MSE News: Hidden carers miss out on £1,000s in benefits help

kingfisherblue

Dunroamin wrote: »

Whilst I have some sympathy with this sentiment, it's only fair to say that someone in the same situation will receive considerably more in benefits than just the £58 CA. Once you add in IS/DLA/CB/CTC/LHA/HB/CTB the support package is substantial. (As it should be).

It doesn't help your argument to ignore these facts.

I agree that I get more than CA. I also receive IS, CB, CTC and CTB, as well as my son's DLA (I receive it in my bank account on his behalf). I get a small amount of SMI as my home is mortgaged - my ex pays nothing towards the mortgage and I find the difference from my benefits, which is the right thing to do.

I was commenting on CA, as I was answering another poster's comment about this particular benefit.

Without claiming CA, I would have to claim JSA and be actively seeking work, but although I have no problems with working, I would find it very difficult due to my son's needs. During the day, including today, I sometimes go back to bed to sleep, as I am up so frequently during the night. Also, my son has regular appointments that I take him to.

If I was working, holidays would be a nightmare as holiday care for disabled children is so difficult in our town. We do have a holiday playscheme. We are allowed to purchase no more than 39 hours a year, to be taken in summer and at Easter. There is going to be the possibility of purchasing a few hours at Christmas, buit this will come out of the 39 hours already allocated. These hours are to be taken in specific sessions (9-12.30 or 12.30-4, or a longer session 9-4), on certain days of the week. There is nothing else available, and many children with disabilities cannot acess other playschemes such as those held in sports centres, as they cannot physically join in, and because they have care needs that require more staffing.

I hope I didn't offend anyone by not mentioning the other benefits that I receive, but as I pointed out earlier, I was answering a specific question from another poster.

scattykat

My husband works 45 hour weeks so we don't get any help with housing etc.

Dunroamin

Oliver14 wrote: »

The rules on CA allowance are so tight. That a lot of people just can't claim it. My CA is my only income. It all sounds so simple when you say it but i'm afraid it never is.

You're in an unusual situation then, presumably because you're in the fortunate financial situation where you aren't eligible for the means tested benefits I listed earlier. I don't think this is particularly typical.

If my husband had chosen to claim DLA before retirement age, I wouldn't even have been eligible for CA because of my occupational pension, so I do know how difficult it can be.

Dunroamin

kingfisherblue wrote: »

I agree that I get more than CA. I also receive IS, CB, CTC and CTB, as well as my son's DLA (I receive it in my bank account on his behalf). I get a small amount of SMI as my home is mortgaged - my ex pays nothing towards the mortgage and I find the difference from my benefits, which is the right thing to do.

I was commenting on CA, as I was answering another poster's comment about this particular benefit.

Without claiming CA, I would have to claim JSA and be actively seeking work, but although I have no problems with working, I would find it very difficult due to my son's needs. During the day, including today, I sometimes go back to bed to sleep, as I am up so frequently during the night. Also, my son has regular appointments that I take him to.

If I was working, holidays would be a nightmare as holiday care for disabled children is so difficult in our town. We do have a holiday playscheme. We are allowed to purchase no more than 39 hours a year, to be taken in summer and at Easter. There is going to be the possibility of purchasing a few hours at Christmas, buit this will come out of the 39 hours already allocated. These hours are to be taken in specific sessions (9-12.30 or 12.30-4, or a longer session 9-4), on certain days of the week. There is nothing else available, and many children with disabilities cannot acess other playschemes such as those held in sports centres, as they cannot physically join in, and because they have care needs that require more staffing.

I hope I didn't offend anyone by not mentioning the other benefits that I receive, but as I pointed out earlier, I was answering a specific question from another poster.

I hope you didn't think I was picking on you, I was just pointing out the bigger picture in terms of the benefits package which people sometimes ignore.:)

It's rather like people who say that they only get £71 JSA (which is true) when they may also receive many times this in the other benefits they get.

kingfisherblue

Dunroamin wrote: »

I hope you didn't think I was picking on you, I was just pointing out the bigger picture in terms of the benefits package which people sometimes ignore.:)

It's rather like people who say that they only get £71 JSA (which is true) when they may also receive many times this in the other benefits they get.

Not at all, Dunroamin. I agree that many do ignore the additional help that they get. I have a friend who is on JSA and she just can't see beyond the fact that she her only cash income is £71 a week. She doesn't acknowledge that her rent and council tax are both paid for her, saving quite a substantial sum each month (somewhere between £400-550 at a guess).

clemmatis

Dunroamin wrote: »

If my husband had chosen to claim DLA before retirement age, I wouldn't even have been eligible for CA because of my occupational pension, so I do know how difficult it can be.

That's what I thought, but apparently income from an occupational pension doesn't count.

Dunroamin

clemmatis wrote: »

That's what I thought, but apparently income from an occupational pension doesn't count.

You're right and I'm wrong, sorry.:o

I expect we would've looked more carefully at it if he'd chosen to claim.

suetel

i am my dads carer. i had to drop my hours at work to cope and as a result i no longer pay national insurance. i know if i got carers allowance i would have it paid for me. but i havent claimed as i have been told my dad would lose a lot more of his benefits than i would receive. am i right in thinking there is a way i could have my ni credited without claiming carers allowance. thank you

FBaby

Although I don't have any issues with an allowance for caring duties, and in the case of parents looking after a severely disabled child who wouldn't be able to be cared for in the education system like other children, it is more than justify.

However, I do have an issue when the carer always compare what they get with what they would get working if they were not a carer. For one, in the case of children, many mothers chose not to work, so it can't be assumed that if the child wasn't disabled, the mother would forceably be working. For two, even if they did work, they wouldn't forceably be better off than they are asa carer with all the benefits it opens to them if they earning power is limited. Some people are trully better off financially being a carer than if they were not.

This doesn't mean I do not sympathise with hard it must be to care for a love one, it doesn't mean I begrudge the benefits they receive, just that I don't systematically assume that if someone is a carer, they must be struggling financially any differently than many other working families.

PasturesNew

Soapn wrote: »

what I would like to know is would people care for their own relatives if there wasn't Gov money for it?

I did ... and am now at the tail end of mopping up the final paperwork stages. Not a bean.... decimated my own income, dedicated all thoughts/actions towards needs/wants/improving life, getting stuff, organising things, investigating things, feeding, meds, hospitals, Doctors, all sorts.

Not a bean .... it's blood isn't it.