There surely isn’t any truth in this - UC and carers allowance related

[Triflepup]

I currently receive CA for one dc and therefore have no work commitments on UC. Had a ‘friend’ round today who knows our situation but just kept going on how hard it’s been for her finding holiday childcare and how I should be worried as she’s heard that soon being in receipt of carers allowance wont mean no work commitments?? She actually said to me ‘well you have to admit you have all day everyday when he’s at school and every evening and weekend your dh is here!’

She has no idea but it’s got me worried surely that wouldn’t happen?

This is absolutely right. She sounds like a judgy cow. You did well not to get drawn into justifying yourself

I'd be tempted to ask if she'll swap places. Probably won't last long!

@TomatoSandwiches I get carers allowance. I'm pretty certain we do get pension credits while claiming it 🙂
(But yeah ..... everything else we don't get 🙁)

Is she a personal friend of Rachel Reeves or something? No, I thought not. Have seen no mention of it and I would regard it all as nonsense until you hear it from a better source. She sounds entitled and unpleasant. I'd distance yourself.

@Needmorelego you won't get pension credit because you can't claim CA once you reach pension age afaik

Exactly this. The government get a bloody good deal out of carers. I have heard rumours about benefits shake up but nothing specifically about carers allowance. I think I read something about LCWRA but we'll just have to wait and see what RR has up her sleeve.

And also, what are we supposed to do in the school holidays? I'm lucky as I have a very flexible job and I'm not a single parent, so I can work school days in term time and evenings/weekends (when DH is off) in the holidays. But otherwise I can't use holiday clubs, no childminder would take my children... (I'm in rural Scotland so very few options). People always seem to forget school holidays when saying parents of disabled children "should"/could work.

Carers allowance is a disgrace, I cannot understand how its legal and governments havent been taken to court. It would be illegal to pay this to someone doing the job.

Ffs something else to worry about as if it's not hard enough to claim pip and DLA the government have a good deal out of me not only do I officially care for my child (HRC DLA) but I unofficially care for my father I've unofficially helped care for a friend (even if it was just getting her carers sorted and doing shopping paying bills etc) I'm fully able to step in and sort out people at a moments notice all for £80 a week if I was working I would need after school care for ds but I wouldn't be entitled to it because he is 12 which means I'm screwed actually so this is bloody worrying plus my dad would need carers at the cost of the government my friend wouldn't she died but fml this would be an unfathomable mess

I'm not going to sleep even more tonight

I care for both of my dc, but can only claim for one carers allowance. I don't work, but both dc are in school. My mental health is in tatters, my physical health is going down the drain now, but i am trying my best for my dc. I put them first and look after me last.
I feel judged all the time.

OP, your friend is mean x

Sounds like she was angry and taking it out on you by saying something nasty.

Having carers on UC and carers allowance is a lot cheaper for the government then actually payimg for the level of care needed. A lot of carers are burnt out and barley existing. I've had a handful of days in the last 6 months when I haven't had at least one of my DC in my care and they all theoretically go to school full time and their care needs are nowhere near as high as many. Wrap around childcare or any sort of babysitter isn't an option and the only person I can reliably leave them with is my abusive ex. Even if they'd accept someone else providing care I'd be worried that person would get injured and if I tried to put them in wrap around care there'd be someone posting on MN about how they had a meltdown or hit out. Doesn't stop people from bitching about not having to work as if I'm living the high life rather than barley existing and struggling to hold it all together from lack of sleep and 24/7 children.

I used to have 'friends' like this. Get rid of her, the silly cow.

Yes, but the government seem set on getting people with no work requirements into employed work - which they’re no longer doing currently - hence having no WORK requirements.

I disagree with their stance.

This person is not your friend. Caring is hard, physically and emotionally. How dare she treat you like that just because she's incapable of organising herself. Friends lift each other up.

@Davros I meant I think you get credits while claiming it - the same as if you claim Child Benefit and you aren't working you get Pension Credits until your child is 12 to make up for your missing years.
I'm going to the double check....

@Davros @TomatoSandwiches sorry it's National Insurance Credits you get. I had the wrong name. You get NI credits for the years you claim Carers allowance and they go towards your state pension.
So that's..... something.
I am grateful every day to receive Carers Allowance...but in the big scheme of things the amount of £££ is barely anything.

I don't get carer's as I get a widow's pension, it's not enough to live off though & there isn't anyone else to pay for anything. However I was lucky enough to be able to work from home (SE) around my child's needs. They are adult now but not sure what I'll do if they come after the LCWRA as I still constantly juggle my work with their needs & it affects the amount I can work.
The amount we get for caring for our own & the amount we actually save the state is ridiculous. My child will never live independently

I’m wondering if she’s just heard a lot about those with no work commitments and assumed it would include carers? But even as a mistake her tone was unpleasant

'well you have to admit you have all day everyday when he’s at school and every evening and weekend your dh is here!'

^^^ said friend sounds like a witch. People don't understand that full time carers struggle to work due to NO appropriate wrap around/school holiday childcare.

She’s being judgmental because you can’t look after her kid, if you could, she would be as nice as pie. Urgh, I would have to have a strong word with this entitled, petty, cf.

I know you mean well with your comment and I 100% agree the friend is a twat but I just wanted to (gently) correct a misconception.

Disabled doesn't equal unhealthy or even unwell.

My DC is disabled and is healthy, fit and well. They have lots of appointments but currently these are for things like dentistry as one of their conditions affects their teeth/shape of their jaw, physiotherapy gym as they want to join a real gym but need to learn how to do it safely first, paediatrics because they were a bit shorter than they should have been so their height is being monitored, OT because we're doing work to improve their fine motor skills. It's a lot of appointments but they're not "sick".

I also wouldn't exchange my DC for anything. The disabilities are hard sometimes, I have two of the same conditions so I understand, but it's our usual so we don't know any other way. My conditions are an intrinsic part of me and indivisible, I wouldn't be the same person without it and when people say things like they wish they could take it away, it makes me feel devalued as a person because it implies I'm not good enough or that I'm a problem that needs to be fixed in order to be of worth.

I don't speak for all disabled people but it is a common rant within a lot of communities.

Oh I used to get this crap off friends and relatives for a time when my dd was younger. I was claiming carers and couldn't work. The amount of times dd would be sent home early, the endless appointments, therapy and not to mention I was functioning on very very little sleep!. I'd get snippy little comments about being a lady of leisure!.

But what really used to piss me off is that I'd actually of loved to be back at work but where do people think my dd could have gone for childcare? Are there even childminders or nurseries that are medically trained and able to care for disabled children?. I never found one!.

@Needmorelego that makes sense. When I checked my pension situation last year, it had been added for the years I didn't work but claimed CA. My understanding is that it will be added for people who don't work to look after kids up to when they hit 12 years old and I think longer if the child is disabled, regardless of CA. I didn't look further into how old a disabled child has to be or other conditions as mine was all there

You can only care carer's allowance for one, regardless of the number of people you can for. You can get 2 x £81.90 a week

Sorry typo,you CANNOT claim for multiple people you care for. I