For anyone worried by changes to benefits

[Matt Hill]

Many carers and disabled people are extremely anxious about what the Government's plans for reforming the benefits mean for them. Carers UK have put together a list of answers to key questions, including:

* What is Universal Credit?
* What will happen to carers who are put on Universal Credit?
* What is happening to Carer's Allowance?
* If I am on Universal Credit, will I be forced to look for work?
* What is happening to Disability Living Allowance?

Please read our new Q&A which gives the clearest picture of what is being proposed, how it might affect carers. It sets out clearly what might happen, what we know and what we don;t know.

Download the PDF and read here

[Scally]

Good briefing, very clear: only spotted one very trivial typo and one potentially contentious statement:
Only 426 carers have posted more than 10 times on this forum, so we cant really claim to be an "Online community of 3000 carers" ... I think that constitutes hype, and its easy to check. Plus that figre includes people who no longer post ... best to avoid using contentious figures like this.

[pamr]

thank you Matt. very usefull.

[g.herschel]

Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."

i know what will happen to me ,, as i know what the unknowns are but i am not sure of the known unknowns , but like Mr Rumsfeld it is the known unknowns that worry me..


you will be no worse off ... fair do`s.. the old doll gets full council tax benefit , that is her half of the council tax is paid by the state ,,, she also gets full housing benefit again, the state pay her half of the rent... both of these benfits are already means tested, she is able to receive the council tax / housing benefit relief as her war related pensions are disregarded which means she is assesed on her reduced state pension of £30 per week... the unknown i would like to be made a known is, will the war related pensions still be disregarded when calculating the means tested benefits ... iknow i know it`s very complicated but we need to know ....
if in the future war related pensions are not disregarded war pensioners will have to pay full council tax and rent ...

[marie66]

I hate this proposal with a vengeance!
I have a feeling I'll be classed as one of the unemployed again with no recogntion as a Carer any more.
I'll be shunted onto Universal Credit with all the others but I'll need to work the minimum 35+ hours into the bargain.

Why couldn't they have left all Carers who receive Carers Allowance on the same Carer benefits?
I worry, it's the slippery slope to get rid of Carers Allowance and the recognition Carers have fought so hard for. In one swoop, they've drastically cut the numbers of 'recognised' Carers on Carers Allowance.
That's how Joe public will see it - x amount of 'real' Carers on C.A. and the rest of those lazy people on Universal Credit.
They won't know or take the time to find out the 'lazy lot' are still 'Caring' the 35+ hours (and the rest!) every week will they!

It is just so unfair and in my opinion, could have been handled a whole lot better.
Typical!

[JohnT]

Here we go again the idiots at number 10 causing more mayhem and confusion as if they have nowt else better to do.FFS get a grip cameron my wifes condtion is never gunna improve short of a miracle which the odds of that happening are high.Therefore why should she be re accessed.Its total and utter nonesensical the changes that they are proposing.Why cant they just leave well alone.We went through this a couple of years ago when some incompetant twassock sent her a back to work interview causing un necessary upset and when we challenged them about it they appologised and said that should never have happened.For her to go out to work would be impractible cos shed need someone else there for toilet breaks etc umpteen times a day and no employer is gunna put up wi that.Get a grip you morons is my view on the proposed changes.Its a bit like the bus company cant resist in changing things and causing confusion

[Stacey]

At least there is some good news for people already in or approaching state pension age, "Carers over State Pension age, who qualify for Carer’s Allowance but cannot get it at the
same time as their State Pension because of the rules of the benefits system. These
carers may get a Carer Addition (an extra amount for carers of £30.05 a week – 2010/11
rate) in Pension Credit." As it stands now I would loose my Carer's Allowance completely in another two years, which is a slap in the face because it completely negates that I am WORKING for my carer's allowance.

Of course, given the "simplification" of DLA and the completely unworkable plans for assessing everyone on DLA my severely disabled husband will probably be declared fit for work and I'll lose CA entirely.

[Guest]

The Carers Premium is already paid with Guaranteed Pension Credit which is means-tested. IDS is now talking about reforming the State Retirement Pension and paying all pensioners a flat rate of £140 per week, quite where that will leave those currently with and who in the future would have entitlement to PC is unclear as it currently has both a Severe Disability Premium and the Carers Premium which are worth £50 and £30 per week respectively, if PC is abolished in favour of a flat rate SRP, and of course GPC is also a passporting benefit, it could leave disabled pensioners and their carers worse off.

[Matt Hill]

Good briefing, very clear]"Online community of 3000 carers" [/i]... I think that constitutes hype, and its easy to check. Plus that figre includes people who no longer post ... best to avoid using contentious figures like this.

I didn;t spot it - that figure has escaped somehow - I agree it is misleading.

[Stacey]

Parsifal,

I don't understand the pension and benefits system and doubt I will even with "simplification." What is pretty darn clear is that "simplification" is word-spinning for cuts. I can just see the government claiming that "some disabled people and their carers" will be better off and the rest will be happier because their newly reduced payments will be easier to understand. Arghhh.