Carers allowance limit,

[clare williams]

Hi newbie here (Clare 42). I am now looking after my mum(73) full time(after leaving hospital ) after she had Endocardyitis, which required open heart surgery. Her pill regime is so, that she cannot be left to take them by herself. She is also a type 2 diabetes sufferer, has osteo arthritis in her knees and hands, and is incontinent. My query is on Carers allowance, i work part time 17hrs a week, and i'm paid fortnightly and after deductions get £200.01. Do i not qualify being a 1p over or earning right up to the limit, Help please!

[malc]

the simple answer is no,you need to lose the penny,also if you get carers allowance your wage will be more than now because you will be class 2 ni exempt,have a word with your boss about losing the odd hour or dropping hourly rate,if you are a good employee and he wants to keep you he will hopefully help you,don't forget you have carers rights in the workplace,malc ps fortnightly wage ok ,monthly not because of five week months pushing the average over the limit

[cheryl]

Hi newbie here (Clare 42). I am now looking after my mum(73) full time(after leaving hospital ) after she had Endocardyitis, which required open heart surgery. Her pill regime is so, that she cannot be left to take them by herself. She is also a type 2 diabetes sufferer, has osteo arthritis in her knees and hands, and is incontinent. My query is on Carers allowance, i work part time 17hrs a week, and i'm paid fortnightly and after deductions get £200.01. Do i not qualify being a 1p over or earning right up to the limit, Help please!

Give the DWP a ring and ask them, I can't believe they would disallow CA for 1p, keeping in mind to that you are bound to have some expenses in getting to and from work? bus fares, fuel? Also you can deduct any costs that you pay for someone to look after your mum while your in work,maybe you have a neighbour or friend call in to check up on her? and you give them a couple of quid etc? there are other expenses you can claim like paying into a private pension fund?

Caresuk also have a help line that covers benefit enquires.

[Scally]

Yes, it is crucial, they will take the full £55 for that extra penny I'm afraid, and have been known to go back years when people have fiddled the system for the sake of a few quid. If you can claim for a phone for your work (maybe they need to contact you to work odd-shifts etc?) then you can claim some of your mobile phone and/or landline rental, even broadband - I have found they don't quibble if it is just a few pounds a week and can be justified in this way - I work from home for example, so all my communication with my manager is on the phone or the internet. I claim for half my landline and half my mobile rental: about £14 a month, I cant be bothered to itemise individual calls, too much bother, but this might work for others: for example if I earned just a few pennies over the limit as in the example above.
The other way to get rid of significant surplus remaining earnings over the £100 allowance (after you have paid tax and NI) is to pay it into a private pension fund, the only thing to remember is they only allow 50% of the money you pay in, so if you want to reduce your residual earnings say from £109 a week to £99.00, you need to pay in £20 every week, but you get £55 in CA, so you end up quids in, obviously. The good news is that the government then refunds your income tax (if you pay tax that is) into the pension pot, and of course you are saving for your own retirement. It really is a no-brainer, but it takes a bit of planning to set up.

[clare williams]

Hi again thanks for all your replies. I'm new to caring, and only found out about CA by chance. Does anybody know what other help/benefits i can get. My mother has only ever claimed state pension, and has never claimed any other benefits, even though she has arthritis and is now classed as a high risk diabetes sufferer because of the Warfarin she has to take. Theres just so much information out there, its just a bit overwhelming. Thanks

[charles47]

Hi Claire - welcome aboard!

Probably best to contact the Helpline - you really need to go through things with someone who can ask the right questions: most benefits, etc., require a lot of personal information it's best not to put on a public forum. The number's all over the main website. You can also look here:

http://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/help-with-money

[susieq]

Hi Clare and welcome to the forum.

As your Mum is over 65 she should also be entitled to Attendance Allowance -see here for more information
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAnd ... G_10018710

You can download the application form online and it's fairly easy to complete.

It's not means tested and is also tax-free. My Mum uses part of hers to pay for the gardener and window cleaner and also pays for the petrol for my car.

[malc]

the caree needs to get dla high or middle rate care for you to get carers allowance,so get your info together and go and make a few phone calls is the best bet,not sure on how age affects dla claims,malc

[Guest]

Over 65s only get DLA if they were already on it before their 65th birthday, the benefit to claim for people who need care, there is no mobility component unlike DLA, who are over 65s is Attendance Allowance as Susie says, both AA rates give entitlement to Carers Allowance if the carer meets the other entitlement criteria.

[Scally]

There are also some discounts and/or benefits in kind for carers, and many of these depend on where you live, so it is also worth checking with your local carers centre, social services, or citizens advice. We live in Scotland, and our local benefits include free loft insulation, free bus travel for caree and carer, cheaper swimming and gym membership. We also get free carers film tickets through the CEA scheme (very useful because my caree goes to the cinema at least every week with his supporter) free ski-ing for supporters/carers accompanying the disabled skier, some free concert tickets, and lots of other free or cheap stuff if you are willing to just 'blag' it. If it is going free or cheap, I will jolly well claim it, why not ! I wouldnt be able to put a value on all this help, though it is certainly in the four figures range for us, and some of it wont apply to you, but it is fun finding out and using supports that you need. But the main form of practical support available to us has been a direct payment to help buy in the support that my son needs, and this is only accessed through a social services assesment, so that is the first point of call for everyone.