OH in care home - financial position

Pollycat

Hi guys

I'm wading through all the info and links you've given me, just a quick question:

as I said in my first post, my sister is getting Carer's Allownance for Dad.

She's been told by someone who actually works for DWP that even if Dad goes into a care home permanently, she'll continue to get Carer's Allowance indefinitely.

This seems a bit odd to me as I thought you had to be caring for someone for at least 35 hours a week to qualify for CA - which is unlikely to be the case if Dad is in a care home.

Directgov website states (relevant bit):

You can still receive Carer's Allowance if you take a temporary break from caring, as follows:
if you go on holiday, or the person you care for has a holiday or a stay in a care home, your Carer's Allowance may be paid for up to four weeks in any 26 week period

To me, a 'stay' is not the same as being permanatly in a care home.

It's not relevant at the moment but I'm bit of a 'nit-picker' and like to know if I'm being given correct information or not.

Any views?

Thanks

Mojisola

Pollycat wrote: »

as I said in my first post, my sister is getting Carer's Allownance for Dad.

She's been told by someone who actually works for DWP that even if Dad goes into a care home permanently, she'll continue to get Carer's Allowance indefinitely.

This seems a bit odd to me as I thought you had to be caring for someone for at least 35 hours a week to qualify for CA - which is unlikely to be the case if Dad is in a care home.

No, she won't be able to get CA because she won't be caring for him.

Errata

"a stay in a care home" means a stay, not permanent residence. eg a week's respite care in a home is a stay.

Pollycat

Errata wrote: »

"a stay in a care home" means a stay, not permanent residence. eg a week's respite care in a home is a stay.

That was my reasoning too, Errata.

I honestly couldn't see how Carer's Allowance would still be paid.

Maybe I need to check exactly what was said to my sister by the DWP employee (possibly they were talking at cross purposes) - but Sis definitely told me that she'd been told that she'd still get CA if Dad went into a home - and we were talking about a permanent stay at the time.

I don't want any expectations being set either because of a misunderstanding or duff info.

Savvy_Sue

It sounds like duff info to me, and to be honest, it wouldn't be the first time DWP has given duff info ... like telling me that we didn't need to repay any of Dad's AA, when I knew that as he'd died after 6 weeks in hospital he'd been overpaid! And of course a few months down the line they realised I was right and asked for some to be repaid. Fortunately we still had the money available, but what if we'd relied on what they said and spent it?

Errata

This should clarify it.
nb 'caring for somone visiting you' is intended to capture those people who cannot live independently, like those with severe learning disabilities, but can stay with someone (usually a relative) for perhaps a week who can give them the minimum of 35 hours care they need.

2. You look after that person for at least 35 hours a week
The 35 hours can include time spent physically helping the person, time you spend ‘keeping an eye’ on the person you look after, such as preventing them coming to harm by wandering out of the house, and time spent doing practical tasks for them, such as cooking.
The time you spend caring must usually be in the presence of the person you are looking after. However, if they come to visit you, the time you spend caring includes preparing for their visit on the day they arrive and clearing up after they leave. It also includes the time you spend collecting them from or taking them back to the place where they live.

Pollycat

Errata wrote: »

This should clarify it.

I'm even more confused (I swear this situation is draining the little bit of intelligence I had).

Errata
the extract you've posted doesn't seem to cover the hypothetical situation of my sis still being eligible for Carer's Allowance if Dad were to go into a care home on a permanent basis.

I can't see how she could care for him for at least 35 hours a week if he is in a care home.
That would mean she would need to spend an average of 5 hours a day with him in the home.

Or have I completely lost the plot here?

Errata

sorry- I could have made my post clearer, couldn't I
I posted an extract explaining who is eligible for CA. Clearly no informal carer will be able to deliver care to someone in a care home for an average of 5 hours a day non-stop, 7 days a week in order to be eligible for CA.
Ring you local Age UK with your query. I'm 100% certain they will tell you that CA isn't paid if the person being cared for is a permanent resident in a care home.
If it was, I would have claimed it for 8 years !

Pollycat

Thanks, Errata.

I just wondered if I'd missed something.

First step is to speak with Sis and confirm what she was told.
Just to clarify, the person who works for DWP and told her she would still get CA is a friend so this wasn't an official response from DWP.

ETA
I'm beginning to think I should adopt your signature. LOL

LittleVoice

Pollycat quoted the directgov website:

You can still receive Carer's Allowance if you take a temporary break from caring, as follows:
if you go on holiday, or the person you care for has a holiday or a stay in a care home, your Carer's Allowance may be paid for up to four weeks in any 26 week period

The words in red indicate that this is about paying for a total of 4 weeks in a 6-month period - and that period would be a rolling period so you couldn't have a continuous break of 8 weeks.

The text in blue is about the person being cared for. It allows them to have a break - a holiday in Brighton or just up to four weeks in a care home. The "or" is showing that there could be a break in care arising from either of those possibilities.

It is clear that CA does not continue from the time the cared for person enters the care home on a permanent basis.