Carers allowance

You need “experts” to help complete any forms like Age Concern or Citizens Advice. They know the terminology to use.

Shopping etc and activities outside the home. I am pretty sure 35 hours of your time ( including thinking/planning time ) is easily reached. Please apply assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62a9d5f48fa8f5038ef7cb79/an-introduction-to-carers-allowance-easy-read.pdf

Yes you are. Please go to Gov.Uk, read the info there and fill in the form. As has been pointed out your hours of caring will no doubt easily be 35 hours. You must include the behind the scenes work and being on call etc , as others have said.

I did that too. I was not entitled to anything. Saved the govt. a fortune but goes for nothing! I loved my dad and did it willingly but.... same when my parents looked after their grandchildren when they were little and I was working...they were entitled to nothing! Whole system is a complete mess!

Happyhead

I spend about 25 hours a week caring for my 92 year old dad. I shop, cook, manage money, medical issues, arrange and take him to appointments etc, take him out, do his washing.
I’m below pension age, but am retired and receive a workplace pension.
Dad gets attendance allowance.
Am I entitled to any carers allowance?

I believe it's attendance allowance if you care for someone over retirement age. Apply and see.

Just ask DWP they are really helpful you may be entitled but you have to care for him for 35 hours plus they will pay your NI which can boost your state pension when you get it good luck

Also, just be aware to get those forms in quick! I applied on 2nd February and still haven’t heard anything….. however, it is all backdated and also can be claimed I think for three months’ prior to the claim date if you were Caring then.
I decided to claim as there was a discussion with the DWP about paying a further disability allowance on top of her PC and AA which didn’t seem to materialise. As this affects my NI “stamps” it makes sense for me to claim it as not only am I my mum’s only Carer, I am 65 so obviously don’t get my state pension yet.

Jess20

Primrose53 I'm also getting SP but as I am still caring for over 35 hours a week I am entitled to carer allowance but it's not paid. So, I do still apply for CA and insist that they recognise I've got what they call an 'Underlying Entitlement to CA' - that I'm a carer providing care, despite not qualifying for a financial award. It's not good to have to provide all this care without recognition at least! Too many of us are fobbed off and not counted because we let things lapse when we don't get paid due to recieving SP.

Never thought of that thanks.

Very good point Jess. It can sometimes open other doors.

And try to get a Carer's Passport and Registered as a Carer with your GP and your DH's if they are different.

Primrose53 I'm also getting SP but as I am still caring for over 35 hours a week I am entitled to carer allowance but it's not paid. So, I do still apply for CA and insist that they recognise I've got what they call an 'Underlying Entitlement to CA' - that I'm a carer providing care, despite not qualifying for a financial award. It's not good to have to provide all this care without recognition at least! Too many of us are fobbed off and not counted because we let things lapse when we don't get paid due to recieving SP.

When my husband died they stopped my Carer's Allowance for looking after my Brother as I got Bereavement Allowance for a year and it was an overlapping Benefit, still had my stamp paid though. When I started Carers Allowance again they still paid it despite a Works Pension from my Husband.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/carers-allowance/

Read this link for fuller information and follow links to gov.uk.

The form requires financial and other factual information. It is important to get the details right, but it isn’t tricky to word, unlike PIP or AA. So it is good to get a family member, friend or neighbour to double check entries.

NB.
CA is NOT available if you claim state pension as it is an overlapping benefit.
Check with the person you are caring for, as if you get CA, they may lose some benefits.
There is a limit to what-you can earn whilst on CA.

As Whiff has already said…..best to get advice from Citizens Advice or Age UK, alternatively there might be a support charity in your area - I know there is where I live and they actually do ‘form fills’ for people.

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 .

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

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.
💐

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.

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.

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

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. 😉

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