Carers Allowance

YorkshireLass

Hello, my Mother receives Attendance Allowance due to her poor mobility. My Brother is currently signing on, and receiving Universal Credit (income based) once a month. However, he looks after her for more than the required number of hours - it's around 60 per week. I am asking on his behalf. He is worried that if he claims carer's allowance, he will be worse off financially. I understand that no money would be taken from my Mother, but I have no idea how this Universal Credit works? Would he get his money topped up by any other benefit, if he claims carer's allowance? Would he have to make separate claims, if that was the case? Any advice gratefully received, thank you.

BenefitsTrainingCo

If your brother satisfies the rules for claiming Carer's Allowance (e.g. looking after your mother for at least 35 hours a week, not earning more than £116 pw, not being in full time education etc) then claiming CA is a great idea. Even though he is receiving Universal Credit, and CA would be taken into account in full as income, the actual calculation of UC would be expanded to include an extra element for being a carer, called the carer element, which is worth an extra £151.89 per calendar month. Your brother would then be getting benefit from two sources - CA, topped up by UC. Getting CA would also entitle your brother to a Class 1 national insurance credit, which is quite valuable in itself. The other important advantage of claiming CA is that your brother would no longer need to satisfy the jobsearch requirements of being on UC as a jobseeker - he would be exempt from those requirements as the DWP view being a carer on CA as being 'employed'. So - there is no downside for him! The only possible downside for your mother would  be if she lives alone, and claims Guarantee Credit which  has been calculated to include something called the Severe Disability Addition. If your brother was to claim CA, then the Severe Disability Addition in your mother's Guarantee Credit would have to stop.
Your brother can talk to the helpline at Carers UK, on 0808 808 7777. He can also find out more, and claim CA online, on the DWP's own website pages: https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/how-to-claim. This is definitely an idea which could be the best solution for both of them. I hope this helps!
Jayne

YorkshireLass

Thank you so much for this information. I will pass it onto him!