Income Support and Carer's Allowance

wazza

Friend is receiving Income Support. Her mum has been awarded high motability and living allowance. She is thinking of claiming carer's allowance. How will it affect her Income Support, housing benefit etc? She lives in her own rented home and has young children.

pmlindyloo

Carer's Allowance does have an effect on other benefits.

Have a read of this:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/MoneyMatters/DG_10012529

Your friend can also put her details into the benefit checker on www.turn2us.org.uk to see how it would affect her.

Also, Carer's Allowance will have an effect on your friend's mother's income if she is claiming any benefits so she should put her mother's details in a separate check.

fogartyblue.

wazza wrote: »

Friend is receiving Income Support. Her mum has been awarded high motability and living allowance. She is thinking of claiming carer's allowance. How will it affect her Income Support, housing benefit etc? She lives in her own rented home and has young children.

To claim CA your friend would have to show that she spends a minimum of 35 hours every week caring for her mother.

Given that she has young children, would you think it feasible to say that she can confirm that she does carry out a full time caring role for her mum AND look after the children?

wellynever

fogartyblue. wrote: »

To claim CA your friend would have to show that she spends a minimum of 35 hours every week caring for her mother.

Given that she has young children, would you think it feasible to say that she can confirm that she does carry out a full time caring role for her mum AND look after the children?

So so wrong please ignore the BiB

nannytone_2

carers is classed as income so would be deducted from her income support and a sarers premium would be added .... leaving her with an extra £30 ish a week.

just to add, if her mother lives alone and receoves income based benefits with a disability premium ... if the daughter claims CA, then the mother would lose the premium

fogartyblue.

wellynever wrote: »

So so wrong please ignore the BiB

Where am I wrong?

Taken off the DWP site:

You may be eligible for Carer's Allowance if you are aged 16 or over and you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who is ill or disabled.

But you must tell us straight away about any week when you look after someone for less than 35 hours.
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By
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[/FONT][FONT=FS Me,FS Me][FONT=FS Me,FS Me]week [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=FS Me,FS Me][FONT=FS Me,FS Me]we mean from the start of a Sunday to the end of the next Saturday. [/FONT][/FONT]
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Now tell me that the DWP have it wrong as well!!

kingfisherblue

wellynever wrote: »

So so wrong please ignore the BiB

I don't know what a BiB is, but to claim Carer's Allowance, you do have to care for someone for a minimum of 35 hours a week, as well as meet other criteria. Can you tell me why you think this is wrong?

wellynever

The way it's worded is wrong it seems to be worded that you have to be with them all of the 35 hours as in not leave their side,

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.

kingfisherblue

You have read it diffferently to me then - at no point does fogartyblue say you need to be by their side. He just states

To claim CA your friend would have to show that she spends a minimum of 35 hours every week caring for her mother.

Where does it say or imply that you have to be with the paerson you care for all the time, or not leave their side?

ETA: and what is a BiB? (I really must get up to date on these abbreviations - I thought I was doing well, but there have been two in two days that I don't know )

wellynever

kingfisherblue wrote: »

You have read it diffferently to me then - at no point does fogartyblue say you need to be by their side. He just states

To claim CA your friend would have to show that she spends a minimum of 35 hours every week caring for her mother.

Where does it say or imply that you have to be with the paerson you care for all the time, or not leave their side?

ETA: and what is a BiB? (I really must get up to date on these abbreviations - I thought I was doing well, but there have been two in two days that I don't know )

BiB = Bit in bold, It might put people off claiming if they thought it ment spending their time with the person lives for the whole of the 35 hours

kingfisherblue

Thanks for explaining BiB.

I agree that it might put people off claiming CA if they thought that they had to spend the full 35 hours with the person that they care for, but in fairness to fogartyblue, he did not say this.