Carers allowance irregular earner

Owdo582

Hi, I currently claim carers allowance as I care for my poorly wife. I retired 9 years ago aged 51 and live off my pension but, prior to her taking ill, I had a part time job on a zero hours contract. The carers allowance people deemed me to be an irregular earner but about a year ago I gave up the part time job and haven't worked since. I plan to work for one day helping out on the general election for which I will earn about £170 after deductions. Will I lose that weeks carers allowance as a result? It seems unfair that I could earn 52 weeks at 150 per week and lose nothing, but earn 170 in a whole year and lose a week. 

HillStreetBlues

Have a read of this fact sheet https://www.carersuk.org/media/gciokquc/carers-allowance-earnings-limit.pdf Page 3.

housebuyer143

Owdo582 said:

Hi, I currently claim carers allowance as I care for my poorly wife. I retired 9 years ago aged 51 and live off my pension but, prior to her taking ill, I had a part time job on a zero hours contract. The carers allowance people deemed me to be an irregular earner but about a year ago I gave up the part time job and haven't worked since. I plan to work for one day helping out on the general election for which I will earn about £170 after deductions. Will I lose that weeks carers allowance as a result? It seems unfair that I could earn 52 weeks at 150 per week and lose nothing, but earn 170 in a whole year and lose a week. 

Essentially yes. If you are paid weekly and you get paid over £151 one week then you will lose the weeks entitlement. If you are paid monthly by the employer then you won't.

Carers allowance is inherently an unfair benefit and someone who gets even 1p over in a month will lose the entire £350 for that month 

Spoonie_Turtle

housebuyer143 said:

Owdo582 said:

Hi, I currently claim carers allowance as I care for my poorly wife. I retired 9 years ago aged 51 and live off my pension but, prior to her taking ill, I had a part time job on a zero hours contract. The carers allowance people deemed me to be an irregular earner but about a year ago I gave up the part time job and haven't worked since. I plan to work for one day helping out on the general election for which I will earn about £170 after deductions. Will I lose that weeks carers allowance as a result? It seems unfair that I could earn 52 weeks at 150 per week and lose nothing, but earn 170 in a whole year and lose a week. 

Essentially yes. If you are paid weekly and you get paid over £151 one week then you will lose the weeks entitlement. If you are paid monthly by the employer then you won't.

Carers allowance is inherently an unfair benefit and someone who gets even 1p over in a month will lose the entire £350 for that month 

Really?  Not just the one week they went over the threshold?