Carers Allowance application in advance rejection (set for after redundancy date)

Midnight_Tboy

Hi,

I am being made redundant (voluntary) May 31st. My final payslip will be just before that date, although the redundancy payment itself will not be received (and no doubt mistaxed heavily) until the end of June

I won't be working after then and will be becomming a carer, so will have no other source of income other than my savings. I will be claiming as a carer for my partner

I was told that I should apply for Carers now as allowed to apply up to 3 months in advance from here

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/information-for-your-situation/carer-s-allowance/how-do-i-claim-carer-s-allowance

You can also make a claim for Carer’s Allowance up to three months before you qualify. Claiming it in advance could be helpful if you currently earn over £196 a week, but plan to reduce your hours or stop working.

So I did so, however I have just received a letter saying

"You are not entitled from 01/06/2026. This is because your earnings are over the Carer's Allowance earnings limit"

In the application itself I did state the following as advised by AI:

My employment ends on 31 May 2026. My final salary for all work performed up to that date should be paid in May. I do not expect PILON, holiday pay, bonuses or expenses. If any small payment is made in June 2026, it will only be a final adjustment for work completed on or before 31 May 2026. A separate redundancy payment will be made and this is capital, not earned income.

Now based on what I can find online, it suggests I should have been perfectly entitled to claim this now. Trying 2 different AIs one suggested I should just wait, the other said I should be appealing. I rang the freephone number, and the lady on the phone said I need to wait until June the 1st and reapply, but that seems counter to what online says.

Can anyone please advise if I should be doing the reconsideration? A delay in payment is not too important for me, though wish to prevent any possible gap in my NI contributions

marcia_

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6666591/carers-allowance-application-in-advance-rejection-set-for-after-redundancy-date

you can't apply for benefits in advance. You can apply when your employment ends and you meet the criteria.
Apply again when this is the case.

p00hsticks

The link you have provided also states that you need to provide

• If you are working – the payslip immediately before the period you want to claim from and any received since

If you are not leaving work until May 31st, surely you do not have that yet ?

sheramber

The 1st June will probably arrive before a reconsideration is dealt with.

You’re not going to get the allowance any earlier, and NI credits will only be given when you are eligible for payment.

Trying to claim in advance doesn’t achieve anything.

HillStreetBlues

You can only claim CA in advance if you wages are below the threshold at the time of putting in the claim.

Midnight_Tboy

Thanks all, the turn2us page saying "Claiming it in advance could be helpful if you currently earn over £196 a week, but plan to reduce your hours or stop working."

so why it seemed to be ok to do this, and I was trying to get on top of things for before the time ends, especially to ensure that I dont have a gap in NI as a result, but as yous say, by the time any reconsideration happens to argue the smallprint, it will simply be easier to just claim on or after June 1st.

sheramber

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81984713#Comment_81984713

Thanks all, the turn2us page saying "Claiming it in advance could be helpful if you currently earn over £196 a week, but plan to reduce your hours or stop working."

You could take the matter up with the online chat on the Turn2us pages.