Carers allowance

I think the eligibility includes at least 35 hours a week care?

No. One of the criteria is that you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone.

www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility

You might, however, be entitled to Carer's Credit which would give you NIC credits if you are short of the 35 years necessary for a full State Pension when you reach that age. The criterion for that is providing at least 20 hours of care a week.

www.gov.uk/carers-credit

If you are short on contribution years, that credit could be worth £926 a year at current rates were you to buy back missing years. See:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/

Also, those 35 hours must be caring for someone in their home. Doing their shopping, collecting prescriptions etc don't count.

(I mean why would they - why would we think that spending hours doing things for someone else is caring for them? )

Nobody knows how many hours you care for your Dad. 😉

Looking at the link, I don’t think that’s right ferry. Managing tasks like paying bills and takng to appointments etc is included.

Log your hours for a week or so OP and include everything that you do connected to your fathers well-being. Present with him or not. You might get find it comes to more than 35 hrs.

.

Lathyrus3

Looking at the link, I don’t think that’s right ferry. Managing tasks like paying bills and takng to appointments etc is included.

Log your hours for a week or so OP and include everything that you do connected to your fathers well-being. Present with him or not. You might get find it comes to more than 35 hrs.

.

Ah, this may have changed since I cared for my Dad as it was some time ago.

Apologies then if I have misled - ignore me!

Please talk to AgeUk or CAB for advice.

I don’t know for certain either.

I was just looking at Silverbrooks link.

From this and other posts it seems to be a real muddle🙄

Well, you could always try. I’ve a friend who got it for caring for her son in a different County, while I couldn’t get it for caring for DD2 after she suffered a child stroke - an appeal didn’t prove successful either!

Have you claimed attendance allowance on his behalf?

It says he gets attendance allowance.

Thanks everyone…….its very confusing!!

I don’t think anyone at DWP is going to check the number of hours you care for your dad.

SporeRB

I don’t think anyone at DWP is going to check the number of hours you care for your dad.

That’s what I hinted at earlier. 😉

Be careful about people who are hinting at exaggerating how much care you provide. By submitting a claim form you agree that the information you have given is complete and correct. If it’s found not to be you could be liable to prosecution and penalties.

I suggest you read the claim form notes carefully and note how certain benefits overlap e.g once you reach State Pension age and claim it you wouldn’t be able to claim carer’s allowance anyway as the two are considerered overlapping benefits.

Also note that if as a result of your father’s claim for Attendance Allowance he is benefiting from a reduction on his council tax he could lose that. See page 10 of the link which explains how carer’s allowance can affect other benefits including the cared for person’s Housing Benefit and Pension Credit.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67ed286a632d0f88e8248bc9/ds700-notes.pdf

Lathyrus3

Looking at the link, I don’t think that’s right ferry. Managing tasks like paying bills and takng to appointments etc is included.

Log your hours for a week or so OP and include everything that you do connected to your fathers well-being. Present with him or not. You might get find it comes to more than 35 hrs.

.

Quite right Lathyrus3. Dealing with correspondence on their behalf, making phonecalls for them, taking to appointments (hairdresser, GP, hospital, dentist etc), dropping off at day centres, libraries or social events they could not get to without you. Extra cooking meals to be frozen can take hours.

The thing with caring is all these bits and pieces add up. You might go round to prepare a meal and end up being a listening ear for their problems and you have been there all morning and you only need 5 hours a day for 35 hrs to be clocked up. Then of course, you might get called out in the evening or night due to a fall or other emergency.

I should have added that being on call or available for so many hours also counts.

The current date of CA is £83.30 which works out at £2.38 an hour for 35 hours but many people do a lot more than that.

I am unable to claim Carers Allowance as I get State Pension. I care for my husband 24/7 now.

You are having a rotten time Primrose and I think about how you are managing every time I see a post from you.

But I am not very good at empathetic remarks that others are good at, so I never know what to say, except the above.
💐

That is what attendance allowance is for, to pay for extra help, shopping, cleaning etc.

Elowen33

That is what attendance allowance is for, to pay for extra help, shopping, cleaning etc.

Wrong, it can be spent on whatever you need. Doesn’t have to be care.

Exactly, Primrose and it is in the name of the person who claims it.

I know I keep banging on about it but please, contact AgeUk or CAB for advice on all benefits.

ferry23

Also, those 35 hours must be caring for someone in their home. Doing their shopping, collecting prescriptions etc don't count.

(I mean why would they - why would we think that spending hours doing things for someone else is caring for them? )

?
Well, what IS the official DWP definition of caring? What is the official definition of non-caring duties?

Also, those 35 hours must be caring for someone in their home. Doing their shopping, collecting prescriptions etc don't count

This isn't strictly true.

I don't know what the rules are now. But when my husband was terminal with cancer in 2003 only way we got carers allowance and DLA was by our McMillan nurse filling in the forms. My mom lived with me the last 18 months of her life I cared for her on my own 24/7 I was only allowed 6 months carers allowance because I was told my mom would get better she had grade 3 breast cancer and dementia she died aged 90 in 2017.

My brother carers for my sister in law and her dad . He is only allowed carers allowance for his wife and that will stop in August once he reaches state pension age. With that plus a couple of small private pensions he will be £2 over the limit to claim any pension credit . He hasn't any savings .
Took me 35 years fighting
to get disability benefits and I was born disabled .

Best to get help from CA or Age UK to fill in the forms .