Question about carers' allowance - I'm really confused

[sprigatito]

I'm in the process of moving my 85yo dad in with us, we lost his partner to cancer yesterday and he has Alzheimer's, it's not severe yet but I don't think he can live alone. We are struggling financially, DH's company has just gone into liquidation and we don't know whether he will still have a job next month. I'm looking into carers' allowance and I'm really bamboozled - it says it's not means tested, but it also says you can't claim it if you earn more than £139 a week? I don't understand it. I don't usually earn more than that, I do a bit of proofreading and editing work which sometimes exceeds that, but sometimes I don't get any work for weeks.

Sorry if I'm being thick, I've just spent several days at my lovely stepmum's bedside and I feel like I'm drowning right now.

https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/financial-support/carers-allowance/carer-s-allowance-and-the-earnings-limit/#:~:text=Known%20as%20the%20main%20benefit,the%20conditions%20to%20claim%20it.

Some information here with "there is no regular pattern to my earnings".

Thank you, I'll read through that now. I don't understand how they can say it isn't means tested if it excludes anyone who is earning £139 a week, which is not enough for anyone to live on

I probably need to just park this for now. I keep bursting into tears.

I'm sorry that you're having an upsetting time.

Does your dad get attendance allowance? That is not means tested and if he doesn't already get it, I'd apply for that first.

There has been a lot on the news recently about people "earning too much" whilst claiming carer's allowance; I think you would be best to take advice on this when your head feels a bit clearer.

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/carers-allowance/

These people are great - and if you are still unsure the you just ring their helpline. Good luck.

I agree with pp that attendance allowance is the first thing to apply for, ring up & then the claim is backdated to when they send the form out. It is soul destroying filling in the form tbh because you have to say how bad they are & how much you do but it's necessary.

Age Concern had some useful information for anyone applying x

Sorry you're having to cope with all of this. Carer's allowance isn't means tested in the sense that it doesn't matter how high your savings are. But there is an earnings limit and if you go even one penny over it, you lose the money for that week.

Thank you for the replies and links, this is really helpful. I thought attendance allowance was paid to the elderly person, rather than the carer though?

Attendance allowance is paid to the elderly person but it is for them to pay for care needed or extra costs such as taxis for appointments, so he could pay you. Carers allowance is only paid if someone requires 35 hrs of care a week ( if I remember rightly) so the restriction on how much your allowed to earn kind of corresponds with that. Don't be tempted to earn more as I read some article this week about authorities calling for someone to repay thousands who had only earned a few pence over the limit accidentally.