Carer for a family member ... how does it work..?

Deals_2

a family member is looking after someoen from the family . he has a pension not that high but slightly higher than pension credit with his wife. is there any point him claiming for carer to this 80 old lady? will he have to pay more tax. he is retired and does this to help out but takes up a lot of his time. thanks everso.

sleepless_saver

Does she get attendance allowance? He will not get carers allowance if she does not. Plus he would have to be providing care for 35 hours a week or more.

Carers allowance is a taxable benefit so would be included in any tax assessment. However assuming he is 65 or over he can have income (including pension) of £9030 in this financial year before any tax is payable. (That's his income, not his wife's as it wouldbe for the pension credit calculation.)

EdInvestor

Carer's allowance is not payable to anyone claiming a state pension.

simpywimpy

you are right ED but you can get entitlement for it which if you were on pension credit is about an extra £25 I believe a week.

My parents were both on either attendance all or middle dla and claimed to care for each other. They didnt get the allowances because of their pensions but pension credit was increased by £25 each per week as both of them were classed as a carer but you have to claim it from carers allow first in order to get it with pension credit

EdInvestor

simpywimpy wrote: »

... but you have to claim it from carers allow first in order to get it with pension credit

Do you mean you have to have been claiming carer's allowance before getting to state pension age in order to be eligible for the boost to pension credit, or that you have to make a formal application for carer's allowance (even though you won;t get it) before then applying to get the reduced allowance from pension credit?

sleepless_saver

You can apply at any age. My understanding is that if you are a pensioner just missing out on pension credit, it would definitely be worth reapplying for the pension credit after carers allowance is approved.

margaretclare

My parents were both on either attendance all or middle dla and claimed to care for each other.

I am interested in knowing a bit more about this. So both spouses can be claiming AA or DLA and when completing the forms, they write that the care they need is provided by the spouse - who also claims AA or DLA and their care needs are provided by the spouse?

Leave out of the equation the question of carers' allowance and pension credit - that will never apply because of other incomes being too high. But just the fact that one person who is caring for a spouse can himself/herself become in need of care and can become eligible for AA/DLA? How do the people who read the forms view this situation?

Those who inhabit the Silver Savers' forum know what I've been going through in the last few years and what's happening currently with DH. He nearly died last October, was in hospital for 4 weeks, has needed daily District Nurses' visits to give intravenous antibiotics and is now in hospital having had more knee surgery. It's going to be at least midsummer before he's anything like mobile again. But I've been his 'carer' these last weeks, and I'm on AA myself!

EdInvestor

sleepless_saver wrote: »

You can apply at any age. My understanding is that if you are a pensioner just missing out on pension credit, it would definitely be worth reapplying for the pension credit after carers allowance is approved.

But if carer's allowance is not payable to people getting state pension it would not be approved, would it?

Be_Happy

I don't know if it is still the case, but I remember that when my mother reached pension age and her carer's allowance for my sister stopped, she had an official letter saying that she was entitled to carer's allowance, but would not be getting it because of her state pension.

I think this is the 'approval' needed to increase Pension Credit.

sleepless_saver

margaretclare wrote: »

I am interested in knowing a bit more about this. So both spouses can be claiming AA or DLA and when completing the forms, they write that the care they need is provided by the spouse - who also claims AA or DLA and their care needs are provided by the spouse?

Leave out of the equation the question of carers' allowance and pension credit - that will never apply because of other incomes being too high. But just the fact that one person who is caring for a spouse can himself/herself become in need of care and can become eligible for AA/DLA? How do the people who read the forms view this situation?

For the purposes of AA/DLA it doesn't make any difference who provides the care, or indeed if anyone provides it. The only criterion is whether or not the person needs care. From the carers allowance point of view, I can see no reason why someone shouldn't be entitled to carers allowance and AA or DLA.