Can you get Carers Allowance and Carers element?

[Lemonandlime79]

I'm not sure which one to apply for or if I am entitled to both at the same time?
If I have to choose one of them then I'm not sure which one I will be better off choosing?
The Carers Allowance will only let me earn a certain amount and if I earn over it then I'm not entitled to it anymore. This doesn't seem to be the case with Carers Element and nothing gets deducted from it.
Also Carers element seems to be around £40 per week whereas Carers Allowance is around £83 per week. I also get National Insurance contributions with Carers Allowance and not sure if I get this with Carers Element.
A bit of context, my son has started to receive DLA and I also would like to go back to work so not sure which of these to apply for or if I can get both.

Is this for Universal credit? If so you will get both so the carer element will be added to your UC but the carers allowance will be deducted from your UC. Either way you get the same amount monthly.

If your earnings are too high just claim the carer element and they will top up your UC.

If your earnings are under the carer’s allowance earning threshold, you can get both carer’s allowance and the UC carer element. Carer’s allowance will be deducted from your UC claim £ for £ but it is still worth claiming carer’s allowance for the better national insurance credits carer’s allowance gives compared to UC.

If your earnings after the allowable deductions/expenses are over the carer’s allowance threshold, you can still get the carer element of UC.

@BessieSurtees thanks for your reply, how does that work? If I earn over the Carers Allowance threshold , will I automatically get Carers Element for that week ?Or do I have to write in my journal that I have earned over the Carers Allowance amount and therefore haven't received it and ask for the Carers Element. I'm finding it all so confusing. I will also likely get paid monthly so this will make it even more complex.
I just don't want to be less better off if I have to choose one of them.

The carer element isn’t automatic. You have to report a change to UC. But you do that once and don’t need to declare it again (unless asked to redeclare it) even if your earnings go above the carer allowance threshold.