Returned to UK as carer

[returntoUK]

Hi all, apologies if this is in the wrong section. If someone has returned to the UK after living abroad for over 25 years to be a carer to an elderly parent in receipt of PIP and pension credit, would they be entitled to claim Universal Credit and/or Carer’s allowance? The carer would live rent free with their elderly parent and has no dependants.

Using the calculator, it says they would be entitled to £416 per week (UC and CA combined), but I’m not sure if (I) that requires the claimant to have lived in the UK recently (2) if the payments kick in after 3 months.

Thanks for any and all help!

Sorry that should be £416 per month.

The benefits all have different criteria.
UC requires the recipient to be “habitually resident in fact”, which means residing in the U.K. with “intent to settle” (job, housing, etc.) but there is no time period set in the guidance.
Carer’s allowance has stricter criteria; it requires residence in fact plus a period of living in the U.K. (2 of the last 3 years must have been in the U.K.).

Google is your friend, this is a well respected site that the JobCentre+ recommend:

www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Right-to-Reside/Returning-British-Citizen

The key thing will be habitual residence test. If that’s them coming back for good now - they can claim quickly. If the person they’re caring for is terminally ill and it’s clear the intention is to see them through that then move back to what is now their real home country - it’s a long wait.

Thank you both, I will read up on the link above.