Careers Allowance

[Plum92]

everyone. I’m new to mumsnet. I was just wondering if someone can help me please. I was receiving lower rate care for my son since last April. I made a new claim and from the 28th of this month I’ll be receiving middle rate care for him. I had a look at the career allowance form. I put the 28th as claim date. I’m confused at the next part asking ‘Were you providing care for the person for more than 35 hours a week before this date’ cause obviously I was but I don’t know what to put. Would it be no as he wasn’t entitled to middle rate before the 28th? If someone could help me please that would be amazing. Thank you 😊

The Carers' Allowance is just one rate, regardless of what rate DLA your child is on. So the answer is yes if you were providing care for more than 35 hours.

Thank you for your reply 😊 Ok I just wasn’t sure. What would be the date I put care before this date? Would it be when I made the claim for dla or? Sorry it’s just confusing the life out of me lol

Yes put the date he started getting DLA.

You need to put the date the new DLA claim began. Not the date DS started receiving low rate care, because you weren't eligible for Carer's Allowance then.

I would spend an age in the queue phone DWP about how to answer the previous care question. You were caring for someone for more than 35 hours, but I presume the question is there to assess whether you are eligible for Carer's Allowance backdating, which you aren't, so I suspect they want you to answer no.

What ever date you put they will backdate it from the date you received middle rate dla not before (I put 4 years previous) xxx