Carers allowance, I work, am I entitled?

bloolagoon

I suspect part of the reason you feel like you are being given a hard time is because your situation is fortunate and typical.

Fortunate because you can both work, typical because I know many in your situation. Most people are unofficial carers in many respects. My Mother In Law is blind so I driver her places, most friends need to assist elderly relatives, my husband needs to cut the grass as I cannot. That's not the same as caring for someone who really cannot function without your care, who would become ill or worse without that care, which in my opinion makes you a carer. Driving someone on occasions, cooking a meal you are cooking for yourself anyway, picking up an item at the shops is what many people do. If everyone claimed Carers for this then your taxes would go up tenfold as there are many in the same boat.

mellymoo74

bloolagoon wrote: »

I suspect part of the reason you feel like you are being given a hard time is because your situation is fortunate and typical.

Fortunate because you can both work, typical because I know many in your situation. Most people are unofficial carers in many respects. My Mother In Law is blind so I driver her places, most friends need to assist elderly relatives, my husband needs to cut the grass as I cannot. That's not the same as caring for someone who really cannot function without your care, who would become ill or worse without that care, which in my opinion makes you a carer. Driving someone on occasions, cooking a meal you are cooking for yourself anyway, picking up an item at the shops is what many people do. If everyone claimed Carers for this then your taxes would go up tenfold as there are many in the same boat.

I agree with this and the budgeting comment. We survive on nder 20k with my paying for everything. First thing to go was the car. This means OH is a prisoner due to not being able to walk. If he manages to get PIP it will help meet the additional costs his being disabled generate.

Errata

It would have been helpful if the OP had said how many hours of actual hands on caring she does / he needs each week.
If he's receiving DLA for mobility has he ever applied for DLA for his care needs?
I can't say I blame the OP for trying to find out about CA, but I'm perplexed why neither she or him has ascertained what the NHS will provide in terms of dressings or footwear appropriate to his medical condition if normal footwear damages them, although the OP hasn't made clear how often his feet are blistered and need dressings.

Poppie68

Errata wrote: »

It would have been helpful if the OP had said how many hours of actual hands on caring she does / he needs each week.
If he's receiving DLA for mobility has he ever applied for DLA for his care needs?
I can't say I blame the OP for trying to find out about CA, but I'm perplexed why neither she or him has ascertained what the NHS will provide in terms of dressings or footwear appropriate to his medical condition if normal footwear damages them, although the OP hasn't made clear how often his feet are blistered and need dressings.

Dressings are usually by prescription only therefore he would have to pay for them, his condition is'nt covered by a FP92A (medical exemption) as any physical disability is only taken into account if the patient cannot go out unaccompanied.

Errata

Poppie68 wrote: »

Dressings are usually by prescription only therefore he would have to pay for them, his condition is'nt covered by a FP92A (medical exemption) as any physical disability is only taken into account if the patient cannot go out unaccompanied.

I appreciate that, but thought either the blisters would be infrequent and the cost of dressings minimal, or substantial and a GP would prescribe enough to last at least a month and the cost would simply be the cost of one prescription.

bloolagoon

Errata wrote: »

I appreciate that, but thought either the blisters would be infrequent and the cost of dressings minimal, or substantial and a GP would prescribe enough to last at least a month and the cost would simply be the cost of one prescription.

And if he has other pain medication he will have a quarterly/yearly card.

FBaby

These are the kind of people that I am referring to, and unfortunately there are quite a few people out there like this

Just as there are many people who work, pay high taxes, and are not entitled to any benefits.

As bloolagoon, your situation is not uncommon at all, as a matter of fact, I would say that you are in the majority. I was a single mum once upon a time, worked full-time raising two toddlers. I earnt a good salary, yet once all costs were taken into account, I was no better off than my friend who claimed the full benefit package. I could have stopped working and do the same but I didn't. It didn't warrant a medal though.

You seem very angry focusing on what a minority are doing and getting rather than seeing that the majority of people are facing the same issues as you. It is not going to do you much good if you are already dealing with such negative feelings at such a young age (assuming you are the same age as your boyfriend).

You and your boyfriend are doing very well for your age, him being able to become a house owner, both of you working full-time, be proud of your accomplishments.

Poppie68

bloolagoon wrote: »

And if he has other pain medication he will have a quarterly/yearly card.

Forgot about that and i've got one:rotfl:

OP he can get a PPCS - Prescription Prepayment Certificate paid monthly it is just over £10.

speedyblue66

You can get cars on the motability scheme that a named driver under the age of 25 can be added on. Perhaps your boyfriend should have looked into this when choosing his car. My girlfriend has just been accepted onto motability with me as the named driver, whenever we've travelled for days out or even locally we've used my car. From now on when we go anywhere we'll more than likely use the motability car, therefore in a way it will benefit me because the wear and tear and parking will not be on my vehicle. In view of that I wouldn't bemoan the fact I don't get any financial help for any so called care I may give her. If you are buying your boyfriends bandages then somewhere along the line you must look at your respective budgets to agree what you are spending your money on. Surely if it's a medical requirement the bandages should be available via the nhs? If not then your boyfriend must be aware of the priority of buying these bandages each month, and include them in your monthly living expenses. He could also have his motability car adapted so that he has hand controls, which would make it easier for him.

lovetowinacar

rsdntbplr wrote: »

I think the ignorance in this thread is terrible, especially in regards to the OP. Those people you're calling "scroungers" are often in a much more difficult position than you'd think! Some people on these benefits are unable to work at all because they're completely unfit for work. For example: I don't have the privellage of being able to drive or even hold a provisional driving license mainly due to the medications I've been stuck on by the people responsible for my "care". If I refuse to take them I get stuck on hospital away from my family against my will.

I live at my boyfriend's mother's house and he only earns about £120 a week, on minimum wage. He has to care for me now as my mum could no longer due to a new job opportunity so she couldn't afford to take the time off work to make sure I don't end up dead. He works four days a week one week and three days a week the other and whenever he's off work he has to give me my medication, keep a constant eye on me (when I'm by myself I'm vulnable to spontaneous and reckless actions), and he is often up ALL NIGHT while I'm crying, screaming and suffering from flashbacks, which pop up at any time. He doesn't get a penny for my care but he can't work any extra than 3-4 days a week because I don't have anyone else to replace him for the rest of the week.

I am always so grateful so I give him money out of my DLA for the care he provides. He doesn't ask for anything else, because we love each other and it's a part of the relationship.

I agree there are some people out there that abuse the welfare system. But when you overgeneralise us all as scroungers because we are not able to work whatsoever, it really is ignorance. My mother used to work as a carer for me and then when she was able to go to work, would care for people with terminal illness. She had to drive 70 miles every single weekend for 6 months to visit me in hospital and she didn't get a penny from the government as my DLA at the time stopped because I was in hospital. Did she complain and call genuinely ill people in benefits and not working at all scroungers? No. She didn't care because that's what you do for people you love.

Many people (including me) hate being on benefits and want to go back to work and drive and get a mortgage and work hard, but we can't. And I earned a lot more working than I do not! I miss working. But returning to work is not an option yet. My friend suffered from similar conditions as myself and committed suicide. In his suicide note he mentioned the guilt he felt from not working. It's not an easy life on benefits, as you may believe. And neither is suffering from an illness in which a doctor decides you're not fit for work!

If my boyfriend was ill and it was the other way around, I'd do the same. Don't expect sympathy and compassion when you slate others that you don't know with illnesses you don't understand. Maybe you should take a hint from your signature!

I agree, I know carers that cannot possibly work since they care for people 24 hours a day 7 days a week - people with profound or severe disabilities. These carers need much more help. When a person is able to go out to work in a full time job without a carer then the question has to be how much care need does this person really actually need....why if none needed whilst working does this person suddenly need someone to care for them once they have left work and gone home? It appears that some individuals look at the benefits available and feel a sense of entitlement and try to fit their 'caring' or circumstances to find ways that they might qualify - I do the shopping for him/her, I keep them company (whilst being boyfriend or girlfriend) really are these true care needs - since they could easily survive without these 'care needs' and can actually work all alone and without the carer with them to do x y or z all day long so capable really. Some disabled people really do need their carers to do everything for them...wash them, dress them, give medications or therapy etc etc etc