Carer's Allowance Question

woohoo_postingid

Sorry if this has been asked before - I'm sure it probably has but I can't find the answer.

How would caring for someone for 35 hours a week be classified ?

Would it involve a carer being with someone constantly for 35 hours per week?

or

Would it include things such as doing their shopping, running them around to hospitals, doctors, dentists, doing their housework etc.
Does being prepared to rush round at a moments notice class as caring for them in addition to the above ?

Any thoughts appreciated.

kingfisherblue

You don't have to be with someone constantly to be caring for them - you might be collecting prescriptions or doing their shopping. Taking the person that is cared for to hospital, dentist, shopping, etc can be included, but I'm not sure about housework.

I doubt if being prepared to rush round if required would count as caring.

fogartyblue.

woohoo_postingid wrote: »

Sorry if this has been asked before - I'm sure it probably has but I can't find the answer.

How would caring for someone for 35 hours a week be classified ?

Would it involve a carer being with someone constantly for 35 hours per week?

or

Would it include things such as doing their shopping, running them around to hospitals, doctors, dentists, doing their housework etc.
Does being prepared to rush round at a moments notice class as caring for them in addition to the above ?

Any thoughts appreciated.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3896055

Caring has a very broad meaning. It basically means anything and everything that you do for the person being cared for.

This would include speaking to them on the telephone, the time spent travelling to see them, in fact anything that puts you out of your normal day when you don't consider that person.

Maybe you go to the Post Office every Wednesday and Saturday to pay for and collect a lottery ticket for them, maybe another visit on say a Monday to collect 6 postage stamps for them. All that time away from your own personal life counts towards the 35 hours a week!

Anubis_2

As Kingfisher says.

Additionally someone claiming carers allowance who does not live with the disabled person may have other benefits affected and it will likely affect the amount of benefits of the disabled person.

fogartyblue.

kingfisherblue wrote: »

I doubt if being prepared to rush round if required would count as caring.

Time spent in preparation to do something for that person or time spent in preparation for the disabled person to come and stay, as well as time spent 'on call' is all counted towards the caring duties and the 35 hours a week.

Put it another way. If the disabled person wasn't there, would you still carry out that preparation just for yourself?

If no you wouldn't then it is classed as caring.

Anubis_2

"Being prepared to rush around" I would imagine doesn't come into the hours totalled for caring. As a carer everyone basically needs to be prepared to be there at the drop of a hat. If the being prepared was taken into consideration then every carer could claim they are doing 24/7 as they are "on call" just "in case."

woohoo_postingid

Thanks for the replies, it makes interesting reading.

To clarify, my wife's father had a stroke a couple of years ago and she does a lot for him but she's never claimed for the allowance as she said it doesn't add up to 35 hours a week. But I think by the time she has factored in all of these "little" jobs then it probably is there or thereabouts. The odd phone call asking for a pint of milk can easily add up to an hour by the time the phone call is done, getting the money, the visit to the shop, taking the milk there, staying for a cuppa and a chat, coming home. Plus 1-2 hours per day minimum cooking and being company plus all the extra tasks eg shopping, paying bills etc.

I think I might suggest she writes everything down for a couple of weeks and go from there.

Thanks again everyone.

fogartyblue.

Anubis wrote: »

"Being prepared to rush around" I would imagine doesn't come into the hours totalled for caring. As a carer everyone basically needs to be prepared to be there at the drop of a hat. If the being prepared was taken into consideration then every carer could claim they are doing 24/7 as they are "on call" just "in case."

Not entirely right. You are mixing the two up.

Being prepared to rush around - No would not count, but

time spent 'on call' - would.

If being on call puts you off doing something that you would normally do for yourself. In other words, not being able to go somewhere, because you have to be near to a telephone so that the disabled person can contact you - then it will be accepted as part of the caring duties.

Think of it another way, if you were a paid for carer and you were 'on call' and were paid for that time whilst 'on call', it is classed as a caring duty.
If you were merely hanging around with nothing much else to do, and you received a telephone call from the disabled person, then no, that is not categorised as time 'on call'.

This whole benefit is so loose with it's definitions that it is wide open to abuse.

It is entirely possible that my wife could be treated as entitled to CA even though her parents live in N Ireland with us in the South of England. You just play the game the right way!!

Personally for what it is worth financially to a recipient I would close down Carers Allowance altogether and include it as a premium only for those on a means tested benefit. And depending on the benefit claimed ESA or JSA - Income based, it would be quite simple to determine if caring did in fact fit in with looking for a job and/or being too ill to work. Let the DM's decide if on the balance of probabilities caring duties of at least 35 hours a week were possible given each individual's circumstances.

fogartyblue.

woohoo_postingid wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, it makes interesting reading.

To clarify, my wife's father had a stroke a couple of years ago and she does a lot for him but she's never claimed for the allowance as she said it doesn't add up to 35 hours a week. But I think by the time she has factored in all of these "little" jobs then it probably is there or thereabouts. The odd phone call asking for a pint of milk can easily add up to an hour by the time the phone call is done, getting the money, the visit to the shop, taking the milk there, staying for a cuppa and a chat, coming home. Plus 1-2 hours per day minimum cooking and being company plus all the extra tasks eg shopping, paying bills etc.

I think I might suggest she writes everything down for a couple of weeks and go from there.

Thanks again everyone.

Yes you are thinking along the right lines.

But honestly, it is down to a judgement call, not a diary!
If she can honestly say that she believes that she spends at least 35 hours a week then get the claim in now!!!

Don't forget - you can ask for it to be backdated for 3 months as well!!

[Deleted User]

care can be a broad spectrum of things inc care/supervision/help
but beware if the person lives alone they may get a severe disability premium with some benefits of £57 a week which would be lost if someone claimed carers allowance for them

Anubis_2

woodbine wrote: »

care can be a broad spectrum of things inc care/supervision/help
but beware if the person lives alone they may get a severe disability premium with some benefits of £57 a week which would be lost if someone claimed carers allowance for them

THANK YOU. Been trying to explain this but someone fails to grasp that pensioners both on AA, both claiming carers, cannot claim any severe, enhanced or the disability premium......