Claiming Carers Allowance

Shamish

Hi,

Was wondering if sombody could advise me how claiming for carers allowance works and how it'll affect our current benefits

My wife is hoping to claim carer's allowance for looking after me during the summer before she goes back to college. She had hoped to claim during this time but unfornately will be there 21 hours. We've just found out we could claim this.

I'm currently receiving Incapacity Benefit long term higher rate i think DLA Highest care highest mobility. We've got a claim for income support for during the summer but not heard anything back.

I've heard this could affect my incapacity benefit but does anybody know how this works? Would my wife get say £60 in carer's allowance which would then come off my incapacity benefit or would it be a little amount or depend on the circumstances?

Thanks very much

Shamish

lil_me

Your incapacity benefit effects Income Support, not the other way round. You would get a disablility premium but the incapacity is deducted from the IS award.

If your wife got carers allowance this would also come off the IS award, but there would be a 'premium' awarded for it.

Welfare rights would probably be the best people to contact with the figures of what you get now and they would be able to tell you what you should be applying for, aren't entitled to etc. Also most carers centres offer this service.

Sorry carers allowance isn't that high, £48.65 I believe the current rate is, http://www.carers.org/articles/carers-allowance,95,CA.html info there on entitlement. If she can get a course under 21 hours she may still be able to claim.

Morglin

Unless you recieve DLA (care component) at middle rate or above, no one can claim Carer's Allowance for looking after you.

Mobility component doesn't count in regard to CA.

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

Lin

Shamish

Morglin wrote: »

Unless you recieve DLA (care component) at middle rate or above, no one can claim Carer's Allowance for looking after you.

Mobility component doesn't count in regard to CA.

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

Lin

Thanks Lin,

I received the highest rate of care

Shamish

lil_me wrote: »

Your incapacity benefit effects Income Support, not the other way round. You would get a disablility premium but the incapacity is deducted from the IS award.

If your wife got carers allowance this would also come off the IS award, but there would be a 'premium' awarded for it.

Welfare rights would probably be the best people to contact with the figures of what you get now and they would be able to tell you what you should be applying for, aren't entitled to etc. Also most carers centres offer this service.

Sorry carers allowance isn't that high, £48.65 I believe the current rate is, http://www.carers.org/articles/carers-allowance,95,CA.html info there on entitlement. If she can get a course under 21 hours she may still be able to claim.

Thanks

When filling in the carer's allowance form it had mentioned that incapacity may be affected if claiming carer's allowance. Thats what made us think it :S

My wife might still be able to claim during college we've just checked her time table which is 22 hours but one course overlaps and the college have written it as 21 but counting it up it's really 20.5 hours so should be able to claim while at college

Do you know how long it would take for the claim to come through? We've absouloutely no money just now while waiting on income support coming through Been waiting a month so far and they've told us it could be another few weeks There goes any hope of having money for our anniversery lol.

Thanks for the reply.