Introduction.
Carers' Allowance (CA) is a benefit payable to people who spend more than 35 hours per week caring for someone who is "severely disabled". A severely disabled person is one who is in receipt of either;
Caring is not defined in the regulations although it is described as regular and substantial but there is an expectation that the carer will spend most of the time with the disabled person. The Decision Makers' Guide states that "There may be occasions when the claimant spends some time apart from the Severely Disabled Person (SDP), for example preparing for and clearing up after the SDP’s stay. Any reasonable time spent in these ways can still be counted as time taken in caring for the SDP."
Disability Alliance would also include time spent taking the disabled person to and from the place that they live.
The times spent caring for more than one disabled person cannot be added together. In order to qualify for CA, the carer must spend 35 hours caring for one person.
Caring may take place in a nursing home or residential care setting, the location doesn't matter, what is important is who provides the care and if it is being provided to a severely disabled person.
You can receive CA even if you are in in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance.
The regulations allow carers to take a break and still receive CA. Payment will also be continued to be paid if the disabled person goes into hospital
You will not be granted carers' allowance if-
Rates of payment for carers' allowance.
£50.55 is paid weekly to the carer
An additional £29.05 is paid if the carer has a spouse or civil partner (this is known as the adult dependant's addition).
The adult dependants addition will not be paid if the spouse earns more than £29.05 per week.
For each week that you get CA you will have a National Insurance contribution added to your NI record until you reach 60. This is to safeguard your right to the state pension, incapacity benefit and contribution-based jobseeker'a allowance
Carers' allowance is affected by the overlapping benefits rule which means that receipt of certain other benefits will affect whether or not CA is awarded
If you are awarded Carers' Allowance then you may be entitled to the carer premium (currently worth £27.15 per week) which will be included in the applicable amount for income-based job-seekers' allowance, income support, housing benefit and/or council tax benefit.
If CA is awarded then this will stop the person being cared for from receiving severe disability premium as part of either income support, housing benefit or council tax benefit.
You can apply online for Carers' Allowance or download a claim form at the Directgov site
