Is this person entitled to financial help?

[HermioneMakepeace]

OK, so this is not me or my family, I am literally ‘asking for a friend’. So this is the situation: elderly lady, let’s call her Doris. She lives in a council house in the UK. Her great nephew, let’s call him John, has been staying with Doris for a while. The arrangement worked well, Doris enjoyed having John around and felt safe. She has had a few falls so was grateful that John was there to look after her.

The thing is, John is on a very low income and paying half the rent and council tax was quite a lot of money for him. Therefore he has found another house share out of town that he can afford. This will leave Doris alone and vulnerable.

Doris doesn’t want to ask for help because she is scared she will be put in a home. However I think if John could get some kind of carers allowance then maybe he could afford to stay looking after Doris, even though he’s out at work during the day.

Does anybody know if any help exists for Doris and John? Thanks.

I think he would be able to receive carers allowance if Doris is in receipt of certain benefits. Have a Google of carers allowance and check the gov website.

Nice they get on so well

Carers is means tested though and it's only 60 odd quid a week. If he earns under 500 quid a month he might be able to though

How come another house share was cheaper than paying half the rent there?

As pp say, carers allowance is very low and means tested anyway

As an aside, does Doris get Attendance Allowance? If she doesn’t, then that will help and I would certainly hope she’d qualify.

Links

www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility

www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance

My DM had carers allowance and she wasn’t means tested. She receives statutory pension only , carers is £620 per month.

He as to be looking after her for more than 35 hrs week.
not earning more the £123a week
aFTER tax and insurance and be over 16
Caters allowance is £66.15 week

She as to be getting
DLA middle or high rate. Or
PiP. Daily living component

She needs to apply for Attendance allowance. It's a benefit for older people and is not means tested and there are different levels of payment depending on infirmity. It's to help towards any extra care you may need and the circumstances you mentioned fit this purpose.

If you receive Attendance allowance someone else can claim careers allowance. She will also be able to apply for a blue badge if required.

My DM had carers allowance and she wasn’t means tested. She receives statutory pension only , carers is £620 per month

I think you might be thinking of another benefit. Carers is not 620 quid a month.

Why does he have to pay to live with her? If Doris wants him to stay, why doesn’t she let him stay for free?

Hedda I wondered that as presumably house is hers anyway

Doesn’t he have to prove he can’t work or something to claim carer’s allowance?

When a relative was in a similar situation they were refused ca because they had a pension and weren’t working, so caring caused them no financial loss, iyswim

Carers allowance is definitely not £600/month. It's about £60/week where I am so will probably be around the same everywhere else. Does Doris receive any benefits?

gamer, hers is, she needs a high level of care.

I think you're confusing Attendance allowance with carers allowance.

Why does he have to pay to live with her? If Doris wants him to stay, why doesn’t she let him stay for free?

Because then Doris would have to pay all of the rent and it would be more than her pension. She has no savings.

How did she manage to pay the rent before he came to stay?

Anyway, the first step for her would be to claim attendance allowance. If she is granted it he can then claim council tax exemption as her carer.

To find out for sure call the citizens advice bureau. Lots have specific advisors on benefits and just this sort of thing.

How did she manage to pay the rent before he came to stay?

She was entitled to Housing Benefit before John came to stay.

She’s scared to go to CAB because she thinks they will put her in a home 😞.

Because then Doris would have to pay all of the rent and it would be more than her pension. She has no savings.

So she needs to claim Universal Credit and/or Pension Credit, plus Council Tax Support.

It sounds like Doris needs a full professional benefits check. Could you go to the CAB on her behalf?

That doesn't sound right about Doris losing all of her housing benefit. She needs a proper benefit check from CAB, possibly to care attendance allowance if she doesn't do so already. Can John go on her behalf?

Does John want to live with her full time? Is moving for financial reasons an excuse and really he wants some more freedom.

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/benefits/housing_benefit_deductions_when_living_with_non-dependants

It's highly unlikely she will be "put in a home" unless she self funds, if my knowledge of the process is right! Its very hard to met the criteria for the local authority to pay this which will many times the cost of weekly rent for a council house.

Age UK can visit her at home and do a benefit check with her.