Carers Allowance

Georgina

I look after my husband who is poorly, in receipt of ESA and DLA and I get CA for looking after him.

I'd like to start a small business from home making cards and selling them.

How much am I allowed to earn per week without it affecting our benefits please?

Thank You Georgie

rogerblack

For CA, you can earn 100 pounds (about) without becoming inelegible for it.
For DLA, it's irrelevant.
For ESA - it depends on if he's on ESA(contribtions) or income.
Assuming you're living together - are you on his ESA claim?
Or are you claiming income support.
Any income based component would be reduced after a small (5 pound?) limit pound for pound.

If you are on his ESA(C) claim and topped up with ESA(IR) couples component, and carer premium, then the couples component and carer premium only would go away, and his ESA(C) component would remain unaffected.

If he's on ESA(IR) - then the whole money would be affected if you earn enoough.
I'm assuming you live together.

Indie_Kid

The disregard on IR ESA is £20 a week.

You can earn £110 a week before carers allowance stops.

Georgina

We are on IR ESA. We claim as a couple. I do not get anything other than CA and being on his ESA.

We live together and are married.

rogerblack

Earning 20 pounds a week will not affect anything.
As you increase your earnings, it goes down pound for pound, until you hit 110 a week (after some deductions) when you lose the carer premium of 34 pounds.

As you continue to increase your earnings, the remaining ESA dwindles at the same rate, until you get to zero.

nannytone_2

in your circumstances, anything over £20 a week will be deducted from ESA and anything over £110 will stop the carers allowance

WillowCat

Georgina wrote: »

I look after my husband who is poorly, in receipt of ESA and DLA and I get CA for looking after him.

I'd like to start a small business from home making cards and selling them.

How much am I allowed to earn per week without it affecting our benefits please?

Thank You Georgie

As the above posters have said, it's a mere £20 a week in your situation (that's profit, so after your expenses are taken off). If your husband is capable of some work, you might want to consider a joint venture as he will be able to apply for 'permitted work'. How much he can earn and for how long depends on his esa group. As a minimum he would also be able to earn £20 per week, and possibly up to £104 before reducing your ESA payments.

See http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/work-people-living-disability-or-health-conditions

Otherwise, keep your fingers crossed that you will move to UC soon as the rules for a working partner are much more generous than the ESA rules.

benniebert

nannytone wrote: »

in your circumstances, anything over £20 a week will be deducted from ESA and anything over £110 will stop the carers allowance

Financially is it really worth while them working in that scenario - I think not.

nannytone_2

benniebert wrote: »

Financially is it really worth while them working in that scenario - I think not.

many full time carers would think it is worth it!
it gives them a break from caring and gives them a sense of personal worth.

benniebert

nannytone wrote: »

many full time carers would think it is worth it!
it gives them a break from caring and gives them a sense of personal worth.

Maybe, but in my world, I wouldn't work for such a small amount of money. Preferably I would find some voluntary work instead. Something that really interests me.


Years ago I had the opportunity to work under the Permitted Work scheme. Given what I would get out of it - NMW only + all of the aggro that goes with working for someone and the hours being limited, I volunteered doing something that I loved doing. So much so that it started off with 1 day a week, but it soon progressed to 6 days a week (48hrs a week)

nannytone_2

no one is suggesting that someone works full time for £20.
but if they can get a little job for 2 or 3 hours a week.... it can be a lifeline