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Can I claim Carer's Allowance for partner? I claim DLA/ESA

I am a person with a disability and a Disability Living Allowance and Employment Support Allowance (Support Group) claimant. I get both care and mobility components of DLA at the lowest level. My long term partner, after three harrowing years of rapid health deterioration and uncertainty regarding diagnosis has recently been told he has Multiple Sclerosis and is now on high level DLA, both care and mobility. He does not receive any other benefits. It was suggested to us by a health visitor (not a benefit specialist) that I could possibly apply for Carer's Allowance as my partner's carer. While we have been in a relationship for over twenty years, we have never lived together but, especially as my partner's condition has worsened, I spend more of my time at his home, keeping him company and doing what I can for him as far as my own health will allow as he can do very little for himself and what he does do takes him an age. This includes dealing with everyday living such as bill-paying etc which he simply cannot manage any more. Also taking him away from daytime TV which he once abhorred (and never had time for anyway) but which he'd spend all day watching without moving if I wasn't there - so sad to see. I now have to do much of his shopping, as he can no longer drive or walk very well, and ferry him to appointments etc. I can do very little of his housework as my own condition prohibits it, in fact my own health has suffered and I am still really in shock from seeing the once vibrant, handsome, strong and active man I loved in the prime of life reduced to a hollow shadow. But that's another story.
My question here is: could I claim this Carer's Allowance as carer for my partner (considering I claim ESA and DLA) and how would it affect my own benefits? I've also been told I may not actually get the CA because of an 'overlapping benefits' rule but it may mean a small increase in my other benefits and something to do with my NI. I am finding that I am paying, from my own pocket, for all the little trips to the local shop and because his MS had affected his mind he doesn't realise he has to reimburse me; that is all by and by but I do not understand all these benefits so would welcome any informed advice. Thank you for reading this.
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Comments

  • gingergee
    gingergee Posts: 918 Forumite
    I think you should claim. They can only say no, but i dot think they will. I think they add a premium to ESA. DLA wont be affected (i dont think! someone will correct me if im wrong). Wishing you both well x
    The feeling i got when i confirmed my place studying criminology at Exeter Uni was brilliant!!!!!

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  • princessdon
    princessdon Posts: 6,902 Forumite
    Apparantly you can

    However, there is a chance at your next review that they will say if you are well enough to care for someone 35 hours a week, do their shopping etc you can work and be placed into the Work Group.
  • Cpt.Scarlet
    Cpt.Scarlet Posts: 1,102
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    You can claim CA but it will overlap with your ESA and in effect not be paid. If you are on Income Related ESA then you you will be paid the Carers Premium on top of your ESA which is £32.60/w.

    Claiming CA would be a change of circumstances and you would need to contact both the ESA and DLA departments dealing with your claims. Whilst it is possible to claim CA and remain on your existing benefits, I think it likely that doing this will initiate re-assessments of both benefits and you will need to show that your fulfilling the 35h/w committment for CA is not at odds with your receiving ESA and DLA.
  • Apparantly you can

    However, there is a chance at your next review that they will say if you are well enough to care for someone 35 hours a week, do their shopping etc you can work and be placed into the Work Group.

    Excellent point - the two would certainly appear to be contradictory.
  • paddedjohn
    paddedjohn Posts: 7,512
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    Thank god for common sense.
    Be Alert..........Britain needs lerts.
  • pmlindyloo
    pmlindyloo Posts: 13,049
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    Yet again another thread where people have to make judgements rather than give the straight facts.

    OP, you can claim Carer's Allowance even if you have disabilities yourself.

    See here: http://www.dialdoncaster.co.uk/information/benefit-sheets/2318-carers-allowance

    I suspect that you do have an overlapping benefit but there is still a point to applying as you will see from the link.

    We have no idea of the disability that the OP has and the comments made from some people is totally unnecessary on this particular forum.
  • princessdon
    princessdon Posts: 6,902 Forumite
    So you are saying someone placed in the support group and idnetified as being unable to work can look after someone else?
    How can someone justify looking after someone else and then claim completely unable to work? I am not saying OP is capable of ALL work, but it is my understanding that it is the WRAG group that accepts those with disabilities have limited capacity and offer support.

    So are you 100% sure that at the next review they wouldn't look at the fact that OP is claiming CA for someone outside their home and move their grouping? It seems pretty logical to me that this will be questioned given they link the benefits.

    If there is ZERO chance of that happening then of course OP should apply (they appear to allow it), but if there is a chance of this then surely having advanced knowledge to make an informed decision is the best way.
  • pmlindyloo
    pmlindyloo Posts: 13,049
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    So you are saying someone placed in the support group and idnetified as being unable to work can look after someone else?
    How can someone justify looking after someone else and then claim completely unable to work? I am not saying OP is capable of ALL work, but it is my understanding that it is the WRAG group that accepts those with disabilities have limited capacity and offer support.

    So are you 100% sure that at the next review they wouldn't look at the fact that OP is claiming CA for someone outside their home and move their grouping? It seems pretty logical to me that this will be questioned given they link the benefits.

    If there is ZERO chance of that happening then of course OP should apply (they appear to allow it), but if there is a chance of this then surely having advanced knowledge to make an informed decision is the best way.

    I don't dispute anything that you are saying.

    However, the OP gets low rate DLA for both care and mobility and yet is in the Support Group for ESA.

    I am mindful that it is extremely difficult to be placed in the Support Group but have been reading an excellent thread about mental health problems on here and how it affects people in different ways so there is always the possibility that the OP is able to care for her partner for the appropriate number of hours but is still eligible for the Support Group of ESA.

    I do get very fed up (not with you :)) when people make remarks when they have no idea of the OP's circumstances.

    We are not hear to judge but give the facts.
  • princessdon
    princessdon Posts: 6,902 Forumite
    But surely the facts are - that it *may* affect her benefits - as in she won't get the full payout as is claiming ESA and it *may* affect her future grouping allocation.

    As no one really knows how OP is in the support group it is not unrealistic to say that this is a possibility. There are very few reasons to care for someone outside the home for 35 hours and be unable to work. Maybe OP is one of them - but if she completed anything in her submission that being a carer counteracts then this would surely have an effect.

    ie if OP claims they can't walk very far - yet now take;s her OH to appointments helping him in and out of the car, taking his weight, supporting him to walk to appointments then surely this will be looked at.

    Don't know the "ins and outs" - but it stands to common sense that the placement in the support group will be looked at if well enough to care for someone outside the home. Clearly if the initial reason for being in the support group is unrelated then this won't matter, but if any delcarations are at odds with being a carer, shopping etc it will be.
  • mikey_bach
    mikey_bach Posts: 901
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    Another choice for the OP, if she claimed Carers Allowance and this effects her ESA in any way then she could close the ESA and claim I.S on the grounds of a carer
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