Carers allowance probelm

Stevengiles86

This has confused me (made another thread about CA, but it was to do with applying, this is a different issue). In short:

My Grandmother lives here (who is 73) and has been looking after my mother here whilst on her pension and had been told she would NOT be able to get CA.

I left my job and have applied for CA because I am now the main carer for my mother.

Applied for CA and both myself and my grandmother had letters back saying she has an underlying entitlement to CA so we need to decide who actually will get CA.


I cant work out who's better off or who would lose out, If my grandmother loses out then I will just not bother.

She gets £120 a week state pension + £60 "pension credit" and is on "guaranteed pension credit". (As of April this year)

Is there a good chance of her losing out on money if we agree that I should get CA? If so how much could that be?

Thanks

McKneff

It doesnt matter who is better off and who is worse off.

Whoever is the carer should appy, anything else is fraud.

Simple as that, really.

sleepless_saver

You can work it out using a benefits calculator. http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

But depending what benefits your mother is on and whether she lives alone, someone claiming carers allowance for looking after her could affect her benefits.

SnowMan

As your grandmother has an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance it is also likely that she is getting a premium within her pension credit for caring see here (the pension credit amounts you mention give an indication this is the case). Check her pension credit calculation to see if this is the case.

The carer's premium is £31pw. So if your grandmother stops being a carer she will lose that £31pw.

Note the reason your grandmother only has underlying entitlement to carer's allowance herself is because state pension and carer's allowance are overlapping benefits and can't both be paid on top of each other.

If you in turn become the carer and meet the conditions for carer's allowance then you will get £58.45pw carer's allowance.

So effectively your grandmother loses £31pw and you gain £58.45pw. You will also get credits for qualifying years for your state pension.

However it is all very complicated with the interaction of the benefits and premiums and with 3 potential claimants here may not be as simple as this, and we don't know what other benefits are being claimed also (such as disability benefits for your mother, housing benefit, housing costs or council tax benefit).

So I suggest you get it checked out at your local CAB or Age UK.

McKneff wrote: »

It doesnt matter who is better off and who is worse off.

Whoever is the carer should apply, anything else is fraud.

Simple as that, really.

You seem to post judgementally from a position of total ignorance rather than knowing the rules.

Two people sharing care can meet the conditions for carer's allowance as I understand it see the Carer's UK website here. However only one can claim carer's allowance. So there can be a choice on which one claims.

Stevengiles86

McKneff wrote: »

It doesnt matter who is better off and who is worse off.

Whoever is the carer should appy, anything else is fraud.

Simple as that, really.

Both care equally 35 hours or more a week.... Id never commit fraud. However, the way the benefit system works, it is all about which 1 of us will be better off as even the money given isnt enough to live on (money for shopping, council tax, electric, water, gas, phone bill and other essentials such as mobile phone bills that allow us to keep in touch if 1 of us goes out with my mum and something happens)

My grandmother does the more intimate work, such as getting my mum in and out of bed, bathing her, and taking her to certain appointments. Whilst I keep an eye on her during the day, take her to town, get her drinks, food and cook dinner. I care for her more (50 hours+ a week) but my grandmother does the more complex jobs (bathing her for example).

It wont effect my mothers benefit, as shes on mid rate DLA, no premiums an she lives here with me and my grandmother.

Only benefits here are my grandmothers pension, my mother's middle rate DLA and I'm on literally zilch. We get no housing benefits as my grandmother owns the house outright, she gets no discount on her council tax as theres 3 people living here (me, my grandmother and mother of course)

May just get myself claiming it as they have only given us a few days to send the letters back and decide who gets it... otherwise they will decide


Thanks

McKneff

No, it doesnt work like that. If you are both doing 17.5 hours per week then you are not entitled to carers allowance. Because neither of you are hitting the criteria.

You need clarification from the DWP. I would contact them and get it from the horses mouth so to speak

My apologies for being blunt, I realise now that it oculd be construed as that. You sound like an honest person and Im sure you wouldnt want to get into trouble.

May I ask why you are not claiming JSA and job hunting then grandma could just do the caring with your help when needs must.

mikey_bach

You will have to decide who wants to claim the C.A if your Grandmother decides to give up the U/E then it will be paid to you
You can then claim I.S as a top up if you have capital under 16k.


Just a thought, why isn't your mother claiming ESA, she may be entitled

SnowMan

McKneff wrote: »

No, it doesnt work like that. If you are both doing 17.5 hours per week then you are not entitled to carers allowance. Because neither of you are hitting the criteria.

You need clarification from the DWP. I would contact them and get it from the horses mouth so to speak

They both care over 35 hours so both meet the criteria.

You should apologise to the OP for accusing them of fraud.

Blackpool_Saver

UNREAL, these boards get worse and worse, soon there will be no point at all in coming here for advice and help

Stevengiles86

McKneff wrote: »

No, it doesnt work like that. If you are both doing 17.5 hours per week then you are not entitled to carers allowance. Because neither of you are hitting the criteria.

You need clarification from the DWP. I would contact them and get it from the horses mouth so to speak

Again you are not reading what I put though.....


We are both hitting the criteria. She has parkinsons which is at an advanced stage, severe mobility problems, she cant swallow her food properly, and has problems with her eyes.

My work with my mum (minimum per day)... 4 hours keeping an eye on her in front room so I can attend to her. 30 mins cooking dinner, 30 mins getting her drinks and up to an hour moving her round the house so she can get to the toilet, her bedroom etc. Thats 5 hours per day at minimum that I do 7 days a week.... Thats 35 hours per week minimum. Plus I take her to town twice a week for 3 hours a time to get in some bits of shopping for herself (takes that long because I have to keep her balanced on her wheel walker)..... That works out as 41 hours a week I personally care for my mother on my own at minimum.

My grandmother as I mention does the more intimate work. Getting her in and out the bath/shower 3 or 4 times a week for an hour a time (she washes her hair too). Thats 4 hours.

She goes to at minimum 1 appointment a week at a hospital or dr's surgery, usually out for about 4 or 5 hours each time... So call that 5 hours.

Every day she spends over 30 mins getting my mum up out of bed, dressing her. Thats 3 hours 30... but then she spends another 30 mins each day getting her ready for bed and getting her to bed. Thats 7 hours per week.

She spends 2 hours keeping an eye on her after 5pm, so I can use my computer and smoke a few cigarettes.... thats 14 hours a week.

My grandmother also deals with paperwork, arranges her appointments, uses the phone on her behalf, makes her breakfast in the morning... Thats over 5 hours a week thus that means my grandmother also does over 35 hours care per week.


We are both doing over 35 hours per week of care with my mother.... Total care we give combined isnt 35 hours, its more like 80 hours per week.... Plus we have excess things like attending to my mother if shes having breathing problems and needs her pump machine in the night or having a panic attack (That isnt counted as it may happen 4 times a week or not at all for 2 weeks) Thus we both qualify.

Citezens advice sounds the best option, my grandmother also just had a browse at your replys, said she would phone the DWP to see what makes up her total pension and we can decide from there... Thanks peeps

mysterywoman10

McKneff wrote: »

No, it doesnt work like that. If you are both doing 17.5 hours per week then you are not entitled to carers allowance. Because neither of you are hitting the criteria.

You need clarification from the DWP. I would contact them and get it from the horses mouth so to speak

My apologies for being blunt, I realise now that it oculd be construed as that. You sound like an honest person and Im sure you wouldnt want to get into trouble.

May I ask why you are not claiming JSA and job hunting then grandma could just do the caring with your help when needs must.

Can I make another point here the Grandmother is 73 and is already providing 35 hours care. So if the OP wasn't also caring how would she cope? So the last question I think was also uncalled for. There are 168 hours in a week if someone needs full time 24/7 care. So with 2 people doing it that is 84 hours each. And sleep has to be fitted in as well.

In the case above 80 hours between them.