minimum age to receive carers allowance ?

pwales_2

as title really ?
what is the minimum age to receive carers allowance ?

just my son does so much for me and if he was an adult would be getting paid for it .

my wife earns aprox 9 quid (changes some weeks up to 15 quid) to much per week to claim carers allowance.

MrsManda

16 years as you cannot get it whilst in full time education
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Caringforsomeone/DG_10012525

pwales_2

MrsManda wrote: »

16 years as you cannot get it whilst in full time education
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Caringforsomeone/DG_10012525

thanks for the link, full time education , that could be until 21,

the government need to look at young carers seriously there are allot doing all extra help and getting little thanks for it.
i do give him extra pocket money for what he does but as we are mostly skint its not much.

does anyone have any experience with young carers charities and what if any support they can offer ?

wattdallas

Hi i dont really know about charities etc but your son could receiver a young carers grant from ss.A friend of mines daughter got £100 she was only 8 at the time ,for helping her mum to look after her disabled sister.She used it for days out through the holidays.

Hope that helps

Savvy_Sue

Would there be any point in your wife reducing her hours by enough to make a claim for CA worthwhile?

pwales_2

wattdallas wrote: »

Hi i dont really know about charities etc but your son could receiver a young carers grant from ss.A friend of mines daughter got £100 she was only 8 at the time ,for helping her mum to look after her disabled sister.She used it for days out through the holidays.

Hope that helps

thanks i will look into it

pwales_2

:j

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Would there be any point in your wife reducing her hours by enough to make a claim for CA worthwhile?

thats the job, there was no other and thats the hrs. she could reduce and get shop work but come april she will need to be working 24 hrs min to get working tax credits so then she will be even more over the limit,
but this raises another issue the more hrs my wife has to work to get tax credits is more hrs my son does stuff for me .

its a real heartache for me to be asking my son to help me.

there should be a scheme to show appreciation to young carers

my wife says took me in sickness and in health and she dont mind the extra help she gives me, but i should be there for my son not the other way around ,
the fall was the worst day of my life , but i still have days like today where i jump through hoops to get help from local council etc

its all one big circle

Mojisola

Google "young carers" - there's lots of links.

There's a local charity in our area for young carers so they have the chance to get together with other youngsters who understand what their lives are like. They organise special events for them.

Make sure the school is aware of how much your son is having to do for you so that he gets support from the school as well.

pwales_2

thanks ive forgot all about the school.
i will phone them monday.

jenhug

i believe if your wife has a pension deducted from her earnings then she should be able to sort it so she is just under the earnings limit. Does your wifes company offer a pension scheme? If so, paying in £20 per week would still see you £35 per week better off and she would be putting money away for the future. Its an option to look into.

Savvy_Sue

Although the number of hours you're allowed to work and still claim CA are quite limited too, and I suspect that if she's got to be doing 24 hours to get tax credits then that's too many for CA.