To ask if you get paid for caring for an elderly relative and if so how much do they pay you?

[Financialcuriosity]

Specifically if they receive attendance allowance. Also how much caring do you do on a daily basis?

The elderly board is very quiet hence posting here.

I was a care for a relative until last year when she passed away. Carer’s allowance was £67 a week of a remember rightly. You might also Be entitled to housing benefit or income suppler depending on your situation.

Its such a pittance to expect anyone to live off on this day and age. The worst thing is that I was saving the government thousands a months as that is what it would have cost for her to be in a care home if I wasn’t there.

I might not have worded that well. I'm wondering what the relative pays the carer (if at all) out of their benefits like attendance allowance.

Their Attendance Allowance can be used to pay for caring. If used to buy in care the lower amount would only buy less than 4 hours a week. My mums went on pads etc. You can get carers allowance if not retired

I wouldn't expect an elderly relative to pay another relative out of benefits for care. Covering costs, yes, but not paying them a wage. Carers allowance is available if necessary.

If the adult with care needs has had a Care Act assessment (social services) and has "eligible needs" then they can receive a Direct Payment ie cash to arrange and pay for their care in lieu of having a care package arranged by social services. A Direct Payment can be used to pay certain relatives to provide care, but not ppl who live in the same household except in exceptional circumstances. Rates are based on national minimum wage + on costs. If an elderly person is actually employing someone themselves then NMW still applies. If you are talking about a person who receives AA "tipping" someone for helping them out, the amount is up to them, but any situation where an elderly person "pays family" is somewhat fraught due to risk of being accused of exploitation or actually exploiting the person.

I agree in part that it doesn't feel right to pay a relative but if they are there every day then the elderly person might want to pay them.

I do think carers allowance should be higher. There’s no way I could survive on UC/ carers allowance if I was unable to work due to becoming a carer. Realistically my Mum would have to pay for actual carers and I would go to work and help with admin/ on weekends. I feel that if you have children you owe it to them to put their well-being first whilst they are young.

Relatives being paid for caring I think it would depend on the situation and relative wealth of both parties. If you are being pressed upon to do a lot of care and feel that you should be paid then it may be time to step away. Even at minimum wage a 35 hour week will give you more than £300 a week.

They do about 4 hours a day including travel along with admin tasks and shopping in addition to that.

They claim carers element of universal credit. If they claimed carers allowance the relative would lose pension credit and something else that I can't remember. It might be council tax something or other. Basically what the carer would receive in CA the relative would lose.

So the carer is getting some money through the carers element in their universal credit?

Yes I believe so. I think it's £160 or so a month. The carer doesn't work and has school age kids.

My friend receives all of her mother's attendance allowance to care for her. It is a very difficult job. She would work more if her mother didn't need her (and her mother refuses outside carers). I don't believe the mother is on the breadline though.

£69 a week carer allowance.

It's not a lot though especially when you've got school age children who are essentially moneypits. Do they want the relative to pay them?

No, they aren't comfortable with it but the relative wants to pay them. £50 a week has been suggested.

I cared for my mum and then my dad in their last stages of life. I didn’t need monetary compensation. I wouldn’t put my life on hold, for nothing, for someone I didn’t love though

My mum gets Attendance Allowance, my brother lives with (Cares for) her, and he gets Carers Allowance - he doesn’t get anything from the Attendance Allowance .. that goes on other stuff (visual aids, Audible, Taxis, etc).

This must mean they are severely disabled? The only two benefits that are effected by a carer claiming CA are the extra amount of Pension Credit for severe disability and Severe Disability Premium.

www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/effect-on-other-benefits

There is no why the caree could employ a carer for 4 hours a day for just £50 a week and I would suggest that if they want to pay the relative this sum then they should graciously accept it.

Surely there are 2 scenarios here. If the person is receiving carers allowance then that is what they have available to 'pay'. If the person is using their own money then they can pay the relative what they like and this is a good way to pass money on.

It's interesting that it would appear that a relative getting paid could be viewed as the person taking advantage yet people pay care homes ridiculous amount of money, many of whom are setup offshore, and this is seen as ok!

They get the higher rate of attendance allowance. I think they said about getting a social services assessment soon but I don't know the ins and outs.

We pay DD £12 an hour to help with DM care (her Grandmother)
On average she does 6-7 hours a week

Goodness, that's a lot more than the £1.42 an hour that £50 a week is equal to. Family carers are so undervalued by the system. The relative in this case is extremely grateful for the care she gets and couldn't manage without her daughter. The daughter doesn't want any money and does the caring out of love for her mum but the mum wants to pay her something but doesn't know how much so I said I'd ask here.

Really the opportunity cost for her daughter is several hundred pounds a week. Prospective wages minus carers allowance. I'd suggest a hundred a week might be fairer if affordable. Whilst people might not want to accept money for caring for relatives you are impacting on your children and if I were the grandparent I'd want to mitigate that in as much as I could afford to do so.

You mention getting a social services assessment
Depending on where you live, the persons income and savings you may have to pay for care or contribute towards it
where DM lives they charge £17.05 an hour for full cost contribution
We decided paying a cleaner, gardener, outsourcing washing ironing, and paying DD was cheaper overall
I do shopping and meal prep for DM
DB does other stuff

My sister gets my Mothers carers allowance. We then get funded for carers to go in twice a day.

I think if it's a long term situation then it's good for the family carer to get paid, it's not expense free caring for a relative.

It's also so wonderful my mother gets to stay in her own home, my sister deserves more than she gets for making that happen.