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

Mojisola

dalgio wrote: »

Of course they can, but that still doesn't mean that they get any payment for the caring.

At best, if they were on a very low income, and entitled to some sort of means tested benefit, they would only get £32.60 a week and not the full £58.45 a week.

I know but, if you post saying no-one can get CA if you're claiming a pension, some people who are entitled to the extra £30+ a week won't claim it and will lose out.

CornishPasty

I work for an organisation that supports carers - not only do we support carers by helping them apply for carers allowance; we also offer one to one, confidential emotional support for carers; courses such as First Aid or Dementia training which help the carer with their caring responsibilities; as well as trips and days out to give the carer a break.
I just wanted to add that in addition to financial support for carers through carers allowance, all carers are entitled to support from a local organisation such as the one I work for. Even if you're not entitled to carers allowance, you can look out for carers' centres in your area - just put 'carers centre' as well as the name of your local area in your search engine and see what comes up

Dunroamin

dalgio wrote: »

They didn't!


"Is it still the case that once you are of State Pension Age and start to draw your State Pension CA stops, because you can't have both?"


"Mine did, although I had to ring up and ask about it so that I didnt have to repay later"

They reported that they did get both at the same time but that they did check it out to make sure that it was correct as they didn't want an overpayment.

I read the "mine did" comment as meaning "mine stopped."

Anny_2

Edited...due to being no longer relevant to thread.

ellie14

I care for my mother 24/7 but cannot have anything because my state pension is over £100.
I have had to forgo many things because being in her 90th year with mobility issues I feel I can't leave her.
I also look after two infirm neighbours too ,shop ,run errands general things.
But told nothing for me.

Anubis_2

ellie14 wrote: »

I care for my mother 24/7 but cannot have anything because my state pension is over £100.
I have had to forgo many things because being in her 90th year with mobility issues I feel I can't leave her.
I also look after two infirm neighbours too ,shop ,run errands general things.
But told nothing for me.

You are an angel Ellie!

blueeyedblonde

:wall:I WAS UNABLE TO WORK DUE TO A DISABILITY, SO WHEN I WENT TO THE JOBCENTRE NEARLY THREE YEARS AGO. I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD APPLY FOR ESA, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE MY HUSBAND. SO I DID. AND AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF PROBLEMS WITH THE ASSESEMENT ETC, WE WAS AWARDED ESA. THAT WAS NEARLY THREE YEARS AGO. I ALSO GET THE HIGH RATE ON DLA NOW. ESA IS NOW SUPPORT ONLY, WHICH IS FOR BOTH OF US. MY HUSBAND DOES NOT WORK, BECAUSE HE CARES FOR ME. DOING THINGS FOR ME DAY & NIGHT. WE HAVE NOT CLAIMED CARERS ALLOWANCE. PLEASE CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF IT IS WORTH CLAIMING, AS I HAVE HEARD THE MONEY I GET ALREADY WOULD BE EFFECTED. EG:- REDUCED. NOBODY SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO TELL ME.:question:

Pollycat

blueeyedblonde wrote: »

NOBODY SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO TELL ME.:question:

Who have you asked?

Have you rung DWP?

Or checked the Directgov website?

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/AdvancedSearch/Searchresults/index.htm?fullText=carers+allowance

If you post again, can you please take your 'Caps Lock' key off.

Thanks

OOPOS491

It is no wonder there are people missing out on Carer's Allowance. I am a disabled widow - I get DLA. I was amazed to read that someone can claim Carer's Allowance if they are a student who doesn't have more than 21 hours a week supervised study. Several years ago, I was told that my son could not claim carer's allowance for me because he was a university student [he lived at home with me]. No mention of the number of hours study was made at all. At the time, my son had to attend lectures for only 9 hours a week! I do know that at that time, claimants could work 16 hours a week and still get the allowance. It would appear that due to being given the wrong information, my son lost out on several thousand pounds. [At current rates it would be over £9000]

I was also claiming income support at the time. I couldn't claim any extra for him as a dependant because he was over 18 He could only have a student loan of a reduced amount because he lived at home. The student loan literture actually stated this was because parents will be expected to support students living at home.

I was also told that I didn't have to declare a pension from my late husband's exployer because it was only £10.93 per QUARTER - i.e. £2.37 a week. However, DWP decided this year that I should have declared it, and are now counting it as an overpayment of around £800 which I have to repay at the rate of £10.65 PER WEEK.

What would my chances be of getting back the carer's allowance we should have been entitled to all those years ago? Absolutely none. But DWP can take back an 'overpayment' from exactly the same time - cutting my income by over £50 per month.. Thanks Mr Cameron. One rule for you, another one for the rest of us.

I am also now going to be 'assessed' for Employment and Support Allowance and I could end up losing my incapacity benefit etc. I am 60 years old, a disabled widow, and have been unable to work for about 10 years [I worked constantly from leaving school until illness and disability put paid to that]. Even if I were fit, who on earth would employ me?

I could suggest ways of reducing the welfare budget by stopping the number of pointless letters [mostly in duplicate] I receive from the DWP. Always at least 3 pages long, often enclosing an unnecessary envelope and usually to tell me my income support will be changing by a miniscule amount because of a change in my circumstances. [My circumstances haven't changed sinced 2002.] The best ones are relating to my mortgage - where they write to inform me they have overpaid my lender by 16p [yes, really] - but not to worry because they have also written to them and reduced the next payment etc etc. Aaaagggghhh.

Dunroamin

OOPOS491 wrote: »

It is no wonder there are people missing out on Carer's Allowance. I am a disabled widow - I get DLA. I was amazed to read that someone can claim Carer's Allowance if they are a student who doesn't have more than 21 hours a week supervised study. Several years ago, I was told that my son could not claim carer's allowance for me because he was a university student [he lived at home with me]. No mention of the number of hours study was made at all. At the time, my son had to attend lectures for only 9 hours a week! I do know that at that time, claimants could work 16 hours a week and still get the allowance. It would appear that due to being given the wrong information, my son lost out on several thousand pounds. [At current rates it would be over £9000]

I was also claiming income support at the time. I couldn't claim any extra for him as a dependant because he was over 18 He could only have a student loan of a reduced amount because he lived at home. The student loan literture actually stated this was because parents will be expected to support students living at home.

I was also told that I didn't have to declare a pension from my late husband's exployer because it was only £10.93 per QUARTER - i.e. £2.37 a week. However, DWP decided this year that I should have declared it, and are now counting it as an overpayment of around £800 which I have to repay at the rate of £10.65 PER WEEK.

What would my chances be of getting back the carer's allowance we should have been entitled to all those years ago? Absolutely none. But DWP can take back an 'overpayment' from exactly the same time - cutting my income by over £50 per month.. Thanks Mr Cameron. One rule for you, another one for the rest of us.

I am also now going to be 'assessed' for Employment and Support Allowance and I could end up losing my incapacity benefit etc. I am 60 years old, a disabled widow, and have been unable to work for about 10 years [I worked constantly from leaving school until illness and disability put paid to that]. Even if I were fit, who on earth would employ me?

I could suggest ways of reducing the welfare budget by stopping the number of pointless letters [mostly in duplicate] I receive from the DWP. Always at least 3 pages long, often enclosing an unnecessary envelope and usually to tell me my income support will be changing by a miniscule amount because of a change in my circumstances. [My circumstances haven't changed sinced 2002.] The best ones are relating to my mortgage - where they write to inform me they have overpaid my lender by 16p [yes, really] - but not to worry because they have also written to them and reduced the next payment etc etc. Aaaagggghhh.

Supervised study isn't just lectures so your son wouldn't have been eligible for CA; no students on designated FT courses are eligible for this benefit.

If you cannot afford the suggested repayments, you should be able to negotiate easier terms.