Advice please regarding Carer's allowance.

andrew71

I am disabled and unable to work due to having ME/CFS.
My wife works 16 hours a week to be entitled to WTC. I claim DLA and we are trying to go about claiming Carer's allowance. The only problem is that my wife earns £1 too much over the threshold of what you can earn to be able to claim CA. She earns £88 PW and apparently you can only claim CA if you are on £87 or less.

She's asked her employers if she could have a wage decrease. (it would mean her loosing about £16 per month but we would be better off by £200 per month.
Her employers don't really like to decrease wages.
Does anybody have any suggestions or ideas what we can do?
It seems very silly over £1.

TOBRUK

You have my sympathy andrew71 as I too suffer with ME. Since January they changed my care component of DLA from low to middle rate and because of that I now receive SDA - severe disabled allowance. If you have middle care DLA you would also be entitled to this (I would imagine) but I have not claimed for care allowance. I didn''t know that care allowance was means tested but DLA isn't.

I am sure someone here in the know will be along to advise you

andrew71

TOBRUK wrote: »

You have my sympathy andrew71 as I too suffer with ME. Since January they changed my care component of DLA from low to middle rate and because of that I now receive SDA - severe disabled allowance. If you have middle care DLA you would also be entitled to this (I would imagine) but I have not claimed for care allowance. I didn''t know that care allowance was means tested but DLA isn't.

I am sure someone here in the know will be along to advise you

Thanks for the quick reply TOBRUK. I have just had a look here and it says that you have to be unable to work for atleast 28 hours in a row and that you have to be classed as 80% disabled.
Unsure how you can work out what % you are disabled.

My disablity is with my legs (I need walking aids to get around)

TOBRUK

If you get MIDDLE rate DLA of the care component you automatically get this as I have just recently found out. I have HIGH rate mobility component also. What rate are you receiving - if it's ok to ask?

healy

TOBRUK wrote: »

You have my sympathy andrew71 as I too suffer with ME. Since January they changed my care component of DLA from low to middle rate and because of that I now receive SDA - severe disabled allowance. If you have middle care DLA you would also be entitled to this (I would imagine) but I have not claimed for care allowance. I didn''t know that care allowance was means tested but DLA isn't.

I am sure someone here in the know will be along to advise you

I think you are getting SDA mixed up with SDP. Severe Disablement Allowance stopped in 2001 for new claims. What you are now getting is SDP ( Severe Disability Premium).

TOBRUK

healy wrote: »

I think you are getting SDA mixed up with SDP. Severe Disablement Allowance stopped in 2001 for new claims. What you are now getting is SDP ( Severe Disability Premium).

Oh dear, my head is scrambled sorry healy, that is what I meant but still didn't see my mistake! Thanks for that healy.

Mrs_B_12

Your wife may still be able to claim Carers Allowance. According to the DWP website -

"Expenses that are allowed are for things like:

some National Insurance (NI) contributions
Income Tax
half of any money you pay towards personal or occupational pension schemes
other expenses you have to pay because they are a necessary part of your job"

So if they may be able to take into account any money she pays out for travelling and clothing etc if she doesn't have a uniform supplied. Get her to give them a ring and find out.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/MoneyMatters/DG_10012547

bigbill

Pay a neighbour / friend £2 to pop in and check on you or to make your dinner while she at work, that will reduce her earnings below the £87 limit.

Morglin

Carer's Allowance Info:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/MoneyMatters/DG_10012522


SDA Info:

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/Dev_008431.xml.html


SDP Info:

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Partners/Allowancesandbenefits/Dev_010039.xml.html

Lin

andrew71

Just to say thanks everybody for the information.
We had somebody come round today from signpost. It was only when we had photocopied my wife's payslip that we noticed that she pays into her works union at £4 per month. which brings her under the threshold.

bigbill

What makes you think that union dues would be allowed as an earnings disregard?