To think if you can't work you can't care either?

[stella69x]

So if somebody is in receipt of sickness benefits, therefore they are deemed unfit to work, they should not be entitled to carers allowance for caring for another person.

In my mind if they are fit to care for another person they are fit to work!

Opinions gratefully received

I nearly lost my Employment Support Allowance (the new invalidity benefit) because I was stupid enough to tell the ATOS interviewer that I was able to get in my car to drive to my elderly mother's house to see how she was during her recent breakdown, and to make phone calls to ensure her carers package was meeting her needs.

Being able to do this a couple of times a week apparently meant that I was fit for work. I appealed, and won without having to go to a tribunal.

I thought of applying for Carer's Allowance instead of ESA as it meant no interview (my health condition is one of those awkward fluctuating ones) but CA was just £55 per week (just think how much it would cost the government if my mother had to be put into a care home) and my ESA (now it's been sorted out) is £103 a week. My monthly outgoings are £700 a month. This is subsidised from my (less than £4K) savings. Until they run out.

So many threads asking whether those poorer than ourselves should be getting so much and so few threads asking why those richer are getting so much. The propaganda is working well.

BillyBanter hits the nail on the head!

CA is a crap benefit and doesn't work well. It doesn't protect anyone. Look into the rules of it. All I said was that if MrsDeVere was not claiming CC she should. She qualifies; she should claim it. And please don't speak to me like I'm some Tory shill, thanks. Anyway...

Universal Credit Carer element

"You can get this if you are caring for a severely disabled person for at least 35 hours a week. You will not be allowed to get this element together with a capability for work element even if you are eligible for both. You do not have to claim carer's allowance to get this element."

So under UC you can't claim for caring and for your own disability, as proposed by stella and which is crap and terrible, but you can actually get a caring premium while in work and earning over the CA minimum, which is roughly 16 hours a week minimum wage.

maximum! not minimum whoops

what is it with MN this week?
Carers get fuck all. £55 a week for caring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They save the country £118 billion a year.
Imagine if we all said 'fuck this' and stopped doing it.

I am physically disabled and receive dla I also care for my autistic dd 9 , or maybe I should put her in a children's home as I am clearly incapable of caring for her.