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Carers - Financial Help

Financial help

Carers are entitled to Carers Allowance and could also be entitled to other benefits from the government.

The benefits system is complicated. Claiming can be difficult and time-consuming. If you are not sure whether you can claim, get advice from your local Citizens' Advice Bureau, a disability organisation, a carers' project, the Pension Service or the Royal Borough Benefits Advice Team.

Below are the main benefits for carers and the people you look after:

Carer's Allowance

Carer's Allowance is the main state benefit for carers so it's important to find out if you can receive it. To qualify you need to meet all the rules. Please check each of the rules carefully as they are quite complicated:

you must be 16 years old or over
you must look after someone for at least 35 hours a week
the person you look after must receive a qualifying disability benefit
if you work there is a limit on the amount that you can earn
you must not get one of a list of other benefits
you must be living in the UK when you claim Carer's Allowance
you must not be a full-time student

You may also be able to get the Carer Premium - an extra amount of money included in the calculation of Income Support, income-based Job Seekers' Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. An amount equivalent to the Carer Premium is used to calculate Pension Credit.

How to claim

If you meet the criteria, you can make a claim by filling in a claim pack DS700. Get this from:

the local Jobcentre Plus office
the Benefits Enquiry Line on Tel: 0800 88 2200
you can also claim online at www.direct.gov.uk/carers

It can take several weeks before you receive a decision in writing. If you are told that you don't qualify for Carer's Allowance, you have one month from the date on the letter in which to appeal. If you can't get Carer's Allowance because you already get another benefit, you could still get the Carer Premium

Income Support / Pension Credit

Income Support is for people under 60 with no income or income below a minimum level, called the applicable amount. This is set by the government and the applicable amount varies with your circumstances. Premiums are added on the basis of your circumstances and the applicable amount can also include an amount to help with housing costs. If you pay rent and/or council tax, see below.

If you are over 60, you may be able to get Pension Credit. This is comprised of a Guarantee Credit, calculated in a similar way to Income Support and it includes an extra element called the Savings Credit. It is applicable if you or your partner are over 65 and have qualifying income above your savings credit threshold

Who can claim Income Support?

those who are not in paid work or those working for less than 16 hours a week (if you have a partner, they must work less than 24 hours a week)
most people who do not work must look for work to get benefit and claim Jobseeker's Allowance. Some people are not expected to look for work and can claim Income Support instead
single parents, carers and people who are ill or have a disability benefit can claim
some carers can claim Income Support without limiting the number of hours that they work. Both your income and savings will be taken into account if you claim Income Support.
people with limited savings may receive a reduced level of benefit

Who can claim Pension credit?

For details on who can claim Pension Credit contact the Pension Service on Tel: 0800 99 1234

How to claim

To apply for Income Support, contact your local social security office. The contact details will be in your local telephone directory. To apply for Pension Credit contact the Pension Service on Tel: 0800 99 1234

National Insurance Credits/Home Responsibilities Protection

National Insurance Credits

You receive a National Insurance Contribution Credit for each week you receive Carer's Allowance. The credit protects your right to a Retirement Pension and may help you qualify for Incapacity Benefit or Jobseekers Allowance.

Receipt of Carer's Allowance can help you satisfy the conditions for State Second Pension.

Home Responsibilities Protection

If you cannot get a contribution credit, you may be able to get Home Responsibilities Protection. This helps you meet the contribution conditions for Retirement Pension and the State Second Pension. If you claim Income Support as a carer, you will receive the protection automatically. You also get automatic protection for Retirement Pension if you receive Child Benefit for a child under 16, and for State Second Pension if you receive Child Benefit for a child under 6.

Otherwise, you can apply for the protection for each tax year when:

you look after someone for at least 35 hours a week
the person you look after gets the care component of Disability Living Allowance at the middle or higher rate or Attendance Allowance
you looked after the person for at least 48 weeks of the tax year.
you must apply for the protection within 3 years of the end of the tax year.

How to claim

To claim the protection, contact your local Inland Revenue office.

Disability Living Allowance

This is a benefit for disabled people who claim before their 65th birthday and find it difficult to care for themselves. This might be because they:

need help to cook, or find things like dressing or washing very difficult
need someone to keep an eye on them to make sure that they are safe
have a terminal illness
have problems walking when out of doors

There are two parts to the benefit:

a care component
a mobility component

Getting the middle or highest rate of the care component may mean that you qualify for Carer's Allowance.

Getting the higher rate of the mobility component can mean that the person you look after can get a blue badge for their car from Social Services and exemption from road tax from the Disability Benefits Unit. Call them on Tel: 0845 712 3456.

The care component is paid at one of three rates. There is no lower age-limit, unless the benefit is paid because you're unable to cook (the age-limit for this is 16 years).

The mobility component is for people who because of their illness or disability have difficulties walking. It is paid at one of two rates.

The higher rate can be paid from the age of three; the lower rate from the age of five.

Rules for application

You must claim the benefit before your 65th birthday. If you are 65 or over, then you may be able to claim Attendance Allowance.

You must have had the problems you describe for at least three months and be likely to have them for the next six months (unless you have a terminal illness, when benefit can be paid immediately).

You must claim before your 65th birthday, but can continue to be paid after you reach 65. You can get the benefit regardless of other income, savings or benefits.

If you get Disability Living Allowance, you may qualify for more Income Support, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.

How to claim

Call the Department of Work and Pensions enquiry line for carers and disabled people on Tel: 0800 88 2200.

Attendance Allowance

This is a benefit for disabled people aged 65 or over, who find it difficult to care for themselves. If you are under 65, you should claim Disability Living Allowance.

You can get Attendance Allowance if you find things like dressing and washing very difficult, if you need someone to make sure that you are safe, or you have a terminal illness.

The benefit is paid at one of two rates:

the lower rate is for people who have difficulties either during the day or at night
the higher rate is for people who have difficulties both during the day and at night

To get the benefit, you must have had these difficulties for at least six months (unless you have a terminal illness, when the benefit is paid immediately).

The benefit is paid whatever your income, savings or other benefits. Getting the benefit can also mean you receive extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
Getting this benefit may mean that your carer can apply for Carer's Allowance

How to claim

To apply for Attendance Allowance, Tel: 0800 88 2200 and ask for the form DS2.

Employment and Support Allowance / Incapacity Benefit

For people who couldn't work because of illness or disability before 26 October 2008 a claim could be made for Incapacity Benefit. If you are already receiving Incapacity Benefit you will continue to receive it after the changes come into effect..

Employment and Support Allowance ("ESA") has been introduced from 27 October 2008.
It has replaced Incapacity benefit and Income Support paid because of an illness or disability, for new claimants only.

ESA offers personalised support and financial help so that you can engage in appropriate work if you are able. It give access to a specially trained personal adviser and a wide range of further services including employment, training and condition management support, to help you manage and cope with your illness or diability in a work context.

You may be able to claim ESA if you have an illness or disability that affects your work, and you:

are over 16 and under State Pension age, and
are unemployed, or
self-employed, or
work for an employer but cannot get Statutory Sick Pay, or
wave been getting Statutory Sick Pay but it has now stopped

ESA consists of two phases, the assessment phase and the main phase.

For the first 3 days of your claim you will not receive any money, these are called waiting days. The assessment phase rate is then paid for the first 13 weeks of your claim while a decision is made on your capability for work through the Work Capability Assessment.

The main phase rate starts from week 14 of your claim, if the Work Capability Assessment shows that your illness or disability does limit your ability to work.

There are two groups within the main phase:

Work Related Activity Group
If you are placed in this group you will be expected to take part in work focused interviews with your personal adviser and will have access to a range of support to help you prepare for suitable work. In return you will receive a work related activity component in addition to your basic rate. If you refuse to take part in work-focused interviews this may affect your benefit.

Support Group
If your illness, disability has a severe effect on your ability to work, you will not be expected to take part in any workrelated activity, but you can do so on a voluntary basis if you want to. You will receive a support component in addition to your basic rate.

What is the Work Capability Assessment?
As part of this assessment a healthcare professional approved by the Department for Work & Pensions may recommend that you attend a medical assessment. You may also be asked to take part in a Work-focused Health Related Assessment.

Helping you into work, if you are able
If you are in the work related activity group, you will regularly see your personal adviser who will give you help and advice with:

your job goals
your skills, strengths and abilities
steps you can take to find suitable work
your ideas, problems and any other work related issues you want to talk about

To claim ESA Tel: 0800 055 6688 (8.00am-6.00pm, Mon-Fri)

Working Tax Credit

This is for people who are in work. Usually you must be over 25 and work for at least 30 hours a week.

You can get Working Tax Credit if you work 16 hours a week or more and are aged:

· 16 or over and responsible for a child
· 16 or over and disabled
· 50 or over and returning to work after receiving specified benefits

The amount you get depends on your income and personal circumstances.

How to claim

To claim the tax credits and for more information, contact the Inland Revenue's helpline on Tel: 0845 300 3900.

Child Tax Credit

This is for people looking after a child under 16 (or under 19 in education). The amount you get depends on your income and personal circumstances. You may get extra credit if you have a disabled child.

Single people and couples who are responsible for a child are likely to qualify for the credit if they have an annual taxable income below a set level. This income limit may be higher if you have a child under 1 year. Child maintenance is not counted as part of your income.

How to claim

To claim the tax credits and for more information, contact the Inland Revenue's helpline on Tel: 0845 300 3900.

Health Benefits

You may be able to get help with:

milk and vitamins for pregnant women and young children
prescriptions charges
dental charges
eye tests and the costs of glasses
help with fares to visit hospital
costs of NHS wigs and fabric supports

Sometimes people can get help because of their age, or because they have a specific medical condition. Others will get help if their income and capital are low enough

How to claim

To claim help if you have a low income, ask for form HCI from the Jobcentre office.

Social Fund

The Social Fund helps people to pay for one-off expenses. It includes:

Funeral payments
Winter fuel payments (help people over 60 meet extra heating costs each winter) - see below for more information
Cold weather payments (for people in receipt of specific benefits during cold weather spells)
Maternity expenses
Grants for people getting Pension Credit, Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance - helping them stay in the community rather than residential care, to set up home after being homeless, to ease pressures on their family or to visit someone who is ill or in prison
Loans for people getting Pension Credit, Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance - to help them buy things like furniture
Loans if you need money urgently. e.g. if you lose your weekly benefit money

How to claim

Contact your local Job Centre office for more information about social fund payments.

Council Tax

Council Tax Benefit

This benefit helps people to pay their Council Tax. The amount you get depends upon who is in your family and the level of your Council Tax. Both your income and your savings are taken into account. You cannot claim if your savings are more than a set amount, unless you get Pension Credit.

If you receive Carer's Allowance, you may be able to get extra help paying your Council Tax through a Carer Premium.

Council Tax Reductions

You may be able to get reductions to your Council Tax which don't depend on your income or savings. For instance, the tax may be reduced if your home is adapted for a disabled person, if the person you are caring for is severely mentally impaired (i.e. has Alzheimer's Disease or dementia) or if a carer or paid care worker lives there.

Council Tax discount for carers

To qualify for this 25% discount you must provide care for at least 35 hours a week and:

Live with the person you are caring for
Not be the partner of the person you care for, or their parent if you care for a child under 18
Care for someone who receives either the highest rate of the care component of disability living allowance OR the higher rate of attendance allowance or constant attendance allowance

Please note:
You don't have to claim Carer's Allowance to qualify for this discount. If there is more than one carer in the property, each carer might qualify for a discount. The carer's council tax discount can be backdated, so long as you met the conditions above in previous years.
To apply for this, contact the local council tax office on Tel: 01628 796036.

Housing Benefit

This benefit helps people on a low income pay their rent. The amount you get will depend on who is in your family and the level of your rent. Your income and your savings are taken into account. You cannot claim if your savings are more than a set amount, unless you receive Pension Credit.

If you receive Carer's Allowance, you may be able to get extra help paying your rent through the Carer Premium.

How to claim

You can get a claim form from the Housing Benefit department of the local council on Tel: 01628 796036.

Jobseeker's Allowance

This is paid to people under state pension age (60 for women or 65 for men). They must be unemployed or work part-time and are expected to look for full-time work.

Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

People claiming this benefit have to show what steps they are taking to find work.
Both your income and savings will be taken into account if you claim this benefit.
People 60 or over should claim Pension Credit instead.

Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance

Jobseeker's Allowance may contain an element based on previous National Insurance contributions. It is paid at a flat rate (depending on your age) for up to 28 weeks. It is not affected by your savings. It is reduced by earnings and private pensions, but unaffected by other income or savings.

How to claim

To apply for Jobseeker's Allowance contact your local Job Centre on Tel: 01628 844900 or Freephone: 0800 055 6688.