Carer's Allowance

[Elly Cole]

I apologise in advance as I'm sure this question has been asked lots of times before!

My husband (and I) have been looking after his mother for many years and she is now developing dementia. My husband looks after her in the daytime as he doesn't have a job and I've been nagging him to apply for the Carer's allowance. He seems reluctant to do this because we've had issues in the past when he became unemployed and because of my earnings he was told he wasn't eligible. I'm not a higher rate tax payer but the CA form does ask for details of my earnings which I will give. Does anyone know if my earnings will affect his eligibility to the allowance?

 

[jenniferpa]

Hi and welcome to Talking Point.

I just had a look at the Carer's Allowance form http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/claimforms/ds7001_print.pdf

While it asks for your details (as his partner) and any benefits you might be getting, I do not see that it asks questions about your income. Which page are we taking about? Perhaps I missed it.

 

[Pheath]

As far as I know CA isn't means-tested and not dependent at all upon partner's earnings. I used to claim it but became ineligible when my dad transferred to a care home. I think the main provisio was that I wasn't allowed to earn more than £100 a week and had to be doing at least 35hrs care a week. Also your husband's mum must be claiming attendance allowance or another type of benefit that would qualify your husband to rightfully say he's her carer. It's definitely worth looking into, even though the allowance isn't very big it did help a bit.

 

[clareglen]

I get carers allowance. Only stipulation is you care at least 35 hrs a week & don't earn more than £100 per week, but if you do work a little they constantly send you forms to complete to check up on you, bit of a pain. It is only £59.75 a week but better than nothing.

 

[AD123]

I get carer's allowance for my son. While the form does ask for details of employment and earnings this would be your husbands (as it is him who is claiming) not yours. The only details you would need to give would be if you receive benefits.

Carers Allowance is not means tested. You could be in the high tax bracket and your husband would still be able to claim.

As claregen said as long as your husband cares at least 35 hours per week, your husband doesn't earn more than £100 per week and (as pheath said) your husbands mum must be in receipt of attendance allowance or dla middle rate care - he should be eligible.

 

[Nebiroth]

It is not quite correct that Carer Allowance is not means tested, as persons earning £100 per week or more from employment cannot receive it. It is therefore means tested on income, but many forms of income (for example, interest from savings, dividends from shares etc) are exempted. Also, there is no means test on assets such as savings

As far as I am aware, it is the income of the person claiming that matters - household income such as that of a partner, are irrelevent.

The main criteria for Carer Allowance is:

You spend 35 hours per week or more caring for someone with a "severe diability"

"Severe disability" is defined as being in receipt of certain disability benefits - the main ones are Disability Living Allowance (middle or higher rates) or Attendance Allowance (either rate).

The person being cared for must be in receipt of one of these, known as "qualifying benefits"

Carer Allowance is known as a "salary replacement" benefit. These ususally relate only to the person claiming them, rather than their household.

There is no age limit on Carer Allowance. Also note that it will help improve a future state pension, since CA als provides national insurance credits, assuming the claimant has not yet reached state pension age.

 

[Elly Cole]

Thank you all so much for your helpful replies. My husband cares for his mother in excess of 35 hours a week and has no income whatsoever so even this will help him. We probably misread the form so will take another look.

Thanks once again. Elly

 

[Serato]

No Age Limit?

There is no age limit on Carers Allowance (CA), but there is effectively because those receiving State Pension (over £58.45, not even £100, per week) cannot qualify for actual payment, as they are both "income-replacement benefits". Attendance Allowance (AA) isn't affected, and receipt of AA can lead to other benefit support due to the "underlying entitlement to CA", so it can still be worth claiming the CA.

 

[dramada]

I wonder if someone can explain the £100 a week income.
I am getting CA with an income above that from a private pension. I am I do not receive my state pension for another year.
I hope I have not been defrauding DWP for the last 2 years!

 

[jenniferpa]

You're fine. From the form

Earnings
Money you get from private or occupational pensions is not
counted as earnings.

 

[Nebiroth]

I wonder if someone can explain the £100 a week income.
I am getting CA with an income above that from a private pension. I am I do not receive my state pension for another year.
I hope I have not been defrauding DWP for the last 2 years!

A private pension is not income from employment. It is a pension. Therefore, it is exempt, so you are fine. When you reach state pension age, that will almost certainly be worth more, so you will receive that and lose Carer Allowance. The DWP should sort that automatically, but it is still a change in circumstances, so you would need to notify the Carer Allowance Unit.

As I said, it is really only income from employment that matters - either a salary paid by your employer, or income from self-employment. Also, the £100 per week limit is after tax is deducted, in other words, your theoretical take-home pay.

It is correct that State Pension usually means you cannot be paid Carer Allowance; this is because of the benefit overlap rule, which states that you cannot be paid two salary replacement benefits at the same time. State pension is a salary replacement benefit. If you qualify for more than one, you will be paid whichever is the greate rin cash terms, and since Carer Allowance is so low, it is almost always the one not paid.

However, it is still worth applying, since you may still have an underlying entitlement (this means, you are entitled to a benefit, but it is not actually paid), which may give other benefits. However, Carer Allowance has very little in the way of benefit other than the weekly payment.