Carer's Allowance

Carer’s Allowance is the main benefit for carers. You have to be caring for someone for 35 hours a week or more, and at the moment (July 2017) it’s worth £62.70 a week, which is great if you’ve had to cut down your working hours to care for your loved one. You must be earning less than £116 a week net to qualify, but that can include deductions for any care you have to buy in to cover times when you are at work. So far, so simple.

Except it’s not quite that simple, as many of our SimplyHealth Care Community members have found. It’s a means-tested benefit, so you have to show the Local Authority proof of your income. You have to be over 16, not in full-time education or study, and have lived in the UK for two of the last three years. Crucially, the person you care for must be receiving at least one of these benefits – Personal Independence Payment daily living component, Disability Living Allowance at the middle or higher rate or Constant Attendance Allowance.

The following link is the official and most reliable source of information, despite being a bit dry: gov.uk/carers-allowance

Best wishes,

SimplyHealth Care Community team

[Janewell]

I applied for carers allowance and was awarded it but then refused it due to getting a pension. Surely pension is something we all pay into so shouldn't be penalized. It word cost far more for residential care

[Howard25 in reply to Janewell]

I lost all my carers allowance when i started to get my pension. Now I am worse off than I ever have been after working for 49 years. Perhaps it would have been better if I had put my wife in to care and got on with life.

[Janewell in reply to Howard25]

Does your wife get attendance allowance

[gabbymary in reply to Janewell]

no

[Hidden in reply to Janewell]

Happened to me recently and I was shocked for the same reasons as you. Being a full time carer is no picnic.

[Janewell in reply to Hidden]

It stinks doesn't it I wrote to my local mp and she said she also thought it unfair so perhaps I, should write again

[joesy in reply to Janewell]

This IS a very unfair situation but it has always been that way, unfortunately.

[gabbymary in reply to Janewell]

same hear

[bluebell99]

Be aware of working when you are in receipt of Carer's Allowance. Although it says you can work up to 16 hours or £116 without it affecting you benefit, it will affect your partners benefit if you are claiming income related benefits.

I have ESA Support Group and DLA benefits, (middle rate care) and was shocked when my payments were reduced by £200 a month because my husband worked on 12 occasions last year, (totalling £1200 net for the tax year.) I was not told this would happen, neither was he when he sent off his wage slips. We did everything by the book and in accordance with DWP guidelines. It made a nonsense of him working to get a little extra for himself.

He has not worked since.

My payments will be raised in November once the £1200 he earned has been reached.

[Chrissy1992 in reply to bluebell99]

Not worth my husband claiming for carers allowance is it he works hard looks after me I get attendance allowance he cares for me before he goese work and when he comes ho e he cooks cleans and tends my personal needs I can barely get about when he is not here but I try

[joesy]

I have looked after my Brother for more than 10 years but have never claimed Carer's Allowance.

[littlebuttons]

I think the whole system needs revising. Caring does not cease on a Friday, and you should not be penalised for working all your life, and not claiming any benefits. Maybe we who work hard have got it wrong, Perhaps we should just call it a day, and claim every benefit going. Just Saying.

[Emroser]

I have neighbours pensioners and friends caring for me and my family the weekends. Ridiculas cant get careers allowance as several people care for me.