When do I apply for Carers Allowance?

[ButterflyKu]

Posting for traffic!

I’m facing redundancy at work and I wondered how soon after being made redundant, can I apply for Carers Allowance? Can I apply on my last day of work? Or do I wait until I receive my last payslip?

DD has been accepted to use 30 funded hours at a new nursery school starting this September so losing my job has really messed things up! Slightly panicking so wondered what I need to do to ensure this goes as smoothly as possible.

Will it be as simple as being made redundant, apply for CA, accepted for CA, claim the 30 hours funded code from GOV and she can start in September? Or am I being slightly naive here. Helpppp

If your child already has a DLA award then you can apply as soon as you finish your job, because its once you are earning less than the earning threshold rather than once you are unemployed. So eg if you finish work on Friday, then on the Monday you can apply for carers allowance starting the first week you are unemployed.

I’ve just seen that I won’t be eligible for the 30 free hours via CA as I’m a single parent. So I guess that’s the answer to my question!

Immediately if the disabled person has middle or high rate care on DLA or PIP or any rate of ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE. If the disabled person has just submitted a claim but it is not yet assessed then still put Carers Allowance claim. It will be refused on basis of disabled person not having the qualifying benefit but if their claim is successful you can reclaim and backdate your Carers on this basis even if it is months later as long as you haven't earned over limit in that time. Please note Mobility awards alone do not qualify when claiming as carer it is the personal care requirement that matters.

what do you mean? To qualify for carers allowance you must be under pension age, earn less than Lower earnings threshold and caring for a disabled person for at least 30 (or 35, can't remember exactly) per week. If the disabled person is a child they still get free nursery hours and Your carers allowance is irrelevant!

Also. carers allowance is income on Universal credit, so is deducted.

Does your child receive DLA either middle or high rate care ?
If so you can apply when you are made redundant.
It will affect the universal credit allowance but you can apply for a careres element

Carer’s allowance is not irrelevant to free childcare hours. The DC still gets the universal 15 free hours for 3&4 year olds. But having a parent who is a single carer who isn’t working and is in receipt of carer’s allowance means they aren’t entitled to the extra 15 hours to make it up to 30 hours. Whereas they would be eligible if OP was claiming carer’s allowance (or one of the other eligible benefits) and in a couple where the other person’s earning meant they were eligible the 30 hours.

To be eligible for CA one has to care for the disabled person for 35hrs pw.

You can apply once you are no longer working.

But it is not being entitled to carers allowance that knocks you out for additional childcare hours, its the not working that’s the issue - ie a lone parent who’s not getting carers allowance and is not working wouldn’t get the extra hours just get the 15 standard ones as 30 aren’t really needed then whole not working.

as they aren’t really needed.

And yet a couple where one is working and one isn’t but is receiving CA is eligible for 30 free hours because it is recognised sometimes caring duties are not compatible with childcare.

I don’t really understand… who was caring for the disabled person before you were made redundant…?
Not really the point of your thread, I understand, I’m just a bit puzzled!

The OP may still have been caring for the disabled person. Just not eligible for carer’s allowance because of her earnings. While not all carers can work, some do work full-time on top of caring for someone who is disabled for 35+ hours per week.

I get your point @BrumToTheRescue but the not working lone parent is the issue rather than the Carers according to the rules. It does seem a bit nuts.
I’m not sure on the much trumpeted 30 free hours, my child is 16 - I got 15 free and the deduction from my full day cost was a joke - the nursery explained my costs included all the wrap around, snacks and lunch not included in free hours. I also had to use free hours over five days and was not allowed to bundle them up onto the days I needed nursery due to PTW. Don’t know situation now re this.

What is the situation re 30 hours free care for couple with one working full time and the other not working - do they only get 15 hours?

My post is very confusing I know, sorry about that.

DD is meant to use 30 hours of funding to start nursery. All 3 and 4 year olds get 15 hours but to get 30 hours, you need to meet the criteria in order to be eligible. With a job, I meet the criteria, without a job, I don’t.

When writing this post, I thought that if I claimed CA then I’d be eligible for the 30 funded hours. However, as I’m a single parent, I won’t be eligible. It’s just about getting my head around all the different rules!

This post is less about CA and more towards being eligible for the 30 funded hours, sorry for the confusion

@redalex261 as I have posted, a couple with one working and one not working but in receipt of CA receives 30 free hours.

Erm, I was? I don’t really understand your question. In order to be eligible for CA, you need to earn under a certain amount each week. I was obviously earning over the limit when working and being made redundant would take me under the limit which means I’d be eligible

I initially assumed that if I claimed carers allowance, I will automatically be eligible for the funded 30 hours, however that isn’t the case. If I received carers allowance AND had a partner who earned over the required amount, the child would be eligible for 30 funded hours

I’ve finally been able to look into things and understand everything more clearly. If/when I get made redundant, at least there’s a grace period (of apparently a few months) which will allow me to get a new job within that time. So it’s not the end of the world, I just need to find another suitable part time job!

Thanks, @BrumToTheRescue I saw that but what I’m now wondering (on the basis of that rule) is if a couple with one full time worker and one not working or claiming anything - they still get 30 hours? Effectively one adult in the household must work full time (regardless of one or two adult household) in order to get the 30 hours. You would think both would have to be working to qualify to make this situation fair to non-working lone parents.

is if a couple with one full time worker and one not working or claiming anything - they still get 30 hours?

@redalex261 they will still get 30 hours, yes. I’ve posted a screenshot above which lists all the other ways parents get the funded 30 hours

A couple where only one is working (and earning enough to meet the threshold) and the other isn’t working and isn’t in receipt of CA (or another qualifying benefit) does not qualify for 30 hours.

No, they wouldn’t. That poster is asking if they get 30hours is only one is working and the other isn’t and doesn’t receive one of the qualifying benefits.

Oops misread the question, simple mistake to make!

thanks @BrumToTheRescue ! Bloody minefield! 🤪

Just get a new job in time? I don't see why you are waiting to claim benefits when you could be filling that time to get a new job thus making you eligible for the 30 free hours?