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Carers hitting retirement age

ellie_mae

Hi, I am about to find myself in a worrying position.
My best friend has been acting as my carer for 11 years, mostly unpaid out of love for me.
4 years ago ,thanks to a great Disabilty Rights Team, my DLA was revised and I was awarded care component which meant she could apply for carers allowance. This made me feel much better as she had been my unpaid carer for a number of years.
She reaches 65 in November and has already received a letter stating she will no longer receive carers allowance although they expect her to continue caring for me. I don't know what to do, I would feel so indebted to her and will have to sort something out but I really don't know where to turn. It has shocked both of us.9

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Comments

Firefly123

Hi. Yes it's a disgrace. I know a few people who are suffering due to them being of pension age.

poppy123456

HI,

You can't claim carers allowance and pension because they're overlapping benefits. It may still be worth claiming it because it can increase any means-tested benefits you are currently getting or mean you become entitled to means-tested benefits for the first time (depending on your and any partner's income and capital). This is because having the 'underlying entitlement' to Carer's Allowance means that a Carer Addition will be included when working out whether you are entitled to means-tested benefits. The carers element is £36 per week. So in fact it's the same as someone claiming Income related ESA or Income support. They're only £36 per week better off because the carers allowance is always deducted from the benefit you're claiming.

However, may i ask if you live alone, or classed as living alone and do you work or claim ESA Income Related?

poppy123456

Firefly123 said:

Hi. Yes it's a disgrace. I know a few people who are suffering due to them being of pension age.

Why is it a disgrace? Even though they can't claim it, it may mean they're entitled to other benefits that may also increase because of the entitlement to carers allowance. Not always a bad thing.

Firefly123

The woman I know looks after her two disabled grandchildren and Gets no other help now as has her own home and a state pension. If you know of any other help she could get I would be more than happy to pass it on to her.

ellie_mae

My friend has worked from the age of 16, she has a full contribution record and yes she is entitled to her pension, she has worked blummin hard for it but to receive her full pension she loses £68 per week which is in effect penalizing her for being a carer and the arrogant expectation she should carry providing care for me for free. Makes me feel a burden.
Yes I do live alone and receive ESA support allowance and DAL high rate mobility and middle rate care @poppy123456

poppy123456

ellie_mae said:

My friend has worked from the age of 16, she has a full contribution record and yes she is entitled to her pension, she has worked blummin hard for it but to receive her full pension she loses £68 per week which is in effect penalizing her for being a carer and the arrogant expectation she should carry providing care for me for free. Makes me feel a burden.
Yes I do live alone and receive ESA support allowance and DAL high rate mobility and middle rate care @poppy123456

As you live alone then your friend claiming Carers Allowance for looking after you is losing you £64.30 per week from your ESA. If she didn't claim carers allowance for looking after you then you can claim severe disability premium on top of your ESA.

Those claiming pension can not claim carers allowance because both benefits overlap. After being advised about your loss of the SDP payment if you still want her to benefit from the carers allowance then she should see about claiming pension credit on top of her state pension (savings/capital is counted) if she claims pension credit then she will have the carers premium on top of this. This then opens up other possible benefit claims depending on circumstances.

poppy123456

Firefly123 said:

The woman I know looks after her two disabled grandchildren and Gets no other help now as has her own home and a state pension. If you know of any other help she could get I would be more than happy to pass it on to her.

That will totally depend if either of the children claim a disability benefit like DLA mid/high rate care or PIP daily living. You can be disabled and not claim a disability benefit. savings/capital affect all means tested benefits.

ellie_mae

@ poppy123456, she wouldn't be able to claim this as her husband has his own business and is still taking on some commissions post retirement.
If I try to claim SDP now I will immediately be swapped over to universal credit.
No she is not losing me the money, she is genuinely caring for me and does way over the 15 hours minimum seriously this lady and her husband moved house to be closer to me when my conditioned worsened, she is one in a million.
Thank you for that,

poppy123456

To claim carers allowance you need to be looking after that person for at least 35 hours per week and not a minimum of 15 hours. I'm glad you have someone that looks after you but you do still lose the £64.30 from your ESA when someone claims carers allowance for looking after you.

Claiming the SDP will not transfer you over to UC. You need to ring ESA and ask to fill out the IS10 form to claim SDP. It can be backdated to when your friend stopped claiming the carers allowance for looking after you.

ellie_mae

Thanks for that Poppy, I got it the wrong way round, brain fog, yes it is 35 hours, the 15 is the maximum a carer can do paid work.
Her pension will start in November, so will see what the situation is then.
Bless her she is worried that me applying for the SAD premium will affect my other stuff and insists she does not do it for the money but I know that anyway

poppy123456

What other benefits do you claim?

ellie_mae

poppy123456 said:

HI,

You can't claim carers allowance and pension because they're overlapping benefits. It may still be worth claiming it because it can increase any means-tested benefits you are currently getting or mean you become entitled to means-tested benefits for the first time (depending on your and any partner's income and capital). This is because having the 'underlying entitlement' to Carer's Allowance means that a Carer Addition will be included when working out whether you are entitled to means-tested benefits. The carers element is £36 per week. So in fact it's the same as someone claiming Income related ESA or Income support. They're only £36 per week better off because the carers allowance is always deducted from the benefit you're claiming.

However, may i ask if you live alone, or classed as living alone and do you work or claim ESA Income Related?

Hi poppy, yes I live alone, I receive ERA support catogary.
Dal high rate mobility, middle rate care and full housing benefit for my 2 bed home as 2nd bedroom designated for carer.

poppy123456

ellie_mae said:

poppy123456 said:

HI,

You can't claim carers allowance and pension because they're overlapping benefits. It may still be worth claiming it because it can increase any means-tested benefits you are currently getting or mean you become entitled to means-tested benefits for the first time (depending on your and any partner's income and capital). This is because having the 'underlying entitlement' to Carer's Allowance means that a Carer Addition will be included when working out whether you are entitled to means-tested benefits. The carers element is £36 per week. So in fact it's the same as someone claiming Income related ESA or Income support. They're only £36 per week better off because the carers allowance is always deducted from the benefit you're claiming.

However, may i ask if you live alone, or classed as living alone and do you work or claim ESA Income Related?

Hi poppy, yes I live alone, I receive ERA support catogary.
Dal high rate mobility, middle rate care and full housing benefit for my 2 bed home as 2nd bedroom designated for carer.

Hi,

Yes i know you live alone as you already stated that. I answered all your questions in the above posts.