Underlying entitlement to Carers Allowance

bspm1

Hi
Can someone explain what this actually means?

Friend of mine who is in receipt of ESA CB Support Group, PIP Enhanced Care and Mobility has asked me if I know and I cannot understand it.

Short version, her husband is in receipt of Carers Allowance and they get a small amount of Pension Credit as well as Full CTR, in May her husband is eligible for his State Pension and will therefore lose his Carers Allowance but has been told he will have an 'underlying entitlement to carers allowance' and that is carers allowance will stop, we both understand that it is because of the overlapping benefit but not sure what underlying means for monetary purposes.

They will obviously lose their PC, they may still get a small amount of CTR as their savings are around the 6k mark but she is not sure (nor am I) if this underlying entitlement to carers allowance is an amount paid to them also?

Thanks for any help,

anmarj

What it means is that they dont get the money but have an entitlement. It means that in any means testing benefits, they can still have a premium added for carers allowance.

They dont get money, but means they are assessed at a slightly higher level than normal, so could result in an award for something, rather than nothing, if they didn!!!8217;t have it.

huckster

A bit like having a tap turned on, but there is no water provided in the pipe to supply it, because the person already has resources.

Not knowing much about carers allowance, I would guess they don't close it totally, because there could be a change in circumstances, which would mean you were entitled to some money.

Suggest you phone Carers Allowance to discuss this fully, so you understand what circumstances might arise, where benefit money entitlement may be triggered.

pmlindyloo

I presume they have a joint claim for Pension Credit and the wife's contribution based ESA is deducted from that?

It may be that when her husband claims his state pension they are still entitled to some Pension Credit as the Carer's Allowance will not be deducted but the Carer's Premium still added on.

You could put their details into the calculator here as if the husband was claiming his state pension.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/benefits-check

and see what it says.

Use the calculator as if he was claiming as he is of Pension Credit age (I presume the wife isn't?)

You will need to put the wife's ESA amount as 'any other income' as it doesn't seem to allow to add in her ESA but is still counted as income for the PC.

If they are still entitled to Pension Credit, even if it is a very small amount, this would give them entitlement to full council deduction (unless they have any non dependents living with them.)

bspm1

pmlindyloo wrote: »

I presume they have a joint claim for Pension Credit and the wife's contribution based ESA is deducted from that?

It may be that when her husband claims his state pension they are still entitled to some Pension Credit as the Carer's Allowance will not be deducted but the Carer's Premium still added on.

You could put their details into the calculator here as if the husband was claiming his state pension. No pension credit will be payable but that is to be expected.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/benefits-check

and see what it says.

Use the calculator as if he was claiming as he is of Pension Credit age (I presume the wife isn't?)

You will need to put the wife's ESA amount as 'any other income' as it doesn't seem to allow to add in her ESA but is still counted as income for the PC.

If they are still entitled to Pension Credit, even if it is a very small amount, this would give them entitlement to full council deduction (unless they have any non dependents living with them.)

Thank you very much.

We have just filled this in together and taking off her ESA CB (she is 63 by the way) and the three small pensions they both receive and adding on her husbands State Pension it is giving her a discount of approximately £899 off her £1500 Council Tax Bill, worth knowing when she notifies the Council of their change of circumstances for reassessment.

Thank you pmlindyloo, as always, very helpful.

Wizardy18

You'll only be able to claim CA until state pension is claimed, once they claim this be warned the CA claim will be closed, no underlying entitlement, no nothing.

Bare that in mind being they are 63.

sleepless_saver

Wizardy18 wrote: »

You'll only be able to claim CA until state pension is claimed, once they claim this be warned the CA claim will be closed, no underlying entitlement, no nothing.

Bare that in mind being they are 63.

This is quite wrong. Claiming state pension is no bar to claiming carers allowance. Even if no carers allowance is payable it may still be worth claiming because of possible effect on other benefits.
https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/financial-support/help-with-benefits/other-pension-age-benefits