carer's enquire

northview03

Hello i'm in receipt of pip lower rate . i've recently been been told i have Fibromyalgia by my GP. my husband put a claim in for carer's allowance is it right we were told he could not claim it as he is on state pension ? and is it worth me trying to put in for higher rate pip or waiting for my claim to be renewed ?

Ami2301

Hi @northview03 I have found some information which may be of use

While there is no upper age limit for claiming Carer's Allowance, you cannot receive the full amount of both Carer's Allowance and your State Pension at the same time. This is because Carer's Allowance and State Pensions are classed as 'overlapping benefits'. However, you might still be able to get some extra money in recognition of your caring role.

If your State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance (less than £64.60 per week) you can get the difference paid in Carer's Allowance. For example, if your State Pension is £50 per week you can get £14.60 per week in Carer's Allowance.

If your State Pension is more than Carer's Allowance (more than £64.60 per week) you cannot be paid any Carer's Allowance. However it might still be worth claiming, as you can still get an 'underlying entitlement' to Carer's Allowance. Whilst this is not financially beneficial itself, 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.

Ami2301

Are you due your review soon?

BenefitsTrainingCo

northview03,

Hi there, that is correct, you can't get carer's allowance at the same time as retirement pension. You'd get whichever is worth more, which is usually retirement pension.
However, claiming carer's allowance and not getting it can sometimes be useful. That is because if you get pension credit, you've got more chance of getting it, or getting more of it. If you are a mixed age couple (you are below pension age), I would particularly recommend claiming pension credit before 15th May, as you may not be able to get it after that. Your partner would need to make the claim as he's the one over pension age, and he should tell them he has claimed carer's allowance.

As regards your rate of PIP, there is no point asking for a supersession (a change to the enhanced rate) unless you need more help with daily living and/or you have more problems with mobility, and your need for more help has lasted for at least three months. Getting the diagnosis doesn't mean you are entitled to a higher rate. But it may indicate that you have been experiencing more difficulty doing things and/or getting around, in which case you could ask.

Bear in mind that if you ask for your PIP to be increased you will almost certainly have to have another medical. As Ami2301 suggests, if your review is coming up soon anyway, you might prefer to leave it. It really is up to you.

I think a benefit check to look at whether you can get other help like pension credit and/or housing benefit and council tax reduction would be worth doing if you haven't already got these things. If your husband already gets pension credit, then he should claim carer's allowance and make sure he tells the Pension Service, as it will increase the amount.

Will

twonker

Some sensible advice, but a word of warning, Carers Allowance should not be claimed as a matter of course. For those that are awarded PIP/DLA  and claim Carers Allowance be extra careful that in doing so it does not contradict the reason why you are claiming a disability based benefit 

As a simple example, if you claim PIP mobility on the basis that you cannot walk more than 20 metres how would that fit in with caring for someone who is wheelchair bound and you have to push it around everywhere.