Carers Allowance question - Effect on other Benefits

Simon7685

Its me again with another question I cant find an answer to!
I receive UC with LCWRA, also PIP Standard rate care and mobility every month, also Council Tax Benefit of 87.5% of the total amount.  I understand that if someone acts as a carer for me they are entitled to claim Carers Allowance.  I have someone that has been helping me with things I cant do or struggle with myself and I have been paying her every week out of my benefits.  If she were to claim Carers allowance as she meets the criteria, would my benefits be reduced as a result?  She isnt related to me or living here.
The reason I ask is because at one time I cared for my Mother before she died and UC paid me the Carers Premium each month but took the same amount of money from my Mothers Pension Credit.
I did a benefits check on both Entitled to and Turn to Us and it didnt seem as though I would lose anything, although they both came up with different amounts of Council Tax Benefit.  One said I would have no Council Tax to pay and the other 12.5% of the total to pay, which I currently am doing.
Thanks in advance

Robbie64

If someone claimed Carer's Allowance for looking after you then your benefit would not be reduced. I'm assuming that what your mother lost from her Pension Credit was a severe disability premium which is payable with certain benefits (but not UC) where the person gets PIP daily living, DLA care (middle or higher rate) or either care rate of AA. In addition the person must live alone and no-one can be paid Carer's Allowance for looking after them. As you were claiming CA your mum would have lost this extra payment in her Pension Credit.

In UC there is no equivalent payment so your benefit will not be reduced.

Both calculations for Council Tax Support may be correct. Your local council probably only reduces Council Tax by a maximum of 87.5% (hence 12.5% to pay) for people of working age. However for the current financial year the Government gave councils additional funding to increase the support to 100%. It may be worth checking with your council to see why you are currently paying part of your council tax if you have no income other than UC and PIP. I had assumed it didn't matter when in the financial year you were to claim Council Tax Support. It could be that the additional funds was only for people receiving support at the start of the financial year (i.e. April 2020).

Simon7685

Thank you for that and yes you were spot on with what happened with my Mother.  Also you were right with the Council Tax Support, I have always had to pay the 12,5% because I am of working age.  Except last year when it was completely covered by the extra money the Chancellor gave out for Covid.  I hadnt realised that had happened again for this year.  When I got put in the LCWRA group I rang them and told them that I had been awarded it, as I thought it best practice, rather than one department informing the other.  I was told they had received notification from DWP and my claim was in a queue to be actioned, so I suppose they may reduce my contribution to zero in due course.  I will wait a couple of weeks and then ring if I havent heard anything.  Last year I ended up in credit as it was around May when they sorted it out and I just left it to reduce this years balance, so I will do the same again this time it happens.