Carers Allowance when being paid a variable wage.

VinnyT

Hi I'm new.
I am a carer for my mother who is registered blind & turns 80 this year.
I work in a primary school kitchen & am employed by a company which Is linked to the local council (I am paid by the council).
I work between 16 & 20 hours a week depending on how many children are eating school dinners but as I work in a school I am only paid for 43 weeks of the year.
This is a major problem for me as some months I am paid more than the allowed rate to receive Carers Allowance & other months I am well below the limit.
Carers allowance doesn't take into consideration the month's I am well below the limit or the fact I only get paid fro 43 weeks in the year they just look at the figure month by month.
If it worked the same as Tax credits & looked at yearly earnings I would be eligible for the payments every month & it seem's so unfair that they don't.
If I worked 18 hours a week for 43 weeks at £7.20 an hour that averages out as £107.16 a week or £5572.80 a year.
The way I'm paid means that some months I only get paid for 3 weeks (£432 if I work 20hr week but it's often less) because of a half term week, but then on a month with no school holiday I'll get 4 weeks pay (£576 though I've never received more than £540) which then put's me over the limit.
This seems so unfair to me because someone who gets paid a regular monthly wage could be earning more than me over the year & still get carers allowance where as I'm penalised for the month's I go over but over the year actually earn far less.

Alice_Holt

Maybe you should take this up with your MP.

grilli

Alice_Holt wrote: »

Maybe you should take this up with your MP.

unfortunatley your earnings arent averaged out for CA. you can however look at claiming for the times your earnings are below, itd possibly mean making new claim each time the earnings go back over the limit tho.

clairec79

Could the council spread your pay over the full year? - I know of people who work in schools who have this (so although they don't work over summer holidays they get paid then) - may be worth asking

LocoLoco

VinnyT wrote: »

Hi I'm new.
I am a carer for my mother who is registered blind & turns 80 this year.
I work in a primary school kitchen & am employed by a company which Is linked to the local council (I am paid by the council).
I work between 16 & 20 hours a week depending on how many children are eating school dinners but as I work in a school I am only paid for 43 weeks of the year.
This is a major problem for me as some months I am paid more than the allowed rate to receive Carers Allowance & other months I am well below the limit.
Carers allowance doesn't take into consideration the month's I am well below the limit or the fact I only get paid fro 43 weeks in the year they just look at the figure month by month.
If it worked the same as Tax credits & looked at yearly earnings I would be eligible for the payments every month & it seem's so unfair that they don't.
If I worked 18 hours a week for 43 weeks at £7.20 an hour that averages out as £107.16 a week or £5572.80 a year.
The way I'm paid means that some months I only get paid for 3 weeks (£432 if I work 20hr week but it's often less) because of a half term week, but then on a month with no school holiday I'll get 4 weeks pay (£576 though I've never received more than £540) which then put's me over the limit.
This seems so unfair to me because someone who gets paid a regular monthly wage could be earning more than me over the year & still get carers allowance where as I'm penalised for the month's I go over but over the year actually earn far less.

Contact CarersUK, Vinny, because there are certain costs you can offset against your wages when you claim Carer's Allowance which might take your earnings down a bit and help balance things out? It's quite complicated but I've found their advice very useful. It's better to email them rather than phone as their phone lines are usually very busy.