (for instance, if you look after someone who visits you regularly for the care they need, time spent preparing for the visit or cleaning up afterwards should count)

You must provide 35 hours of care for every week you claim Carer’s Allowance (the 35 hours can be at any time of the day or night). For Carer’s Allowance, a week runs from Sunday to Saturday. You cannot average out your hours over a number of weeks. However you are allowed certain breaks in care (you can see more information on breaks in care here).

 

[Tin]

Don't think you would have any problem filling 35 hours of care, everything and anything you do for your father is caring for him. Things he can no longer do for himself like shopping, telephone calls, making appointments, laundry, the list goes on. keeping him independent in his own home for as long as you can.

 

[Duggies-girl]

I visit my dad every day, take him shopping, sort out his finances, spend time with him watching tv etc I also sort out his meals and appointments because if I did not do this no-one would. This takes up most of my week in fact and I am not entitled to carers allowance.

I had to give up my job to be able to do this but due to lack of money I have had to take on another part time job of a couple of evenings and one morning a week just to get my national insurance credit..

I do have my dads car to run him about and he does fill up the tank for me.

I believe you have to spend 35 hours actually caring for the person.

 

[LynneMcV]

I'm not an expert on this but my instinct is that travelling time in order to care for the person should be included.

I've recently started claiming CA myself, and while it took them several months to confirm my entitlement, and extra evidence was asked for along the way, they didn't actually ask me to provide a break down of my hours. Then again, that might be because my situation is different from yours in that it is my husband I care for, we live in the same house so I am constantly caring for him day and night, other than the 12 hours per week he spends at the day centre

Carers' UK have information on Carers Allowance, including guidance on what counts towards the 35hrs -

https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/financial-support/help-with-benefits/carers-allowance

They also have an advice line.
Open Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 4pm.
0808 808 7777

I hope that helps a bit.

 

[Gary2]

Yes - I do live 4 hours away from father. My understanding from the DWP was that caring did not have to be *daily* but 35 hours within a week and could include nights. He has recently been given the higher rate of AA - Also a care package has been assessed/agreed but not yet put into place. I do have POA so a number of caring responsibilities are carried out from *my* home. But I also have child caring responsibilities - which makes flipping between my home and my fathers home - time critical. As I think most people here would be aware - an element of on going caring from a close family member increases the ability for independent living. Hence my question about travel time....

 

[Duggies-girl]

Gary2

Who is caring for your dad at the moment, how is he managing with only a fortnightly visit. Once a week does not seem adequate to me if he has no other carers.

Would it not be better to get someone local to care for him.

 

[Gary2]

If only! - there are a shortage of carers. It seems as if someone needs to die in the village before a carer becomes available. Yes currently things are difficult and a lot of reliance on informal support through neighbours. My time - stocking up the freezer. Organising OT's etc., Fortunately he has a paid cleaner to keep the kitchen area clean.

 

[Gary2]

Thanks,

Will check them out

I'm not an expert on this but my instinct is that travelling time in order to care for the person should be included.
..............
They also have an advice line.
Open Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 4pm.
0808 808 7777

I hope that helps a bit.

 

[Amethyst59]

@Duggies-girl ...I might be wrong, but I thought that getting Carers Allownace meant that NI contributions for that period are credited? Of course, I understand that the £60 a week goes nowhere towards replacing a 'proper wage'.

 

[Louise7]

No, you're not wrong, you do get NI credits when in receipt of carers allowance.

 

[Shedrech]

hi Gary2
personally I interpret the eligibility for applying for carer's allowance to be active caring for at least 35 hours every week ie an average of 5 hours a day (some carers do way more than this but aren't eligible to apply, for various reasons)
which is not travelling time
similar in ways with being an Attorney - eg expenses can be claimed for work actively undertaken on behalf of the donor, including travelling expenses, but not for social visits - so distinctions are made
if your dad is happy to pay you travelling costs eg sub you for the petrol (could be said that he is enabling you to care so use part of his Attendance Allowance), then that would help with your finances
https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance

 

[Gary2]

hi Gary2
personally I interpret the eligibility for applying for carer's allowance to be active caring for at least 35 hours every week ie an average of 5 hours a day ---------

Thanks for this - but can you point out where the hours are averaged out per day? - The DWP adviser who completed dads application for AA - was of the view that the 35 hours could be achieved over a weekend. Though I do accept there is a significant difference between care and social visits.

 

[Shedrech]

the averaging was an example of how the time might be spent and to show the level of caring those applying are expected to provide
"You could get £62.70 a week if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week"

 

[Duggies-girl]

Amethyst59

Yes carers allowance does credit you with NI contributions but I don't get carers allowance as my dad only gets lower rate care allowance of DLA, he gets high rate mobility allowance DLA but as he gets this he is not entitled to AA.

I certainly give him 35 hours of time a week as he would be marooned without me and he is too vulnerable to go on the bus and cannot be trusted to do his own ahopping. I also manage around 3 shifts at work a week so that pays my stamp.

Such is life.

 

[Duggies-girl]

[Gary 2

If your dad gets high rate AA this means he needs constant attention throughout the day and night.

I do not see how you could give him this care if you only see him once a week. Who would be caring for the rest of the time.

 

[Saffie]

If someone is in need of care and satisfies the eligibility of Attendance Allowance, surely this applies every day and not just at weekends. Who is to provide the care for the other 5 days of the week?

I also understand, though confess I have no personal knowledge of this as I cared for my husband without outside carers and claimed no allowance, that employed carers do not receive payment for travelling time.

Did the person who completed the AA form say specifically that it was fine to provide the care only at weekends, if no one was providing it at other times, to entitle the receipt of the carers Allowance? Of so, maybe it is though it sounds a bit strange to me.

 

[Gary2]

I think that there is a bit of misunderstanding - Dad is waiting for a significant care package to be put in place. Care which I gave would be in addition to/ tailored to that. Not in isolation.

 

[AD123]

To be honest if you need to include 8 hours of travel time (which is a huge chunk out of the 35 that you need to be doing) then I would say you didn't qualify.