Attendence allowance

[Scally]

https://www.gov.uk/severe-disablement-allowance

Thats complicated. I have no idea what happens next, but you need to get good advice:
"Severe Disablement Allowance has been replaced with Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - Jobcentre Plus will re-assess your Severe Disablement Allowance claim to see if you’re capable of work or eligible for ESA.

Your claim won’t be re-assessed if you’ll reach State Pension age before 6 April 2014."

You should be getting something, but I have no idea what! The first call should be the DWP, see what they suggest.

[amandah]

Hi I have looked into this and no he cant get attendance allowance, as he gets all be it a small pension and his DLA. SDA has been stopped as he now gets his pension. I am on carers allowance, all be it pathetic & taxed !! ( Grrrrr) But still cant work as I am needed in the home as a carer. Hubby is over 65. Thanks again regards amandah

[Myrtle]

Have you looked into getting pension credit? Check this with the CUK advice line or a welfare rights organisation and if you are entitled, get the claim in quickly as the rules will be changing and you will both need to be State Retirement Pension age in order to claim.

[Stacey]

"Have you looked into getting pension credit? Check this with the CUK advice line or a welfare rights organisation and if you are entitled"

Anyone paid Carer's Allowance is automatically getting NI pension credit along with it, you don't need to do anything.

Amandah ... I don't know how old you are, but you lose Carer's Allowance when you start to receive your state pension. That will happen to me in April this year and I am not happy about it! Happy though that at least with CA I've continue to build up credits toward my pension.

[Myrtle]

Anyone paid Carer's Allowance is automatically getting NI pension credit along with it, you don't need to do anything.

Amandah this is for your state pension, not for your husband. You need to look into Pension Credit, Guaranteed and Savings Credits for the over 65s.
Is the

small pension

his state pension or a private one?

[bowlingbun]

Is there some confusion about the term "Pension Credit"? As I understand it, anyone receiving Carers Allowance has a credit placed on their National Insurance record, which counts as a contribution towards their retirement pension. (Any carer on CA would be well advised to check that their records have been kept properly, mine was hopelessly inaccurate when I checked, several times).
I believe, but cannot be certain, that the same thing happens if you are on some other benefits too, but can't be certain.
Then, as I understand it (and I'll leave it for others more knowledgeable to correct me, this is very much a general view) the Government has introduced things called Pension Credits. If you are on a relatively low income in retirement, they will top it up with a "Pension Credit" bringing your total income up to a certain level, depending on your income, savings, household etc. What a shame that we have virtually the same term for two entirely different things?!!

[Myrtle]

Carers on Carers Allowance don't get Pension Credits, they get National Insurance Credit
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/intro/benefits.htm#5

Pension Credit, guaranteed or savings, can be claimed by those of pensionable age on a low income.
It used to be for people over 60, in receipt of their pension or not, but now it is linked to your actual retirement age.

[poppett]

Thank you for the official answer Myrtle.

Shame the departments dealing with NI aren`t so well educated as during a recent conversation about my own circumstances they referred to my NI contribution from my CA as my pension credit......and naturally I corrected the chap, who is now probably mentally confused permanently.

We would need to invent a whole new language for benefits alone soon.xx