Carers UK Forum

Change to Carer’s Allowance Earnings Rule announced - April 2017

http://www.carersuk.org/news-and-campai ... -announced

Utterly farcical.
I earned £70 in four hours interviewing ordinary people about their health this evening: (on Her Majesties Government Service too) damned hard work though, but a lot less than a Peer in the House of Lords who gets £300 for just clocking in and falling asleep: yet, "Today the Government has announced the earnings threshold will rise to £116 from April 2017 meaning more people will be able to keep the benefit and remain in work."
Is there anyone in government who can seriously look me in the face, and tell me that if I work for eight hours a week earning £120, and care for 70 hours, that justifies them taking away my carers pittance?

On which, I may add, I pay 20% income tax.

What on earth are these guys smoking? Skunk?

Just as well I know the ways to get around the rules. I'm still sticking half my earnings into my pension pot, and leasing rather than owning my car: I earn around £12,000 a year part-time on top of my occupational pension, and after making all such deductions, still claim CA quite legally, (whilst paying income tax of at least as much as I get back in Carers Allowance) but I really resent having to go to such extremities, because most working carers without the facts are just lambs to the slaughter.... they are in effect subsidising the wealthy through their own, involuntary philanthropy.

Hi there

Am new to this group so hope I'm posting in the right place!

I have a query re what constitutes 'earnings' for carer's allowance? I receive income from a property that is rented. It is not a business but is an inherited property now rented rather than sold.

The rental income I receive is marginally over the £110 per week threshold (it's £115).

Does rental income constitute 'earnings' in the same way as employment would?

Any clarification would be much appreciated as I'm really confused.

Hi Lucy

I suggest that you contact the Carers UK Adviceline team as they are the experts on all matters related to caring and benefits.

Need expert advice? You can talk to the Carers UK Adviceline five days a week, no matter where you are in the UK or how complex your query is. We do benefits checks and advise on financial and practical matters related to caring.

0808 808 7777
advice@carersuk.org
Open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm

The Carers UK Adviceline also includes a listening service, there for you to talk through your caring situation with a trained volunteer who understands what you are going through. Available Mondays and Tuesdays, from 9am to 7pm.

If you can’t get through on the phones (lines are often oversubscribed) then send them an email, they’ll usually get back to you within 3-5 working days.

Lucy_1612 wrote:Hi there

Am new to this group so hope I'm posting in the right place!

I have a query re what constitutes 'earnings' for carer's allowance? I receive income from a property that is rented. It is not a business but is an inherited property now rented rather than sold.

The rental income I receive is marginally over the £110 per week threshold (it's £115).

Does rental income constitute 'earnings' in the same way as employment would?

Any clarification would be much appreciated as I'm really confused.

I reckon it is unearned income, and doesn't count as earnings, but if you are worried, check with the experts. And don't forget, if you pay income tax on it, or National Insurance, they count as deductions. And if not, you can save some small sum of £10 a week into a pension pot to get below the threshold. I get an occupational pension, and that doesnt need to be declared as earnings, and neither do income from investments.

Hi
Could anybody help me please

I know you can earn up to £110pw and not go over but is it the same saying you can earn up to £5700 per year ??

Many thanks
Jodie

Jodie_1612 wrote:Hi
Could anybody help me please

I know you can earn up to £110pw and not go over but is it the same saying you can earn up to £5700 per year ??

Many thanks
Jodie

No, it isn't. You can probably earn up to £16,000 a year and still get carers allowance, if you are willing to claim for all the possible expenses.

I have an existing occupational pension: that doesn't count as earnings.
I pay tax and national insurance on my earned income, I deduct those. I lease my car for work, the lease payments count as work expenses, I deduct those too.
Because my car is electric, it only costs me 2p a mile to run, but I get paid 32p per mile, giving me a significant profit, which does not count as earnings either because it is classified as expenses. You can guess that on 10,000 miles a year works mileage, my expenses are not insignificant.

I save half my salary into a pension plan: and half of those payments can be deducted from earnings.

I earned £130 on Thursday in commission and expenses, but I still claim Carers Allowance, simply because I know the rules.

Of course, it helps to find a job that involves some flexibility: broadly speaking , being self-employed or working on commission with the necessary use of a personal vehicle give much more flexibility than working on the checkout at a supermarket, on the same take home pay.

That's why I love the Gig, or zero-hours, economy.

I have tried to read as many replies as possible, but I'm busy (as many carers are). So I apologise if this has been discussed and I have missed it.

So, after years of struggling financially, I have decided to take on a job alongside my carer's allowance - previously this wasn't possible due the nature of my son's disability at the time. I'm doing a flexible job - working as a carer in the community. However, there are times when they want me to work extra hours and I have to point out that I cannot. Sometimes I feel awful though, because they're short-staffed/sickness and I know that there is a person/people who are vulnerable and I want to be able to help.

Paying into a pension scheme seems one option when I work more, and the best option.

But, I am interesting in discussing leasing a vehicle, but I have questions about this and how I would notify HMRC. I am not self-employed; so how do I apply this deductions/allowances? Would it be a business or personal lease contract? Basically, I want someone to spell-out to me exactly how this works in very lament terms.

Hi Fiona,

Maybe you could email the helpline for information.
Scally, who knows all about leasing, has not been posting here lately. You could try sending him a private message. He wrote the last message before yours - just click on his name to get the contact details.

Just realised I never replied to your message, Greta. Although I did read it. Thank-you.