Income Support and Carer's Allowance

fogartyblue.

kingfisherblue wrote: »

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.

I'm glad that is sorted.

Wellynever for some reason has a problem with me on a personal level. He/she has a habit of skulking around behind me when I post and does as much as they can to disrupt my postings.

I'm sorry that you have become caught up in their silly little game, but this is to be expected on sites like this where they can say and do what they want as they remain anonymous.

I hope it hasn't put you off posting on here in the future.

Chrissiew

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?

My daughter has 3 kids, 4,2 and 6 months, she claims carers allowance for me, she comes to our house on a Monday morning, and stays untill 6pm when my Husband gets home, 9 hours a day 5 days a week, 45 hours a week altogether, my husband takes over at the weekend.

She brings the kids with her, the 4 year old goes to nursery for 3 hours a day. The kids play with their toys or watch TV, she has to feed the baby but that takes 30 mins or so and she doesnt have to care for me every single minute its only cooking and other personal stuff she has to see to and just look out for me really, so its totaly possible to care for someone full time and have young kids.

fogartyblue.

I only mention it as it is an interesting subject to me.

An acquaintance claims CA for her father. The surprising thing to me was that it was allowed even though her father lives nearly 400 miles away!!!

It turns out that she travels there by car once a month and makes it a long weekend. She goes on a Friday morning and travels back on Tuesday.
Because that is split over 2 weeks and she is allowed to include the travelling (10 hours each way) time within the 35 hours a week.

However, her and her husband who goes with her go to see friends and other family members as well although they stay with her father instead of paying for a hotel.

The upshot of it is that all of the travelling time can be included in the weekly care figure.

She claims CA on a part time basis (2 weeks out of every 4) and receives £112 to compensate for the travelling costs, meals and socialising with friends which they would have done in any event!

I didn't realise that you could do that, and didn't realise that travelling time and just being there count towards the 35 hours!

kingfisherblue

I didn't know about travelling time, but then, my son loves with me. Just being there can count, as sometimes it is supervision that is needed. for children, the deciding factor on receiving DLA is how a child manages compared to another child of the same age. So in my case, my son - 14 next week - cannot go out alone. He has no conception of stranger danger or road safety awareness. Playing in the garden, my son has to be supervised, as he might wander off. most 14 year olds do not need that level of supervision.

Incidentally, my son has many other care needs and I don't claim DLA for him or CA for me because he needs additional supervision. I claim because of his many additional needs and that increases household costs but also leaves me unable to work.

jetplane

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?

fogartyblue are you a man as I don't think a woman would question whether you can look after children and another person for 35 hours a week :rotfl:

The original question has been answered by nannytone.

However the claimant never actually has to prove that they care for 35 hours as long as they tick the box to say they do, and the cared for person signs to agree then it is between them where and how the 35 hours is carried out.

What about when a person who receives DLA Care because they have substantial care needs themselves, then claims carers allowance for looking after another person for 35 hours a week.

go figure

lilac_lady

No-one seems to check up that the carer actually spends the time needed to qualify for the carer's allowance. In SOME cases it's just a way to claim more benefit money.

jetplane

^^^^ yes but it really is a pittance for the genuine carers out there, less than 1.50 an hour even based on the minimum 35 hours and saves the government a fortune in care costs.

*Chattie*

fogartyblue. wrote: »

Yes you are the only one to have spotted that and I was waiting for someone to post that fact.

It is one of the biggest cons around.

As Jetplane says:

However the claimant never actually has to prove that they care for 35 hours as long as they tick the box to say they do, and the cared for person signs to agree then it is between them where and how the 35 hours is carried out.

It is effectively can't! So the DWP rely on the 'honesty' (laugh!!!) of both parties.

Then there is the 12 week rule. As long as both parties tell the same story you only need care for someone for a max of 14 weeks in any peiod of 6 months to get CA for the whole of that 26 weeks.

There are many loopholes in that benefit, including the one where you can earn £1000's a week and still claim CA

I think you missed your vocation should have been a carer then you would know what its all about yes I know I am one.

article from last year about how much carers SAVE the government

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/may/12/carers-save-uk-119bn-a-year

anguk

lilac_lady wrote: »

No-one seems to check up that the carer actually spends the time needed to qualify for the carer's allowance. In SOME cases it's just a way to claim more benefit money.

That is very true. I've been getting Carer's Allowance for about 5/6 years now, I do care for my OH for more than 35 hours a week but nobody has ever checked that I do actually care for him.

There's no doubt Carer's Allowance is open to abuse but I think the vast majority of claimants do genuinely look after someone for at least 35 hours, often I'd say it's much more than 35 hours. Like most benefits it's the few dishonest ones who spoil it for the genuine claimants.

There's also no doubt that the genuine carers save the state vast amounts of money, I dread to think how much it would cost to get professionals in to do the work I do with my OH. He would need district nurses and carers coming in every day if I wasn't here and they'd certainly be getting more than one pound odd per hour.

anguk

fogartyblue. wrote: »

There are many loopholes in that benefit, including the one where you can earn £1000's a week and still claim CA

I thought you could only earn around £100 a week if you were getting Carer's Allowance? :huh: