Carers allowance and other benefits

[FaultybutFabulous]

I can't get my head around this. I currently receive universal credit and carers element because I care for my mum 35+ hours a week. She gets attendance allowance and a higher rate of pension credit. It was about £3 a week and is now about £60. Is it worth me claiming carers allowance? I can't make sense of the information online at all. Thank you!

You can claim Carers Allowance but your UC will be reduced by that amount every month, you will be no better off. You will also have them contacting you every few months to confirm you are still getting it. It's not really worth the bother.

If you're already getting UC and carers element, there is no benefit to applying for carers allowance, except CA is paid on a different cycle and can help with budgeting.

If you were excluded from claiming UC - partner's wages, savings etc, then you could claim UC. Or if it was a new claim, CA would likely be paid before UC assessment was over.

As others have said, the main difference is that carers benefit isn't means tested for your household whereas uc is. If your household income increases (eg partner earns more) you would be better off claimed carers as stand alone. If you are not living with a partner there's no advantage to changing

Also be aware if your mum lives alone and gets AA on a low income then she likely gets Severe Disability Premium (SDP) which is what has increased her Pension Credit (PC) so much. If you claim CA then she loses the SDP and if it is this that is tipping her into PC then she will lose all the additional benefits that come with PC (Full Council Tax reduction, full housing benefit, warm homes etc etc). I would do a full benefit check for both of you online or via an advice agency running all the scenarios.

Thank you. That makes perfect sense now. I'm a single parent and have been on UC for a few years now.

Hi there is a point to claiming carers as it is a benefit that credits you with NI contributions. It also gets paid fortnightly which some people find useful. Yes it is deducted £ for £ from UC.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/carers-allowance/

There are other considerations however, as your mum may n ed to check if you claiming Carers allowance impacts her benefits. See the above link and speak to Citizens Advice before you claim.

It can be paid weekly too which can really help

Hi all so bloody confused !!! Plz help
i am a single mom with 2 children on UC my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer April had treatment etc. during this time we were advised to put a claim in for attendance allowance which she has been awarded the higher rate she only claims her state pension and this that is it. Last week we got the news that she now has secondary lung cancer (very shocked but obviously know what treatment she will be going through) after specking with macmillan I was advised to put in a claim for carers allowance which I have done. I have spoke to someone at universal credit who told me to fill in on my journel a change in circumstances and add that I’m now a carer. Which I have done. But now reading all info on here I’m confused as to what I will get and obviously scared all of this will effect my money going forward. Any advice would be great plz as I’m unsure if I have done the right thing.