Why can't 1 person claim CARERS ALLOWANCE for 2 children on DLA?? Any way round it?

QUEENY-V

Hi I have 2 sons that are disabled. My eldest has been on DLA middle rate care and low rate mobility a few years now and I claim Carers Allowance to help look after him.
My youngest son has just been awarded the same rate of DLA but I have been informed that the same person can't get Carers Allowance twice even though it is for 2 different children!!
I think this is ridiculous as it is twice the job and very hard looking after 2 children with disabilities!
Whats going on there then? Does anyone know a way round it?
It says you can earn up to £90 but carers allowance is only £50ish can't they top it up to £90 even?
Anyone with advice or is there simply nothing that can be done?
There should be some kind of petition to the government about this, is there?
Thanks in advance xxx

munchings-n-crunchings

Hello QUEENY,

It doesn't make sense.
I can understand it, is for example you were looking after 2 elderly people, where the care is focussed more in the home.
But when it's children, you simply have to do the roles of 2 people.
I have 2 disabled children aged 18 and 14. I need to be in 2 places at once, sorting issues out at once place, then picking the other up from somewhere else. It puts an enormous amount of pressure on one person, and I don't have anyone else to turn to.

It would be better for there to be a reduced rate of CA, for second or additional qualifying persons in the same family. At least then, I could ask a neighbour to do something, and at least pay expenses.

If there is anything, I've not found it yet.

Good luck,

Munchie

QUEENY-V

Thank you for your support. I'm sure there is thousands of us out there in the same position. As you say we have to constantly be in 2 places at once, it's a full time job and very stressfull! I agree a reduced rate would be a good idea. I don't think they quite understand how much money is needed to rase disabled children.
I hope something will be done about it soon. I just wouldn't have a clue where to start or who to ask?
Well fingers crossed someone out there hes the resorces to make a change for us all.
Thanks again xxx

hbgirl

not that it helps, but i *think* the reason is for carers allowance you have to care for someone 30 hours per week. the system won't accept you are caring 60hours a week i suppose?

(bizarre, i guess you are caring for them 24hrs per day, 7 days a week!).

sorry i can't help, but see the Citizens Advice Bureau who will help you get everything you are entitled to

elaina79

Carers allowance is based on providing care for over 30 hours per week, regardless on the number of people you are caring for. There needs to be some great changes to carers allowance in general as it is so unfair at the moment.

It is classsed as income as well so gets taken off other benefits. The government have said they will look into the carers allowance system but have never said that they are going to change any part of it.

bestpud

Is it perhaps because it is not for the cost of caring, as such, but rather compensation for loss of earnings (hence you can't get it if you earn over a certain amount), and therefore you have only lost one lot of earnings, however many you care for?

I don't know; I'm just guessing.

I agree it seems unfair and carers get a raw deal in many ways.

jacnorm

I am a carer and I look after my husband, sister and my son and it really is hard work and I am often dead on my feet and I get one lot of care allowance which is totally unfair. I ended up in loads of debt when I became a carer and there is no help out there. Things really need to change as so many carers are in poor health themselves.

cabbage

No it isn't fair at all. My friend has twin boys on dla mrc and lrm. She's working and earning more than the £95 per week so can't claim at all. When she was inbetween jobs she could only claim carer's for one child.

In addition to that both boys are identical with identical health concerns - one was accepted for dla mrc/lrm and the other turned down. The forms were identical!!

Anyway, I digress. Carers Allowance is paid because you are giving 35 hours of care or more each week. Its called an overlapping benefit as it can't be paid in addition to some other benefits such as incapacity benefit or state retirement pension.

Its grossly unfair that for example a woman who is aged 59 is claiming Carers Allowance for her sick husband and then turns 60 and can no longer get it because it overlaps with her SRPension. She's still caring. In reality she would probably get a premium on her benefits but its not at the same amount as carer's allowance.

What can you do about it? - Raise it with your mp, visit CAB and ask them to raise it as a social policy issue (lots of laws are changed by this method), start an online petition on 10 downing street website.

At the moment its a cheap method of getting care for people who need it. If that same person needed a home help or a nursing home it could cost the government hundreds per week to fund this. A carer gets £50 ish per week.

I would like to see Carers Allowance get the same sort of treatment as DLA, eg not be classed as income and be a passport for other benefits and lastly not be an overlapping benefit.

Let us know on this forum if you are going to start a petition or other and we will support you.