Carer's Allowance - stunned

meema wrote: »

Hi, I have a question about carer's allowance & hoping someone here can advise. If a person gives up their full-time job, to care for a disabled partner full-time then they are entitled to £50 per week?? For example, if I was in this situation (I'm not) I would give up my £450 per week job for £50 per week???

I'm so stunned by this. How much does it cost to have paid carers coming in 4 times a day, 5 days a week? It just seems like such a false economy.

Sadly it is true - having had to give up work myself to care for my son who is severely disabled. My fave restriction on the allowance is that you cannot claim whilst in full-time education as you are no longer considered the person's full-time carer. This is relevant to me because I start uni in September. It seems a silly rule because I would be paid the CA if I sat at home all day waiting for my son to come home from school but wouldn't get paid it if I made use of my time and went to uni whilst he's receiving his education at school all day (he starts full-time school in September).

This is no longer an issue for us as my husband was recently made redundant and so I can transfer CA to him when I start my degree as then he will be classed as full-time carer. Sadly though, this won't be the case for many other people who have little choice but to care for a disabled relative but want to study. I want a degree to improve my life and that of my children yet it seems I would be discrimnated against for something that doesn't even cut into my time caring for my son.

Caring isn't a 9-5 job and I think (don't quote me on this) that you're deemed a full-time carer if you care for that person more than 30 hours a week. My son is often up all night vomiting with reflux plus he's fed at night through a gastrostomy tube and so a proportion of my time is spent caring for him at night. I'm pretty certain that, alongside Uni, I will be caring for him for more than 30 hours a week - that includes evenings, weekends, nights, mornings. Some people might care for a relative for 30 hours over a weekend but still wouldn't be entitled to the money if they studied full-time during the week.

CA needs a big overhaul as soon as possible because I'm pretty sure lots of people are slipping through the net when it comes to support. Caring for a disabled relative is hard work and the hours a family carer puts in is probably two or three times as much as an outside carer from an agency who would get paid probably four or five times the amount of carer's allowance.

Some parents have to give up work permanently and then end up in poverty because the allowance is so small. Putting families on the breadline versus lining the pockets of agency carer's seems so pointless. Carer's allowance should accurately reflect the work a carer actually puts in and I think that CA shouldn't be a fixed amount - it should be based on the amount of caring and expertise needed for caring for that person.

I've practically turned into a nurse and physiotherapist for my son whilst using all the medical equipment. In fact, whilst in hospital I have had to show nurses how to change a mic-key button (the opening in my son's stomach has a button inserted in it so that a feeding tube can be attached) and also how to work his feeding pump.

I would love to attend a peaceful protest and give my support but I cannot get anyone to watch my children - the irony.

I cared for my mun who had Alzheimer's,Crohn's disease ,Angina The amount of medication she was on made her general health worse.She was in and out of hospital on a regular basis over a nine year period. i did not know i could claim disability for her let alone carers for me. we got the benefit's a year before she passed away but not very many people know what they are entitled to. i have always been disgusted at how we are treated like second class citizens.i was always made to feel like why should i be paid to look after my own mum. i received £42 a week which £25 of that went to my sister for helping me out whilst i fetched my child from school. mine went towards the petrol in the week taking my sister back home which was ten miles there and ten miles coming back.
i now claim disability for my child who has autism but my carers was stopped because that's what they do. I had to go through a lengthy appeal but was finally given back his low and middle rate disability but because i had to get another job i am now not entitled to carers because i earn £96 a week i cant go over £80
I work extremely hard with my child but i cant afford to give up £96 to get £50 in return. i know someone who receives over a thousand pound in benefit's a month who can go out clubbing buy what they when they want and then moan when they have none left.
i am always left gob smacked............

granny_grey_hips wrote: »

i now claim disability for my child who has autism but my carers was stopped because that's what they do. I had to go through a lengthy appeal but was finally given back his low and middle rate disability but because i had to get another job i am now not entitled to carers because i earn £96 a week i cant go over £80

Not sure what you mean by I can't go over £80. You can earn up to £95 a week after deductions. As you are allowed to deduct the following

• some National Insurance (NI) contributions
• Income Tax
• half of any money you pay towards personal or occupational pension schemes
• other expenses you have to pay because they are a necessary part of your job

HTH.

Yours


Calley