Carer's Allowance Eligibility

[Noorza]

I am applying for carer's allowance after 20 years of caring for mum, and want to make sure I qualify as an invisible is predicted to kick off about it.

I am on 24/7 call out with Telecare.
I do all hospital/doctors visits (recorded with NHS)
I sort out all medications with the chemist (they know me by name)
I sort all things needed, heating systems, wet rooms, decorating, hospital beds
I attend all falls (many) the emergency services knows my name
I am recorded as next of kin.
I take numerous calls a day needing visits to give her reassurance.
The emergency services call me if there is an incident as on record as the person to call
Her friends know I do everything she needs, last night for example she lost her keys, I dealt with it and got her back into her home.
She's had a flood I've dealt with it and sorted the insurance, cleaned it up.
Much more but won't list everything.

I just know an invisible will be seriously hacked off and try to cause trouble which is why I haven't applied before but now I need to. Invisible lives 100 miles away I am
up the road from mum, literally minutes which is why I deal with it all. Will my invisible have a case?

 

[jeany123]

If you earn £102 or less you are eligible for this and of course you should claim it. The invisibles can't stop you, you are entitled to it and not them, just ignore them if they complain, You deserve it you have done all the hard work not them,
http://www.carersuk.org/help-and-ad...rs-allowance?gclid=CNqrqJfVnr8CFW_LtAodfkMAoQ

You don't have to be with them for 35hrs but phone calls, laundry and shopping for them count as well

Best wishes Jeany x

 

[Noorza]

The invisible has already told Mum I am not entitled as I don't spend 35 hours a week with her, while I don't spend that time in her home, I do more than that behind the scenes. Hard to measure but will keep a diary for a while, a bloke came and told her she needed a new roof and he'd have his men do it and charge her (over my dead body) as her PoA I told him to clear off, another neighbour took a part of her garden due to it's layout, dealt with him got her land back (mum can't do these things any more) but she is vulnerable and people try to take advantage.

The invisible has told Mum that because the shopping is done by the internet I can't claim that as time. Mum is scrupulously honest, as am I and it worries her that I could get into trouble. I have reassured her that doctors, hospitals, chemists, priest, nurses and her friends will all have my involvement on record and there is nothing to worry about.


The invisible persuaded Mum to go to a solicitor to have the PoA removed from me but failed as I have had clean hands since the PoA was set up before Mum was ill 20 years ago. This is another opportunity for mischief making so want to make sure I have myself covered.

Thanks again.

 

[lexy]

deleted

 

[vernumamy]

The invisible has already told Mum I am not entitled as I don't spend 35 hours a week with her, while I don't spend that time in her home, I do more than that behind the scenes. Hard to measure but will keep a diary for a while, a bloke came and told her she needed a new roof and he'd have his men do it and charge her (over my dead body) as her PoA I told him to clear off, another neighbour took a part of her garden due to it's layout, dealt with him got her land back (mum can't do these things any more) but she is vulnerable and people try to take advantage.

The invisible has told Mum that because the shopping is done by the internet I can't claim that as time. Mum is scrupulously honest, as am I and it worries her that I could get into trouble. I have reassured her that doctors, hospitals, chemists, priest, nurses and her friends will all have my involvement on record and there is nothing to worry about.


The invisible persuaded Mum to go to a solicitor to have the PoA removed from me but failed as I have had clean hands since the PoA was set up before Mum was ill 20 years ago. This is another opportunity for mischief making so want to make sure I have myself covered.

Thanks again.

Hello Noorza,

My understanding of carer's allowance, is that it is all the time you spend being a carer to somebody that counts.

That includes " all of the time " that you spend " away " from the person that you are caring for, from the time that you pick up a phone to putting it back down again, dealing with their problems, or from the time that you leave your home to go to the shops, or chemist, and get back again, on their behalf.

Everything you do on behalf of the other person is included in your caring time.

You will soon see that it mounts up, and sometimes will mean you are doing more for the other person away from them, than you do with them.

Simple things like making a phone call on behalf of the other person that should only take 5 minutes, but ends up taking 1/2 an hour because the other person at the other end of the phone doesn't know how to deal with your situation ( data protection ) or has never come across it before.

Just to add, ( for the benefit of the invisible ) that also includes the time you spend on the internet doing the other persons shopping.

Finally, I am fairly certain that Age UK helped my wife with the application for carer's allowance

 

[Mun]

May I ask a question about Carer's allowance ? I look after both parents,dad with AD/VasD & mum with poor mobility & numerous health problems.
Like Noorza's list,I too cover everything(& more!) on it !
Ive been looking after mum & dad pretty much 24/7 for the last 5 years & ended up retiring from my job 3 years ago because basically trying to work & care for them proved impossible. I get an NHS pension which is more than the £102/week that jeany highlighted,so what I'm asking is I'm not working because of caring for my parents,but would the fact that I get my pension stop me claiming for Carer's allowance ?

 

[jeany123]

May I ask a question about Carer's allowance ? I look after both parents,dad with AD/VasD & mum with poor mobility & numerous health problems.
Like Noorza's list,I too cover everything(& more!) on it !
Ive been looking after mum & dad pretty much 24/7 for the last 5 years & ended up retiring from my job 3 years ago because basically trying to work & care for them proved impossible. I get an NHS pension which is more than the £102/week that jeany highlighted,so what I'm asking is I'm not working because of caring for my parents,but would the fact that I get my pension stop me claiming for Carer's allowance ?

Occupational or personal pensions do not count as earnings and you can be paid CA in addition to these. However, if you get extra CA for your partner their occupational/personal pension could affect this extra amount

This is stated on the link that I put on this thread above

 

[Mun]

Thank you jeany123

 

[vernumamy]

May I ask a question about Carer's allowance ? I look after both parents,dad with AD/VasD & mum with poor mobility & numerous health problems.
Like Noorza's list,I too cover everything(& more!) on it !
Ive been looking after mum & dad pretty much 24/7 for the last 5 years & ended up retiring from my job 3 years ago because basically trying to work & care for them proved impossible. I get an NHS pension which is more than the £102/week that jeany highlighted,so what I'm asking is I'm not working because of caring for my parents,but would the fact that I get my pension stop me claiming for Carer's allowance ?

Hello Mun,

Please don't take my word for it, but you certainly sound as if you should be entitled to carers allowance.

My wife looked after my parents pretty much 24/7, with dad having Vascular Dementia, and mum having Alzheimers Dementia.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Age UK are a marvelous organisation for help and information, I suggest you contact them, and they should be happy to come to your home to answer your questions, and help with the application.

However, on a different note, you mentioned that you received more than £102.00 a week in NHS pension, I would just like to point out to anybody only receiving around that figure as a " state pension only ", that they should be looking to get that topped up with Pension Credit.

 

[Kevinl]

Unless you tell the invisible person how would they ever find out? The DWP are pretty discrete and the letters will go to your house anyway. Claim it and say nothing, if they do find out and object give them her door keys and say "over to you then".
I can't imagine the mentality of someone who'd want to deprive you of money you seem to de entitled to for no apparent reason, what sort of idiot are they?
K

 

[jenniferpa]

May I ask a question about Carer's allowance ? I look after both parents,dad with AD/VasD & mum with poor mobility & numerous health problems.
Like Noorza's list,I too cover everything(& more!) on it !
Ive been looking after mum & dad pretty much 24/7 for the last 5 years & ended up retiring from my job 3 years ago because basically trying to work & care for them proved impossible. I get an NHS pension which is more than the £102/week that jeany highlighted,so what I'm asking is I'm not working because of caring for my parents,but would the fact that I get my pension stop me claiming for Carer's allowance ?

Are you getting a state pension? I assume not but be aware the link that Jeany gave above says this

State Retirement Pension

While there is no upper age limit for claiming CA, payment of CA usually stops when you reach retirement age because your State Retirement Pension will be paid instead. You will, however, have an ‘underlying entitlement’ to CA which means you could get the carer addition in your Pension Credit.

If your State Retirement Pension is less than the amount of CA paid, you may continue to get a small amount of CA in addition to your State Retirement Pension to make up the difference.

Although you could ask to carry on being paid CA instead of getting your State Retirement Pension straight away (ie you could defer your pension) you will not build up any extra pension during that time. It is always important to seek further advice before making any decisions.

 

[jeany123]

Are you getting a state pension? I assume not but be aware the link that Jeany gave above says this

Oh thank you Jennifer i forgot about that, I could only get underlying entitlement to CA as Allen gets pension credit, sorry mun it looks as though you might not be entitled to it after all,

 

[Mun]

vernumamy,I've just applied on-line for Carer's Allowance with regard to looking after my dad,BUT it suggests that if I am successful in my application,my parents pension credit,council tax reduction could be affected,so feeling guilty for going ahead with it now :-(


jenniferpa,no, I don't get state pension yet

jeany123,will have to wait & see I guess !

 

[Beate]

I just know an invisible will be seriously hacked off and try to cause trouble which is why I haven't applied before but now I need to.

I might have missed something here but why does that person need to even know you are applying for Carer's Allowance? Do you need to tell her? Is she going through your post? Just do it and keep shtum, it has nothing to do with anyone else.

 

[Mun]

I agree Beate,I have 3 invisibles,who do absolutely nothing,never have & never will,so I don't waste my precious energy on what they may be thinking,I concentrate on what's important & that's my mum & dad

 

[Noorza]

Unless you tell the invisible person how would they ever find out? The DWP are pretty discrete and the letters will go to your house anyway. Claim it and say nothing, if they do find out and object give them her door keys and say "over to you then".
I can't imagine the mentality of someone who'd want to deprive you of money you seem to de entitled to for no apparent reason, what sort of idiot are they?
K

I have discussed it with mum as she will lose a small part of her benefit but still have plenty to cover all of her needs plus some. I didn't have to as she would never know but it seemed right to gain her permission first and to explain what would happen as she can understand. She agreed.

The invisible is now kicking off as predicted but is not prepared to take over any of the caring responsibilities. I should have kept my mouth shut.

 

[vernumamy]

I agree Beate,I have 3 invisibles,who do absolutely nothing,never have & never will,so I don't waste my precious energy on what they may be thinking,I concentrate on what's important & that's my mum & dad

Hello again Mun,

Further to my previous comments, I have now spoken to my wife, who tells me that she received " Direct Payments " from the local authority.

This was paid to her to enable my parents to remain in their own house, rather than be put into a care/nursing home.

To cut my story short, my mum was diagnosed with AD about twelve years ago, as time went by she got to the stage that she wouldn't have been able to remain living at home if it wasn't for the fact that my father was there to look after her.

About three years ago I noticed some minor problems with my dads behaviour, at a later date he was diagnosed as having Vascular Dementia, ( thought it better to spell that out ) his deterioration was a lot faster than mums.

It got to the stage where my wife and myself were looking after them for approximately sixteen hours a day, putting them to bed, and returning the next morning to get them up.

I was always in touch with a social worker after dads diagnosis, and through talks with her ( she was superb ) it ended up with my wife receiving Direct Payments arranged by and through, the local authority, this meant we didn't have to claim carer's allowance.

We soon realised that the sixteen hours a day wasn't suitable or safe, so I took a twelve month career break to help give my parents 24/7 care.

I don't really know what else I can suggest, other than could your parents manage without you, and if not how much care would they need ??

Do you think that without help they should be in a care/nursing home ??

If you think that they possibly should need that 24/7 care, then I would get in touch with your local social worker, to see if you could receive Direct Payments to enable you to look after your parents, rather than your parents having to go into a home.

My comments could open up a lot of ifs, and buts, because everybody's circumstances are different, as in savings or owning property

Finally, as with regards to your parents losing pension credit or council tax reduction on you receiving carers allowance, you could always compensate them the difference out of the CA depending on how much you receive.

 

[Mun]

vernumamy,thank you for your reply,your comments have been really helpful.
My dad has,I would say,end stage AD/VasD & is still @ home with my mum,who has many chronic medical problems. As I said earlier,despite me having 3 siblings,Ive looked after them both alone for the last 5 years.
Mum has full mental capacity & is adamant that dad stays @ home for as long as we can & I support her in this.I also appreciate that the minute the situation gets unmanageable,then other options will need to be considered,mum's welfare is just as important as dad's,they've been together 61 years !
I won't go into detail here about the care I give to my parents,as do many,many TPers & in a lot of cases are in much more difficult situations than I am,but @ times I feel overwhelmed,scared,angry & fear for my own future. But again like many others,I carry on,because I love my parents & they deserve the best I can do.
I'm very wary of "outside" help,so it isn't the end of the world if I don't get Carers Allowance,I will just keep going.

 

[Kevinl]

I have discussed it with mum as she will lose a small part of her benefit but still have plenty to cover all of her needs plus some. I didn't have to as she would never know but it seemed right to gain her permission first and to explain what would happen as she can understand. She agreed.

The invisible is now kicking off as predicted but is not prepared to take over any of the caring responsibilities. I should have kept my mouth shut.

Still don't get it, what is it to do with anyone if you claim a benefit you're legally entitled to for something you're doing to deserve it, how and why can anyone have a problem with that just why Unless they're scared you'll end up on TV on Benefits Street (or whatever it's called) and bring the good name of the family into disrepute

 

[Noorza]

Still don't get it, what is it to do with anyone if you claim a benefit you're legally entitled to for something you're doing to deserve it, how and why can anyone have a problem with that just why Unless they're scared you'll end up on TV on Benefits Street (or whatever it's called) and bring the good name of the family into disrepute

Just mischief making, I work, earn under the limit, and care. I have been told by the said invisible that I should be grateful that I have been able to care for mum for the past 20 odd years as she couldn't!!! (wouldn't is more accurate).

Prior to caring was in senior management roles.