Entitlement to Carers allowance

vicky123

Hello, a friend is on esa and pip benefit and now needs help in shopping cooking showering and medication help.  She lives as a private tenant and gets a housing benefit, in a 1 bedroom house  the person who cares for her find it hard to go back and forth to look after her,   if she moves into a 2 bedroom flat would she still be entitled to Housing benefit for both rooms as the Carer could sleep there and look after her, as 1 bedroom is not ideal for both?  Also would the person caring for her qualify for being her Carer and in his own right get Carers benefit?  He has no job at present as it’s hard to juggle and she needs help and has nobody else, but is worried if she gets a house or flat with 2 rooms would she qualify for full benefit or is her entitlement only for 1?  As He will have no other income and do you have to be related to them? As they were in a relationship years ago but now just friends, as her children don’t help her anymore
Please advise 

vicky123

No she doesn’t  but as she needs a lot of care with everyday things wants to know if her Carer can live with her and if she’s entitled to a 2 bedroom from the council? 

vicky123

I will thanks but do you know if the person looking  after my friend can receive Carers allowance 

Adrian_Scope

Hello @vicky123.
If your friend is receiving housing benefit, income-related ESA and PIP and currently lives alone, it is very likely she will be receiving SDP (this is not a separate benefit but paid within something like her ESA, it's worth £66.95 a week). If she isn't currently receiving it she should be so should enquire.

The reason @Woodbine is asking is because if her carer claims Carer's Allowance she will lose the SDP. So she'll lose £66.95 a week from her income. 

If they move in together or she needs an extra bedroom for overnight care, she can request a 2 bed LHA rate but this has to be approved by the council issuing housing benefit.

If he were to move in with her fulltime she'd lose the SDP premium and if they were to move to a different council authority it would prompt a change to UC.

It's quite a complicated situation so I'd recommend your friend seeking advice from a welfare agency which can go through the different scenarios with them and calculate what each of them would be entitled to in the various situations.

vicky123

I asked she said she isn’t receiving it as she was living with her daughter but as she’s moving out this was the only option for. To have him move in and start being a full time Carer. She’s not on Universal Credit but still on the old system. So if I’m correct she has to move to a 2 bed flat in the same borough? Then he can claim Carers allowance?   As long as she is entitled to 2 rooms.    

vicky123

Another question is if after applying would moving over to Universal Credit be worse off?  Sorry am new to this and finding out the best route for her

vicky123

She gets ESA income based with support allowance, PIP both mobility and for her mental health the standard rate plus housing benefit her daughter lived with her in 1 bed flat but now daughter is moving out and going away with her job this friend is her only option but he will need his own room. So would he qualify for Carers allowance to look after her, and what would he need to show, plus can she get flat with 2 bedrooms and still get full housing benefit that will cover her? 

Thanks