Housing Benefit & Carers Allowance

Simon7685

Can anyone help me with how carers allowance affects both H Benefit and C Tax benefit?

I have had an underlying entitlement to carers allowance for years but never claimed it. I am disabled and self employed working 16 hours per week. Since being moved from indefinite DLA to a 10 year PIP award I have found myself about £150 a month worse off, I went from middle rate care and high mobility on DLA to standard daily living and standard mobility on PIP.

I was always under the impression that if you got carers, it was pretty much wiped out by a reduction in your housing and council tax benefit. However the online calculators seem to suggest that this isn't the case. So I was hoping someone with a little better knowledge than me might be able to offer me some advice?

Of course I could ask for my PIP to be looked at again as my situation has deteriorated of late but that comes with the risk that I could end up losing some of my award and like many people I do not want to take that risk.

So any help would be appreciated, if it was a case of working more to improve my earnings I would do that but at the moment that is not an option.

Thanks in advance:)

pmlindyloo

Simon7685 wrote: »

Can anyone help me with how carers allowance affects both H Benefit and C Tax benefit?

I have had an underlying entitlement to carers allowance for years but never claimed it. I am disabled and self employed working 16 hours per week. Since being moved from indefinite DLA to a 10 year PIP award I have found myself about £150 a month worse off, I went from middle rate care and high mobility on DLA to standard daily living and standard mobility on PIP.

I was always under the impression that if you got carers, it was pretty much wiped out by a reduction in your housing and council tax benefit. However the online calculators seem to suggest that this isn't the case. So I was hoping someone with a little better knowledge than me might be able to offer me some advice?

Of course I could ask for my PIP to be looked at again as my situation has deteriorated of late but that comes with the risk that I could end up losing some of my award and like many people I do not want to take that risk.

So any help would be appreciated, if it was a case of working more to improve my earnings I would do that but at the moment that is not an option.

Thanks in advance:)

Can you confirm what you mean by having an underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance?

Do you mean that you are for someone or that someone in your family cares for you?

Simon7685

I mean that because of my DLA entitlement and now PIP award I have been eligible to have carers allowance paid to my wife for her caring for me. However we have not claimed it before even though we could have.

The bottom line is I don't believe in claiming for something unless you need it. When I got DLA we managed quite well without needing to claim it, so we didn't. Now that the PIP award has left us £150 a month worse off, it is a struggle and the carers allowance could help us but if it means we lose the same amount in Housing and Council Tax benefit then there is no point in claiming it, if that makes sense?

pmlindyloo

Simon7685 wrote: »

I mean that because of my DLA entitlement and now PIP award I have been eligible to have carers allowance paid to my wife for her caring for me. However we have not claimed it before even though we could have.

The bottom line is I don't believe in claiming for something unless you need it. When I got DLA we managed quite well without needing to claim it, so we didn't. Now that the PIP award has left us £150 a month worse off, it is a struggle and the carers allowance could help us but if it means we lose the same amount in Housing and Council Tax benefit then there is no point in claiming it, if that makes sense?

Thanks.

You really need to have a calculation done for you. CAB could do this or perhaps these people:

https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/financial-support/help-with-benefits/housing-benefit

Carer's Allowance is counted as income for HB but you would also gain a Carer's Premium in your applicable amount and, of course have the CA. (You have checked your partner is eligible?)

So, on the face of it, it would mean that you would be better off but without knowing all other relevant financial information it is difficult to be accurate.

Simon7685

I have looked at the entitled to and turn 2 us calculators and curiously they both give different results even though the same info was put into them!

Alice_Holt

As pmlindyloo indicates any award of Carers Allowance would not be wiped out by reductions in HB & CTr.
CA criteria here:
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/money-matters/claiming-benefits/carers-allowance/about-carers-allowance/

Are you in receipt of WTC and specifically the disabled element?
"This element is a significant one for disabled people. In addition to working at least 16 hours a week, you have to satisfy two other tests - a ‘work disadvantage test’, and be in receipt (or recent receipt) of a ‘qualifying benefit’."
See: http://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/disability-element

As pmlinyloo suggests get a benefit check at your local CAB asap. You have already lost income by not claiming an entitlement to CA (assuming you are correct in thinking you are eligible).

Housing_Benefit_Officer

If you have underlying entitlement to carers allowance your benefits might go up as you will get a carers premium in your calculation and this could mean more income is disregarded. You would need to apply for it - qualify but nor be awarded due to other income and get the premium in your HB/CTR calculation.