Financial difficulties can be an added pressure to your situation. Knowing what you are entitled to, can make a difference to your life as well as the person you care for. There are benefits just for carers, some for people with a disability, and some to help you if you have a low income. Remember, you can still claim some benefits if you work, have savings or own your own home.
If you care for someone for more than 35 hours a week you may be eligible for Carers Allowance, the main benefit for carers. It is not means tested (although there is a cap on how much you can earn and still remain eligible) and it’s also taxable. The current rate of Carers Allowance is £64.60 a week.
Eligibility is dependent on a number of factors, including whether you:
If you do meet the above criteria, but are already receiving certain benefits (include the State Retirement Pension), then the amount of Carer’s Allowance you receive may be affected.
Further information is available from the government website on this link
If you care for someone for at least 20 hours a week, you may be able to claim Carer’s Credit, a National Insurance credit which helps with gaps in your National Insurance record. Your State Pension is based on your National Insurance record. If you are already in receipt of Carers Allowance or Child Benefit for a child under the age of 12, you will automatically be getting Carer’s Credit.
Eligibility for Carer’s Credit is not affected by the amount you have in savings or investments, or your income.
To get Carer’s Credit you must be:
The person you’re looking after must receive one of the following:
Where there is no qualifying benefit it will be possible to claim on the basis of a signed certificate from a health or social care professional to confirm that the level of care being provided is appropriate.
Further information is available from the government website on this link
If you care for a child with a health condition or who is disabled, they may be eligible claim to Disability Living Allowance (DLA). There are varying rates of DLA depending on the levels of care required.
DLA is not means tested or taxed, and does not affect any other benefits which are currently being claimed. In fact, it may even increase the amount of benefit you get, or help you qualify for other benefit support such as Carer’s Allowance or Tax credits.
To be eligible to claim DLA your child must:
If your child has a terminal illness, special rules apply to help you get support quickly. A child will be considered to be terminally ill if they have an illness which is likely to limit their life expectancy to six months or less.
These special rules mean that there does not have to be a three month qualifying period (as mentioned above) nor do they have to have been present in Great Britain for 104 weeks out of the last 156 weeks before claiming.
When claiming DLA under these circumstances you will need to include a form (DS1500) which is available from the GP or consultant treating your child.
Further information is available on government website with this link
This is paid to people who have daily living and/or mobility needs to support them with the costs incurred by long-term illness or disability. It replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged between 16 and 64 (or who were under 65 on 8 April 2013).
Eligibility is not based on income, savings or your National Insurance contribution record and it is a tax free benefit. People working or studying may also be eligible.
Being in receipt of PIP does not reduce any other benefits and may even make you, or the person you care, eligible to receive further help, such as support with council tax.
Eligibility is based on some of the following criteria:
For more information from the government website please click on this link
The person you care for may be eligible to claim Attendance Allowance if their ability to keep safe or look after their personal care, such as washing and dressing, is affected by disability, physical or mental illness. There are two levels of Attendance Allowance - £55.10 and £82.30 – and they are dependent on the level of disability.
Attendance Allowance is tax free, it is not means tested or affected by any other income or savings that a claimant has. There are two weekly rates - the lower rate is for care during the day, and the higher rate is for people needing help during the day and overnight.
Claimants must:
Further information available by clicking on this link
Trying to work out if you, or the person you care for, may be eligible for benefits can be quite complicated. If you would like more information and to discuss your eligibility (in confidence) with someone at West Cumbria Carers, please call the office on 01900 821976 to speak to one of the team or to make an appointment at one of our Benefits Clinics that we run throughout Allerdale and Copeland.
More information on all of the benefits you may be eligible to claim can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/carers-uk or by calling 0808 808 7777, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.