Cutting down on working to look after mum

cosmosmallpiece

Hi can anyone please give me some advice on what I could claim please if I cut my hours back to look after my mum who has Altzimers . Mum has attendance allowance lower rate. Thank you 

calcotti

Carer's Allowance is a non means tested benefit for people providing 35 hours of care/week and earning less than £128/week.

Universal Credit is a benefit for anyone on a low income but is means tested. If you have a partner you are assessed as a couple. If you have more than £16,000 you cannot claim.

Try a benefits calculator https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

cosmosmallpiece

Thank you I will look into carer's allowance,  if that does not cover my lose in wages do you know if my mum could make it up out of her attendance allowance?  And if so would I have to inform the tax department.? Thank you so much for your reply. 

poppy12345

You should also check what benefits exactly your mum is claiming. If she's claiming the Severe disability premium then this will end if you claim Carers Allowance. If she wants to pay you out of her AA then that's her choice, it's not taxable income. Though, would you want to take money from your mum for looking after her? I know i wouldn't if it was my mum.

If she hasn't had a needs assessment from her local Authority then you can look at this.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/help-from-social-services-and-charities/getting-a-needs-assessment/

calcotti

cosmosmallpiece said:..do you know if my mum could make it up out of her attendance allowance? 

Mum can spend her AA on whatever she wants to and she doesn't have to tell anybody.

As poppy says, before claiming anything for your mum for looking after her you should check whether she receives any other benefits besides Attendance Allowance. If she lives alone and gets Pension Credit, Housing benefit or Council tax Reduction these could include a Severe Disability Premium which she will lose if you claim Carers Allowance or the carer element of UC.

(Thanks poppy, I should have included that in my original reply.)

poppy12345

calcotti said:

cosmosmallpiece said:..do you know if my mum could make it up out of her attendance allowance? 

(Thanks poppy, I should have included that in my original reply.)

No worries. It's easy to forget things when advising others, i know i do all the time. I very often "edit" my comments to add more information.

calcotti

poppy12345 said: I very often "edit" my comments to add more information. 

As do I (although that can get confusing if OP responds while editing is still going on!). 

cosmosmallpiece

I appreciate your answers thank you. Mum is on no other benefits so maybe going down the carers allowance and mum making up the rest with her aa be ok. Just don't want to get in to doing something that's wrong. Thank you so much I feel better about things now. Happy New Year and thank you again 

calcotti

Before doing anything please do use a benefits calculator to see if you may be entitled to any Universal Credit.

As you will still be working remain mindful of the earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance of £128/week (increasing to £132 in April). In any week in which you earn more than the earnings limit you are not entitled to CA.

Be award too that CA is taxable income and if you total taxable income for the year exceeds your tax free allowance a tax liability will arise.

There is no earnings limit for the carer element of UC and UC is not taxable.

cosmosmallpiece

Thank you Calotti I will look into it. Also the tax side of things .Thank you

Spoonie_Turtle

Please do look into UC as calcotti advises.  If you are entitled to help that may be more sustainable than relying on some of your mum's AA, especially if her spending had to increase for any reason.  Being a carer, you would not have any work requirements for UC so if you needed to cut your hours further if your mum needed more care, there would be no repercussions.  Your UC would increase a little (though wouldn't fully replace the drop in income) whereas CA doesn't.

You can claim CA and UC (if eligible) together, to benefit from the class 1 NI credits from the CA, but it would make no financial difference overall because CA is deducted in full from any UC.