Carer's Allowance after the person you care for dies

BooJewels

I have been in receipt of Carer's Allowance for over a year, caring for my husband, who was in receipt of PIP and ESA.  Several of you here helped me in that original process - thank you.

My husband has passed away and I used the Tell Us Once service as soon as I got the code and his benefits stopped that same week, understandably so, but they really are on it quickly.  I also wrote the same day to tell them of the change for myself, giving the code of the Tell Us Once submission.

My Carer's Allowance wasn't paid today - not a great surprise.  I had however read and now I can't find the page, that Carer's Allowance can be paid for up to 8 weeks after a death.  What are the criteria that make this potentially happen, or does Carer's Allowance just stop - in which case I might well have been overpaid?

I have also applied for the Bereavement Support Payment.  Again, that uses wording like 'might' and  'up to' - although presumably that depends on how soon you put the claim in, as there is an end deadline for claiming.

calcotti

Sorry for your loss.

Carer’s Allowance should normally be paid for 8 weeks after death. I suggest you ring the Carer’s Allowance unit 
https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance-unit

Provided you meet the qualifying conditions you will receive BSP.
https://www.gov.uk/bereavement-support-payment

Unless you are excluded by other income or capital over £16,000 you should look at claiming Universal Credit so that you have some income to live off. You will not be required to look for work for six months from the date of death and the BSP payments will be ignored as income.

I know previously that your capital position was confused because you were looking after money for other people. I hope you have tidied this up.

BooJewels

@calcotti - thank you.

Glad to hear that I wasn't dreaming then.  I can find references on secondary web sites to the 8 weeks, but not on the Governments.  I wondered if they stopped regular payments first, worked it out for the exact dates, then paid the balance in one single payment.  We've already had some odd one-off payments, since the DS1500 was issued (wish I'd done that sooner, it only ended up being for about 3 or 4 weeks), that I haven't made sense of yet.  I have a feeling that on balance I'm going to end up owing them.   One letter said he got a payment (around 60 quid I think) for a period he was in hospital, yet I thought he would lose it when not at home.

So I did write, detailing some dates he'd had in hospital etc. with full disclosure and will have to let them sort it out.

The lady in the Job Centre who certified my documents for the BSP, looked it over and saw no difficulty and said that they're usually quite prompt in sorting it out.  So I'm hoping that should be straightforward.

You remember well, my financial circumstances are confused and have remained so, for a number of reasons and will continue to be so.  We did try to 'tidy' them up, but lockdowns and diminishing health by both parties concerned made it difficult.  Universal Credit therefore isn't an option for me.  I'm in the process of submitting claims on my husband's private pensions and life insurance.  I'm hoping, if successful (no reason why not, but it's never that straightforward), that will keep me going for long enough to make decisions without haste.

calcotti

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/977453/dmgch60.pdf#page11

8 weeks run on

60062 From 28.10.02 entitlement to CA can continue for up to 8 weeks after the death of the disabled person being cared for, provided that all the other conditions are satisfied. Entitlement ceases on

1. the end of the week in which the claimant ceases to satisfy any other requirement as to the allowance or

2. the expiry of eight weeks beginning with the Sunday following the death (or the date of death if the death occurred on a Sunday)

whichever occurs first.

I don’t know what happens to the timing of payments.

BooJewels

Thank you once more.  That certainly clarifies the when I'll get paid until and therefore how much - by my calculations, it will be a week more than I'd guessed, as he died on a Monday.  I shall just wait to see what develops.

I only hadn't rung them because I'm spending a lot of the time on the phone at the moment, with so many matters to sort out and constantly seem to be waiting for someone to ring me back about something.

As we've touched on previously - payments will no doubt appear in advance of explanations.

Mrsn

Boo Jewels I have nothing to add other than to offer my condolences on the loss of your husband, I have seen on other posts of your he had been unwell. 

Please be kind to yourself and try not to get too overwhelmed with everything that is happening.

BooJewels

Thank you kindly @Mrsn - much appreciated.  I'm actually fine at the moment, as there's so much that I need to get done.  I had to get rid of the bed, as we needed a hospital bed for my husband and I've therefore had to buy a new one, so I'm using the opportunity, until my new one is delivered, to do some long overdue repairs and upgrades in the bedroom, along with all the admin . . . etc etc.  And one job invariably leads to another!

I could however do without the wasps nest under my eaves (on the inside) that I'll need to get somebody out to tomorrow.

TELLIT01

BooJewels, you may/should get a letter from Carers Allowance regarding the ending of payments.  That will probably detail the final payments.

BooJewels

Indeed, I expect so, @TELLIT01 - I just wondered if anyone here had actually been through it so could report what happened for them.  It'll sort itself out in the fullness of time of course, but having not got a payment yesterday, I wondered about the criteria for the 'can' aspect of getting it for up to 8 weeks.

TELLIT01

Anything on a Government department document will be full of caveats, if's and maybe's.  The reality is that the vast majority of people in the situation you find yourself in are entitled to the 8 week runon.

BooJewels

Just a quick update on this, in case anyone turns it up in a search, as I had done, before posting.

No news on the Carer's Allowance, not heard anything and no further monies paid.

I did however get the Bereavement Support Payment yesterday (30th July), after posting the application on Monday 12th July.  I have the lump sum and will get £100 per month until January 2023.  The lady in the job centre who certified my marriage certificate said they're usually paid in 3-4 weeks and it wasn't even that long.  Money and letter about it arrived the same day.

As also mentioned earlier, the wasp nest is now gone, that proved easier to fix than other matters.  The sting I endured that became decisive to getting it dealt with is, however, still sore and itching!