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Carers Allowance

Hi, Hope someone can help me. I was 'advised' by the person who runs my sisters club to apply for carers allowance on her behalf as she lives with my mum and is 'around' to keep an eye on her (mum gets AA), she has a learning disability and gets the middle allowance of DLA and the lower mobility DLA (I am her nominated person with the DSS (or whatever it is now) so all her paperwork comes to me. She has been granted the carers allowance but is now over £20 a week worse off, it appears they have reduced her income support..... :eek: I only applied as I was told that she would get more money. Am I better off saying that she does not now wish to claim the allowance or have they messed up? Thanks in advance for any help.

Nels.

Comments

  • cw18
    cw18 Posts: 8,630 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    In order for you to claim CA she (or her representitive) should have had to sign to say she (or they) understood it could affect her income. I think what happens is it removes a premium from her benefits, and the only time this doesn't seem to be the case is when one half of a couple gets CA for looking after the other (my DH would have had to sign the form, but I was told in our case we wouldn't actually lose anything -- but that could have been 'cos we didn't qualify for the extra premium in the first place due to being a couple!)
    Cheryl
  • lil_me
    lil_me Posts: 13,186 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    If noone claims CA for looking after you and you claim IS you get a Severe Disability Premium on your Income Support.

    If you are on IS and claim CA you get the CA taken off your IS but a Carer's Premium added. Sometimes getting the premium added can take a couple of weeks but it is back paid to when it was granted from. It of course means you don't get the full amount of CA extra, just the premium.
    One day I might be more organised...........:confused:
    GC: £200
    Slinkies target 2018 - another 70lb off (half way to what the NHS says) so far 25lb
  • You need to speak to benefits first does sound like something has gone wrong, the following is how thye usually work it out

    Income Support £60.50 -
    Carers Allowance £50.00 +
    Carers Premium £27.00 =
    Total Income Support £37.50

    + Carers Premium £50.00 =
    Total income £87.50
  • You need to speak to benefits first does sound like something has gone wrong, the following is how they usually work it out(rough figures)

    Income Support £60.50 -
    Carers Allowance £50.00 +
    Carers Premium £27.00 =
    Total Income Support £37.50

    + Carers Premium £50.00 =
    Total income £87.50

    I haven't taken into account any DLA but this would be on top but always best to check sounds like the haven't applied the Carer Premium to me though, hope this makes sense
  • cw18
    cw18 Posts: 8,630 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    But the IS paid to the sister would have gone down, as she loses the £50 and only gains £27

    Edited: My confusion has just clicked. Tink's calcs are for the sister who's around, and it's Mum's money which has gone down -- presumably a loss of the AA
    Cheryl
  • suelees1
    suelees1 Posts: 1,617 Forumite
    Bit more info is needed really as it's not clear who's claiming what and who's lost money.
    I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!
  • lil_me
    lil_me Posts: 13,186 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    suelees1 wrote: »
    Bit more info is needed really as it's not clear who's claiming what and who's lost money.

    which is why I gave both possible options, unsure who'd lost what and gained....
    One day I might be more organised...........:confused:
    GC: £200
    Slinkies target 2018 - another 70lb off (half way to what the NHS says) so far 25lb
  • suelees1
    suelees1 Posts: 1,617 Forumite
    Bloomin' eck - we're none of us any the wiser !!

    Am I right in thinking both your mum and sister were on qualifying benefits (Mum on AA and sister on DLA MRC) ? If so they would both have been entitled to the severe disability premium of 50.35 each.

    However as soon as someone else claims and is paid Carers Allowance they'd gain only the cp but the person for whom they're caring loses the sdp

    Here's a bit more info...as well as both being paid the sdp if they are both on an overlapping benefit such as IB and Retirement Pension they could both claim CA. Because of the overlapping benefit rules they wouldn't be paid it but would have underlying entitlement. They'd both then get the sdp each AND the cp each.

    Or if only one of them was on an overlapping benefit (eg mum on Retirement Pension), she can actually claim CA but as it won't actually be paid to her she could increase her income by the cp on top of the sdp.

    This is why it's so important to have the correct facts before claiming CA as it can make a helluva difference to the disabled person's benefit.

    It can all get very complex so if you want to send me a pm please do so and I'll try to put you on the right path. It'll be tomorrow now though as I'm going for a glass of wine after all that ;)
    I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!
  • Nels
    Nels Posts: 8 Forumite
    Thanks for all your replies, it is my sister who appears to have lost out, will pm you suelees1 tomorrow.(All being well and no phone calls from mum, sister, MIL etc). I am off to bed now, minus the wine - can't do that when its school the next day! Have a headache at the end of the day without imbibing.
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