Carer paid monthly doesn,t qualify for certain months ?

[Deleted User]

Why doesn't,t my partner , who cares for me, now been told that because she's paid monthly, won,t receive carers allowance on certain months, because monthly is sometimes 4weeks 3 days etc? If she were paid weekly she,d get it EVERY month!!! We can't understand why? If it's worked out 52 weeks in a year , what difference does it make? Her part time wages stay the same!! Whether paid monthly or weekly!
Nothing has changed since she received it last year?
Have the carers allowance got it wrong or have the government moved the goalposts? Thank you. Alan.

[Deleted User]

Yes , Christine my girlfriend phoned them up and that's what they told her? Can anyone clarify if she gets paid monthly she loses out as some months are longer than others? Weekly is OK?  We don't get it at all?

chiarieds

Hi @givingup - I've just looked on the government's website, &, as you've mentioned it can be paid weekly in advance, or every 4 weeks. Yes, the approx. average of a month is about 4 weeks 3 days, so I reckon if a monthly criteria is being used, then there would be 12 payments a year (but the amount should be increased). If it's every 4 weeks, which is stated, then 13 payments a year. Many benefits are paid every 4 weeks, but if they're now saying it's monthly, then only one payment a year would be lost, but the other months should have a slightly higher rate. Either way, the annual amount I would have thought should stay the same.

See: https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance

I don't know enough, & am puzzled, so I'll ask one of the Scope team for their help. @Adrian_Scope or @Chloe_Scope please would you advise here, thank you.

[Deleted User]

Will do. Thank you

Chloe_Scope

Hi @givingup, are you still having a problem with this?

[Deleted User]

Hi Chloe, yes, my partner got the first two months paid but know she hasn't received anything for over 6 weeks!
Government website says one thing but in reality it's a different matter!

[Deleted User]

I'm having to lend her money which is a drain on my finances! It's crazy.

poppy123456

Hi,

It depends what your partner asked for when they first claimed. It's either paid weekly, 4 weekly or 13 weeks. I claim carers allowance and it's paid every 4 weeks for me because that's what i asked for.

[Deleted User]

Because she is paid monthly she told them she told them weekly which she received until I got moved from dla to pips and wasn't awarded pips for 4 1/2 months until dwp changed there minds after appeals etc.
They back paid those 41/2 months and her first 2 months but now nothing for over 6 weeks!
They said she couldn't be paid weekly and it would have to be monthly?
She phoned carers allowance direct and they kept saying the same!?
We don't understand what's going on and why they just said monthly after paying it weekly before??!!!!!!

poppy123456

It's not paid monthly, it's 4 weekly which is more often than monthly. I'd advise her to ring carers allowance and speak to them because only they can tell her what's going on.

May i ask what was the date of her last payment?

[Deleted User]

Don't think carers allowance know themselves to be honest?
Last payment was 2ND June.
They keep saying because she's works 2 half days a week she is what they call an irregular earner because she gets paid monthly!!!??

poppy123456

You're classed as an irrgular earner if you're earnings fluctuate each month. If she works the same hours all the time then this isn't an irregualr earner.

[Deleted User]

Try telling the carers allowance that. Therein is the problem. 
They don't seem to understand the obvious.

poppy123456

Sending in her payslips will help, if she hasn't already done that.

[Deleted User]

Thank you. But she did that twice.

poppy123456

Then she'll need to ring them again and ask exactly what's going on. We can really only guess here and having been through everything i can think i have no further ideas.

[Deleted User]

I know, she'll ring them and I'll let you know what they say. But it's not helping my anxiety state the way carers allowance are messing about. I thought things were settled at last.

[Deleted User]

She tried to phone today but there only open between 10am to 2pm and she couldn't get through! 
Trying again tomorrow but I feel once again disabled people are being let down?
It's now actually 7 weeks since she got anything from them!!!

poppy123456

The only thing i can think of is that her hours are not the same every week/month which will mean she's an irregular earner.

[Deleted User]

Her hours are the same week in week out

poppy123456

Then i really have no idea what the problem is. i must admit, i've claimed carers allowance for just over 2 years and never had any problem. Money goes into my bank every 4 weeks without fail. I hope you get it sorted soon.