Carers Allowance 31 August 2022 at 6:46PM edited 31 August 2022 at 6:47PM in Benefits & tax credits 10 replies 421 views

ian16527

I have just applied for Carers allowance for my 88 year old Dad.

I am now early retired and get a very small works pension and some flexible drawdown from a SIPP.

The DWP want me to send in my pension statements, but not sure what to send, i.e the valuation currently which goes up and down or the amout taken this year.
I cant see any telephone helpline for this on the DWP website

poppy12345

I don't understand why they've asked for this because it would have nothing to do with claiming carers allowance. Have you applied for any other benefits?

Did you check what benefits exactly your Dad is claiming? If he lives alone then he could be claiming the Severe disability premium but claiming carers allowance would stop the SDP and could affect any other benefits he maybe claiming, such as Pension credit/housing benefit and council tax reduction.

ian16527

Thanks Poppy,
No he only gets his state pension plus a small works pension and attendance allowance

Alice_Holt

ian16527 said:

Thanks Poppy,
No he only gets his state pension plus a small works pension and attendance allowance

   Assuming he lives alone    (Does he?)   
  Have you checked if he has an entitlement to PC -i.e. if his state pension plus a small works pension total to less than £252 a week ?

     PC would passport to him full HB and Council Tax reduction.

 Would this be more beneficial than you claiming CA.?


 What benefits are you claiming ?
 Are you receiving UC?
Council Tax reduction?

ian16527

Alice_Holt said:

ian16527 said:

Thanks Poppy,
No he only gets his state pension plus a small works pension and attendance allowance

   Assuming he lives alone    (Does he?)   
  Have you checked if he has an entitlement to PC -i.e. if his state pension plus a small works pension total to less than £252 a week ?

     PC would passport to him full HB and Council Tax reduction.

 Would this be more beneficial than you claiming CA.?


 What benefits are you claiming ?
 Are you receiving UC?
Council Tax reduction?

Yes, He lives alone.
He used to get PC for savings but they changed the levels sometime ago and it was stopped.
He gets 243.07 a week now with both pensions so maybe it would be worth claiming PC again. Would this affect the CA 
He does pay the Council tax but he owns the house so no HB

I dont claim any benefits, I have just taken early retirement earlier in the year and have a  very small pension plus drawdown. I previously went part time but couldn't manage as my wife and I are not well also. 

He has some form of dementia and is now becoming more infirm. His care needs have increased  over the last 2 years

poppy12345

He won't be able to claim the SDP if you continue with the carers allowance. Without the SDP he will have no entitlement to PC. With is weekly Income being £243 then the pension credit would only increase it by £9/week but this would entitle him to full council tax reduction.

Even without the PC there maybe some entitlement to CTR so if he doesn't claim this he can fill in a form from his Local Authority. https://www.gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction

Whether there's any entitlement to UC for yourself and your wife will depend on your circustances. As it's means tested you will need to claim as a couple and your joint circumstances will be taken into consideration. Your pension and carers allowance will be deducted in full.

Does your wife currently work or claim any benefits? Is she state pension age?

ian16527

'Without the SDP he will have no entitlement to PC'
Please explain this Polly. I have not considered claiming for PC for him he has too much in savings

I wont qualify for UC as I have too much in savings and have never considered claiming it.
The only benefit I would claim is Sickness benefit if I had an Crohns attack unless that has been absorbed into UC.

Very rusty on the new benefit system and UC.

Thanks for your replies

Alice_Holt

ian16527 said:

'Without the SDP he will have no entitlement to PC'
Please explain this Polly. I have not considered claiming for PC for him he has too much in savings

I wont qualify for UC as I have too much in savings and have never considered claiming it.
The only benefit I would claim is Sickness benefit if I had an Crohns attack unless that has been absorbed into UC.

Very rusty on the new benefit system and UC.

Thanks for your replies

       The SDP addition adds £69 to the basic PC rate.

       Would you have the NI contributions to apply for new style ESA ?

poppy12345

ian16527 said:

'Without the SDP he will have no entitlement to PC'
Please explain this Polly. I have not considered claiming for PC for him he has too much in savings

There's nothing further to explain other than what has already been advised. My advice was purely that there will be no PC entitlement without the SDP. We were giving you the advice so you knew all of your options. As he's not going to claim pension credit then it makes no difference.

ian16527 said:

I wont qualify for UC as I have too much in savings and have never considered claiming it.
The only benefit I would claim is Sickness benefit if I had an Crohns attack unless that has been absorbed into UC.

If you mean the disability benefit PIP then no, this isn't part of UC. If you mean the sickness benefit New Style ESA then as this is an overlapping benefit with Carers allowance, you can't be paid both at the same time.

ian16527

Alice_Holt said:

ian16527 said:

'Without the SDP he will have no entitlement to PC'
Please explain this Polly. I have not considered claiming for PC for him he has too much in savings

I wont qualify for UC as I have too much in savings and have never considered claiming it.
The only benefit I would claim is Sickness benefit if I had an Crohns attack unless that has been absorbed into UC.

Very rusty on the new benefit system and UC.

Thanks for your replies

       The SDP addition adds £69 to the basic PC rate.

       Would you have the NI contributions to apply for new style ESA ?

I have full NI contributions for 40 years and 1 part year when I was at Uni. I will look into the ESA.

Thanks for your reply

poppy12345 said:

ian16527 said:

'Without the SDP he will have no entitlement to PC'
Please explain this Polly. I have not considered claiming for PC for him he has too much in savings

There's nothing further to explain other than what has already been advised. My advice was purely that there will be no PC entitlement without the SDP. We were giving you the advice so you knew all of your options. As he's not going to claim pension credit then it makes no difference.

ian16527 said:

I wont qualify for UC as I have too much in savings and have never considered claiming it.
The only benefit I would claim is Sickness benefit if I had an Crohns attack unless that has been absorbed into UC.

If you mean the disability benefit PIP then no, this isn't part of UC. If you mean the sickness benefit New Style ESA then as this is an overlapping benefit with Carers allowance, you can't be paid both at the same time.

Polly, I have never heard of SDP before hence the question. I have of course heard about PC. I am not familiar with the acronyms.

Reading between the lines, then he couldn't claim PC without the SDP, 

Thanks for your reply

poppy12345

ian16527 said:

Alice_Holt said:

ian16527 said:

'Without the SDP he will have no entitlement to PC'
Please explain this Polly. I have not considered claiming for PC for him he has too much in savings

I wont qualify for UC as I have too much in savings and have never considered claiming it.
The only benefit I would claim is Sickness benefit if I had an Crohns attack unless that has been absorbed into UC.

Very rusty on the new benefit system and UC.

Thanks for your replies

       The SDP addition adds £69 to the basic PC rate.

       Would you have the NI contributions to apply for new style ESA ?

I have full NI contributions for 40 years and 1 part year when I was at Uni. I will look into the ESA.

Thanks for your reply

poppy12345 said:

ian16527 said:

'Without the SDP he will have no entitlement to PC'
Please explain this Polly. I have not considered claiming for PC for him he has too much in savings

There's nothing further to explain other than what has already been advised. My advice was purely that there will be no PC entitlement without the SDP. We were giving you the advice so you knew all of your options. As he's not going to claim pension credit then it makes no difference.

ian16527 said:

I wont qualify for UC as I have too much in savings and have never considered claiming it.
The only benefit I would claim is Sickness benefit if I had an Crohns attack unless that has been absorbed into UC.

If you mean the disability benefit PIP then no, this isn't part of UC. If you mean the sickness benefit New Style ESA then as this is an overlapping benefit with Carers allowance, you can't be paid both at the same time.

Polly, I have never heard of SDP before hence the question. I have of course heard about PC. I am not familiar with the acronyms.

Reading between the lines, then he couldn't claim PC without the SDP, 

Thanks for your reply

New style ESA and carers allowance are overlapping benefits and you can't be paid them both together.

SDP is paid on top of pension credit and can be claimed by those that claim a disability benefit such as AA, live alone and no one claims carers allowance or carers element of UC for looking after them.

Without the SDP (severe disability premium) there would be no entitlement to PC because his income would be too high. With SDP there's a £9/week entitlement to PC. You also mention savings. For every £500 or part there of over £10,000 there's a £1 deduction/week in PC.