Carers Allowance backdated?

sueturnersmith

I was finally awarded DLA last week, at higher rates for both mobility and care. The award was backdated to when I first claimed last May. I had to appeal, because I was initially turned down, but it didn't get as far as an appeal, because I was given the award a month after I sent off the appeal form.

We have found out that my husband should be entitled to carer's allowance - he gave up work to care for me, and only receives a small occupational pension.

Will carer's allowance be backdated to last May which is when my DLA was backdated to? After all, it was DWP's fault that it took so long for the award to be given.

DX2

sueturnersmith wrote: »

I was finally awarded DLA last week, at higher rates for both mobility and care. The award was backdated to when I first claimed last May. I had to appeal, because I was initially turned down, but it didn't get as far as an appeal, because I was given the award a month after I sent off the appeal form.

We have found out that my husband should be entitled to carer's allowance - he gave up work to care for me, and only receives a small occupational pension.

Will carer's allowance be backdated to last May which is when my DLA was backdated to? After all, it was DWP's fault that it took so long for the award to be given.

No CA can only be back dated for up to three months.

Mojisola

If he hasn't claimed, can it be backdated at all? Surely the claim will only start when he asks for the paperwork?

sueturnersmith

He couldn't claim until I was awarded DLA, but he was surely entitled to it from the time I became eligible, which was last May. It seems unfair that the payment can only be backdated for three months when it was not our fault that DWP took eight months to agree that I was entitled to DLA?

[Deleted User]

many benefits can only be backdated to a max of 3 months,i should look on it as being lucky you got 8 months backdated dla around £4000 and that your OH might get £650 backdated CA,personaly I`d call that a result !

tcr_3

I thought if you claimed Carer's Allowance within 3 months of receiving notification of the final DLA decision ... and so long as you've been providing care from the DLA award date ... that they can backdate Carer's Allowance right to the beginning of the DLA claim ? I thought they'd introduced that rule to specifically address concerns such as those the OP raises.

Or have the rules changed (again) ?

sueturnersmith

According to Example 4 of this website:http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/wr_hback#linked it looks like he can get it backdated from when I became eligible for DLA, ie last May. But he has to make the claim within three months of the decision to grant DLA. It seems that the rules changed fairly recently, because until recently you had to apply for Carers Allowance at the same time as DLA, but now you cannot make a claim until DLA is awarded, but it will then be backdated to the date a person became eligible for DLA. At least, that's how I interpret it?

Mojisola

tcr wrote: »

I thought if you claimed Carer's Allowance within 3 months of receiving notification of the final DLA decision ... and so long as you've been providing care from the DLA award date ... that they can backdate Carer's Allowance right to the beginning of the DLA claim ? I thought they'd introduced that rule to specifically address concerns such as those the OP raises.

Or have the rules changed (again) ?

That's useful to know.

DX2

sueturnersmith wrote: »

According to Example 4 of this website:http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/wr_hback#linked it looks like he can get it backdated from when I became eligible for DLA, ie last May. But he has to make the claim within three months of the decision to grant DLA. It seems that the rules changed fairly recently, because until recently you had to apply for Carers Allowance at the same time as DLA, but now you cannot make a claim until DLA is awarded, but it will then be backdated to the date a person became eligible for DLA. At least, that's how I interpret it?

Sue the best thing to do stick in an application form for CA and on the form it asks from what date do you want to claim CA from, put the date your DLA was backdated from, they will either say yes or no.

sueturnersmith

Thanks DX2. I'll let you know what happens.

sueturnersmith

My husband got a letter from DWP today, and they have backdated his carers allowance to last May without any problems, so I don't think the three month rule still applies.