Carer's Allowance - stunned

meema

Hi, I have a question about carer's allowance & hoping someone here can advise. If a person gives up their full-time job, to care for a disabled partner full-time then they are entitled to £50 per week?? For example, if I was in this situation (I'm not) I would give up my £450 per week job for £50 per week???

I'm so stunned by this. How much does it cost to have paid carers coming in 4 times a day, 5 days a week? It just seems like such a false economy.

meema

Did a bit more research..it's really true! I thought I must be missing something. Although it's not a situation that I'm in, it's relevant to the work I do.

There are protests next month in Edinburgh and London, I'm seriously considering going, though I've only ever been on one in my entire life!

http://www.paperclip.org.uk/carers/carers_poverty_protest.htm

seven-day-weekend

They would also get NI credits (!)

I agree it is not a huge amount.

aliasojo

Welcome to my world. Caring for another has made sure I have now become dependant myself, albeit 'only' financially. Life sucks, but what can you do?

claire1234

to get carers allowance the person your looking after has to get the middle or highest of care componate of DLA (Disability Living Allowance)

so even tho i care for my partner 24/7 he does not recieve the middle or highest of DLA (care part) so im not eligible for carers,

so yeah if you had a good job but for some reason you had to give your job up to care for a loved one it would be either around £50 per week or nothing just depends,

i think carers from an agency are quite pricey now

meema

aliasojo wrote: »

Life sucks, but what can you do?

Can you sign their petition & perhaps forward it on to others, I just did but was only signature 400-ish..which isn't very many.

I have such a huge respect for carers, I'm not sure if I could ever do what you do. It must be so invalidating to be doing such a worthwhile job for no pay.

TaBunny

I could really do with my boyfriend being here every morning to help me dress and every night to undress plus help with showers etc and other stuff like I can't prepare food so tend to eat only microwave or go without food for a few days and live on chocolate but he can't afford to give up work and he don't live with me so not much I can do.

meema

TaBunny wrote: »

I could really do with my boyfriend being here every morning to help me dress and every night to undress plus help with showers etc and other stuff like I can't prepare food so tend to eat only microwave or go without food for a few days and live on chocolate but he can't afford to give up work and he don't live with me so not much I can do.

That sounds really hard (understatement!) - have you had an assessment from social services? Aren't you able to have paid carers to come in and help with these things?

seven-day-weekend

You have to pay for them yourself I believe.

lynzpower

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

You have to pay for them yourself I believe.

Yes, but can you not get direct payments? Is this system of direct payments still going?

TaBunny

meema wrote: »

That sounds really hard (understatement!) - have you had an assessment from social services? Aren't you able to have paid carers to come in and help with these things?

Oh I get by _pale_ I'm used to it now. The social services did send someone out but, and I'm probably being very picky here, if you have them come in and help you have to get up at a set regemented time every day and go to bed the same. This doesn't suit me because if I've had a particularly bad sleepless night then I tend to stay in bed till 11am or something like that. Also I have to admit that I don't like having to ask for help and get very nervous embarraced with strangers, it's a catch 22 and yes you do have to pay for them to come in and i'm already on a tight budget. Good job I like chocolate