DLA & Carers allowance

alexandrajj

I wonder if anyone can help me with a query please?

Single mum who gets IS and DLA (HRC &HRM). She gets DLA for mental health problems and has back problems which affect her mobility.

She has a daughter aged 6 who also gets DLA (HRC, LRM) as the girl is autistic and partically deaf.

No-one claims carers allowance for the daughter (or the mother but the mother doesn't want anyone to claim carers for her 'cos she would loose a IS premium). Can the mother claim carers allowance despite getting HRC & HRM herself?

On the surface she fits the criteria of caring for more than 35 hours a week (which parent doesn't?), under the £95 a weeks rule etc etc. However it just seems 'wrong' to the mum to be able to claim carers for her daughter. She understands that the amount of carers allowance will be deducted from her IS but she will get the carer premium added so she would be £27-ish better off each week. Is this right? Also the mum is worried that if she claims the carers allowance for her daughter, then when her DLA is renewed (Dec 2009) that the decision maker may reduce her DLA award based soley on the fact that she is a carer for someone. Is this a unfounded fear or does this happen?


Thanks in advance

healy

She could claim Carers Allowance in this situation and receive the Carers premium.

Her DLA would not be reduced soley due to her caring for someone but I do think it could be taken into consideration.

GlasweJen

Surely someone with higher rate care i.e. unable to prepare a meal, get dressed, needs care at night etc can't claim that they do exactly this sort of thing for a child?

[Deleted User]

GlasweJen wrote: »

Surely someone with higher rate care i.e. unable to prepare a meal, get dressed, needs care at night etc can't claim that they do exactly this sort of thing for a child?

You are making assumptions there that might not exist,there are many different types of disability

GlasweJen

yes but back when i worked at CAS high rate DLA care meant 24 hour care needs because the disabled person could do virtually nothing independently. Now I know that you can work and claim DLA because I myself do that and being a carer is work so if being a carer to the disabled child didn't contradict what the disabled adult put on their original claim form then it shouldn't be a problem but I'm having problems conjuring up such a scenario that wouldn't make the DWP want to review the disabled adults claim.

lolababy

The mum should claim carers. She wont get the carers allowance but will get the premium added onto her income support.. The premium is 27.00 plus pence.
The dwp wont look into the mothers claim if she applies for carers allowance.
there are lots of disabled parents who look after their children.

Has the mother applied for direct payments from the ilf fund. If not she needs advice on applying. Does she get help from social services.

shazrobo

the mum should claim carer's

i claim dla, and get lrm, and hrc

both my sons receive the hrc part of dla too, and i claim carer's for them

HariboJunkie

GlasweJen wrote: »

yes but back when i worked at CAS high rate DLA care meant 24 hour care needs because the disabled person could do virtually nothing independently. Now I know that you can work and claim DLA because I myself do that and being a carer is work so if being a carer to the disabled child didn't contradict what the disabled adult put on their original claim form then it shouldn't be a problem but I'm having problems conjuring up such a scenario that wouldn't make the DWP want to review the disabled adults claim.

I know of a couple of examples of this being abused with people who are clearly in need of full care from a partner but who are able to provide full care to a child. I understand that there are different disabilities and different types of care but I know someone who receives carer's allowance for her child while she herself is on HRC and HRM. In fact, from what she says, it is the child who cares for the adult more than the other way round. :rolleyes:

So it is possible but it is open to abuse IMO.

lolababy

You can not say that the parent is abusing the system if they claim carers and are themselves disabled. Care takes many forms from pointing out danger to full hands on care.
The child you are talking about must also have a disability for carers allowance to be in place and yet you say they are the carer.

GlasweJen

Yes but you can hardly point out danger for 35 hours per week and it's useless telling a 6 year old that something is dangerous anyway - it just makes them want to do it even more!

SuziQ

On the surface she fits the criteria of caring for more than 35 hours a week (which parent doesn't?),

It isn't the hours involved though-it is that the care is over and above that which would provided to the average child of this age.That is what the HRC is awarded for-she would then be applying as the person giving that care for that period. So if-for example-she was on 15 hours kidney dialysis a day herself she couldn't be that persons carer (a silly example I know.)

I see no problem with her applying for carers allowance and know lots of situations like this. 2 people with totally different dissabilities can be remarkably and sucessfully supportive of one another.