Carers allowance with Universal Credit

zedplace

Is it possible to apply for carers allowance with UC? I am a full time carer for someone, and unable to work as a result. If I receive UC with carers, how much should I expect to to receive.

poppy12345

There's no financial gain to claiming both Carers allowance and UC together because the carers allowance will be deducted in full from any UC entitlement. The only difference is that CA pays class 1 NI credits and UC only pays class 3.

You can claim the carers element of UC without claiming CA. The person you're caring for must be in receipt of either PIP daily living, DLA mid/high rate care or Attendance Allowance.

Carers element will increase your UC maximum entitlement by £168.81. You need to "report a change of circumstances" and tell them you're caring for someone.

Before you claim any of those you need to find out exactly what other benefits the person you're caring for claims. If they are claiming the Severe disability premium in another benefit then this will stop if you claim either of those.

zedplace

If there is no financial benefit to claiming CA with UC is it better to just claim just CA. I say this because any claim of UC would likeky require regular contact with job seekers team in search of work, which obviously being a full time carer means I won't be able to do.

Am I right in thinking a full time carer only receives Carers Allowance? This is £70/wk. How does someone support themselves on less than £300 a month, especially when they have to sacrifice a wage/salary to look after someone. A very stressful thing.

poppy12345

zedplace said:

If there is no financial benefit to claiming CA with UC is it better to just claim just CA. I say this because any claim of UC would likeky require regular contact with job seekers team in search of work, which obviously being a full time carer means I won't be able to do.

You can claim carers element. When a claimant claims this there will be no work commiments because you're a carer. Your maximum entitlement will increase by £168.81 per month. No need to claim CA as the same time and there's no need to cancel your UC claim.

zedplace said:

Am I right in thinking a full time carer only receives Carers Allowance? This is £70/wk. How does someone support themselves on less than £300 a month, especially when they have to sacrifice a wage/salary to look after someone. A very stressful thing.

That will depend on the persons circumstances. For yourself you already claim UC so your maximum entitlement will increase, as advised.

You need to check what benefits exactly the person is claiming before you claim either of the above because it could affect their benefits if you claim them.

Alice_Holt

As a carer under UC, you will not have to seek work. You could receive the basic element of c.£340 pm plus the carers element of c.£163. 

Put your details into a benefits calculator to check UC entitlement

Have you savings over £16k ?
Are you working part-time ?
Is the person you are caring for in receipt of PIP /AA / DLA?

Robbie64

If you are a full time carer (and receiving CA means you are treated as being a full time carer) then you won't be required to seek work or even be in regular contact with the Jobcentre.

Depending on circumstances, UC can paid at a higher rate than CA so it's worth claiming UC as well as CA. The advantage of claiming CA as well as UC is that CA can be paid weekly whereas UC is normally paid once a month.

poppy12345

I read it as the OP was already claiming UC. OP you can use a benefits calculator to check entitlement to UC. Then you really need to check what exact benefits the person you're caring for is claiming.