Carers Allowance?

Looks like carers allowance is out, even on maternity earnings are way over the £110 a week. Maternity = about £11k p/a but thats split over two tax years.

Having read in to it a bit more im guessing that its just DLA and pension OH mother receives. I believe the DLA aspect is high rate mobility.

I believe OH mother claims what she can.

Seems a bit counter productive to offer respite which costs ~£500 per week but then offer nothing if relatives offer care. Suppose we're being picky by not choosing a home but its just doesnt seem appropriate for her situation. It seems theres little incentive to reduce the cost to the state?

nannytone wrote: »

the M I L would need to be receiving middle or high rate care for a claim for carers allowance to be made.

your girlfriends income would be weekly and her yearly income is irrelevant.

it is based on the income she receives whilst she is providing care.

your 'incentive' comment is in pretty poor taste.
whilst i appreciate your reasoning, you should only provide care because you love the individual concerned, and not for monetary gain.

the fact that a care home would receive significantly more is irrelevant.
they are a business and have no emotional bond with their clients

nursery's charge for looking after children, but you don't expect to be paid the same amount per week to look after your own child!

Thats exactly the reason why we are looking after her. At no point was i wanting monetary gain i was seeing if there was anything available to help with costs (weve bought a bed, food and are offering 24 hr care). My pretty poor taste comment is the reality of the situation. If we earned slightly less or managed our finances badly us offering the care would be less of an option.

You also neglect the fact that we will provide care whether we get any money or not. What seems apparent is that a carer will be penalised because of there love for the relative. It seems that its all too easy for someone to pass the costs on to the state if they choose not to accept the increased costs that will be put on them. Also worth mentioning the increased stress it puts on relatives.

Youre also comparing apples and oranges with your nursery comments. Parents have a legal obligation to their children there is no such legal obligation for parents. That as you mention is down to loving the individual.

So i thank and am grateful for your responses to the matter at hand, although, i will offer you my middle finger for your opinions and assumptions on our motives for offering care.

rockingbilly wrote: »

She wants to thank her lucky stars that she didn't have to go into hospital.
My wife (72) was in hospital for just over 3 weeks to undergo tests. She was first put in a maternity ward, then to a surgical ward ending up in a general ward that was being used for geriatric dementia patients (no available beds in the correct ward). She was scared stiff with the last ward. She had one woman opposite who continually shouted obscenities at her and another kept telling my wife that she was in her bed. Every time my wife went off the ward - toilet, wash etc, she returned to find this other woman in her bed. Then a scuffle ensued when my wife attempted to eject her,
It ended with my wife discharging herself as she could not stand it anymore.

She has been in hospital (she had surgery, its rarely done in a back alley now a days?!) she has been in for two weeks, supposed to be a couple of days. Shes moved ward 4 times i think. She was given the responsibility of having a bell because the buzzers didnt work and was told by one nurse that she couldnt go to sleep in case a new patient needed help, she was also put on an end of life ward. She had a cast incorrectly put on, shes routinely had drugs administered as late as 00:30. She also had comments about bed blocking made to her and comments on body hair. Now the bed blocking issue has very little to do with the patient and everything to do with social care. So thanking her lucky stars? I doubt she was.

The reason it took two weeks for us to get her home was because a social worker didnt turn up until day 11, having missed two appointments, and we didnt know any of the process involved. Having broken down a few times we decided it best to get her out asap and to have her with us. It also took over 24 hrs for her to be discharged because a doctor need to look at an xray which took all of 2 minutes.


@ Mojisola, Ill speak to her and make sure shes claiming what she can. Its not uncommon for us to lend her money so i know theres little in the way of savings. Not sure if its down to simply not having a lot of disposable income or if shes not to good with money but theres a certain amount of hesitation in me getting involved with her finances. Its not indefinite and we will certainly manage, it should also help clue us up for the future so we can plan more accordingly.


Thank you everyone for your help and advice.