Is Carers Allowance classed as work for Tax Credit purposes?

[missymoomoo]

I get Carers Allowance to help look after my husband, but do not work, due to having Fibromyalgia for over twenty years. Does Carers Allowance count as "paid work" and therefore, can I claim for Working Tax Credits? I am 61 and do not have children.

[Hidden]

I think is probably the first question to ever cause such blank looks ..... I have scoured working tax credits pages and carers allowance is not listed in paid work... It's also not listed in unpaid work... The questions are all based on one of a couple without children working if one of you is disabled then the other person is supposed to work 16 hours also if you are over 60 you are supposed to work 16 hours ...then at the very bottom of one of the pages it says... If you have a disability contact the tax credits offices, so I think that is what you are going to have to do and ask them if carers allowance counts as paid work and makes up eligible

The telephone number is 0345 300 3900

VG x

[NordicNavajo]

Hi

I cant help with an answer, but Im guessing you will have to go right to the top to find the "legal" answer! I am on tax credit as a self employed person, I am also my sons carer as he is autistic, and dont claim any carers allowance as whatever is given with one hand is taken with another. I was told that carers allowance would be included as a benefit but that is if claimed carers allowance I would NOT be able to have any other income that took me over a very small amount a week. ie a small part time job. Its chicken and egg as I see it if you claim tax credit for working it may well tale you over the amount that you are elligible to get carers allowance which will make you "unpaid" !!! the govt didnt think very hard about the systems they put in place...... or did they????

Please let us all know when and where you find the answer... and I am wishing you luck and sending a smile and a hug.

NN

[Sammicat15]

What's the betting you'll have to reapply via universal credit cos they don't want you receiving more than X quid per week anyway. I would doubt that carer's allowance is classified as "work" for qualification purposes, otherwise you'd be working for the Govt and be entitled to one of their cushy inflation-proof pensions!!

[missymoomoo]

Thank you all for trying to help me. I will let you know when I get an official reply.

[marg54]

I don't know if this still happens the way bennifit system changing when you claimed carers allowence you where you got your stamp paid for you towards your pension but I don't think you can claim tax credits I know when you het care allowence you can work so many hours a week without getting the care allowence taken off you.

But I really don't think you would get the tax credits

Its like when you get to pension age you lose your sick money and go on old age pension, you can't stay on esa .they have you always

[sharron1]

Very interesting would like to know the answer to this one

[BOO35]

Hi hun I am on DLA for my illnesses including FMS and so is my husband who has a muscle wasting disease.. I claim carers allowance for him I get an income support carer top up.. He gets an under laying payment carer for me even though we can not physically help each other if we have a fall, infection etc we get the carers for mental help if you talk to your husband and vise versa for 35+ hours your in titled to carers I was on ESA but they made my life a nightmare... my WRAG personal seen how ill I , she found a loop hole in the system as the ATOS would not listen would not send me for medical went off the pink form for 2 years... My personal advisor told me to come off ESA and claim for income support carer top up....I did they have left me alone since no more 'Back to work focus interviews' My advice is claim the income support top up and carers you will also get premiums if you or your husband is on middle rate care or high rate mobility hope this helps good luck x

[soozy1984]

I work for tax credits. Carers allowance is a taxable benefit and should be included as Taxable Social Security Benefits for tax credit purposes.

Hope this helps.

S xx

[vinny2015 in reply to soozy1984]

Soozy1984, Would a carer be classed as self-employed and entitled to receive working tax credits if they are paid the taxable carers allowance and also paid cash for working part-time caring for someone else too ?

[missymoomoo]

Thanks soozy. Have I found a loophole that could help anyone on this site?

[vinny2015]

Soozy, Can you claim working tax credits if you claim carers allowance and work part-time as a carer for someone else ? Would that person be classed as a self-employed carer ?

[dowdundee]

I worked on tax credits for ten years and if your get carers allowance then this can be classed as work and means eligibility is there for wtc .

Problem is majority of "advisors" and team leaders don't know this and give wrong advice.

Hope this helps.

[lindaseanjack in reply to dowdundee]

Hi can you still claim working tax an child care when claiming carers allowance or do you have to be working 16 hours to claim child care

[Jackie01 in reply to dowdundee]

I can I asked is this still the case..am I've just came of income support am not interested in claiming these type of benefits again but I look after my mum and she told me to claim carers allowance....I have 2 kids so if I call tax credits will they now recognise that carers allowance is now paid work. If that makes sense...thank you

[missymoomoo]

I officially retire on 6th. September 2015, so I have lost out on over five years WTC and nearly three years pension, due to the government moving retirement dates.

I won't be allowed to claim Carers Allowance, although I will still be caring for my husband, who is younger than me.

Will this open the gates for a flood of claims, I wonder?

Thank you for answering, dowdundee, but too late for me.

[Bulefive]

Hi,

Could you please let me have more information or point me in the direction of how to go about this? As I have tried before to fight tax credits and they said no thank you so much xx

[xsaz]

Hi guys, so I contacted tax credits and told them I'm working as a carer for my mother ect which is what in effect I am doing as its caring for someone for 35 hours per week minimum and I receive an allowance from DWP for this but have been told that if I wanted to claim WTC as a carer I would have to register self employed how would this work I'm very confused as also read a newspaper article saying that being a carer does give you the eligibility for WTC plz help

[caringguy566]

hi missymoomoo just read an article on this subject that somebody has been claiming tocarers allowence for over 10 years and she is elligable for wtx.as you cannot claim jobseekers allowence as well.hope this has been helpful

[AmyTheresa]

I was told not to look for a job from the job centre because i care for my grandma who has copd and cornes and not long ago had a heart attack the law says has to be cared for aleast 35 hours a week ( obviously it's grandma so there more) but then how do they expect you to get at least minium 16 hours job on top of that.??? I do know if you have gota licence you can apple for a car to help who you are caring for. Comings from your carers allowance get a new one every 4 years

[loraine12]

Hi to claim working tax credit you must be working 30 hrs for caters allowance it’s 35 hrs of care. This would mean you must work 65 hrs . Amounts for WTC varies depending on how much you earn. So caters allowance is approx £3,900 a year which wood be taken into account but I think the big stumbling block is how you provide 30 hrs of care if you are working even if it’s at night that would give you no sleep in order to work the nxt day. This is only my understanding of how it works so you need to check it out, good luck x