Unpaid Carer's Support Grant

Wibbles
Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 3,040 Championing
edited March 2023 in Benefits and income
Unpaid Carers in Ireland receive a grant of £1850 for every person that they care for, once a year - this is non taxable - this is for partners/spouses also
The carer must be....
  • Aged 16 or over
  • Ordinarily resident in Ireland
  • Caring for the person on a full-time basis
  • Caring for the person for at least 6 months - this period must include the first Thursday in June
  • Living with the person being cared for (or if you do not live with them, they must be able to contact you quickly and directly, for example by phone or alarm)
Even Unpaid Scottish carers receive a 6 monthly "Carers Allowance Supplement" of £245, although this is taxable and may affect other benefits.
Wales recognises unpaid carers with a one off £500 payment

I think that unpaid carers in England get a bum deal and should receive a similar benefit
Yes - certain charities do offer similar - but this SHOULD be automatic and come from central government.
What does the forum think ?


«1

Comments

  • Hannah_Alumni
    Hannah_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,866 Championing
    I think Carer's definitely deserve more. I also think there should be something in place for young carers or to limit the number of young carers. 
  • 2oldcodgers
    2oldcodgers Posts: 739 Connected
    Maybe England is more careful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     
  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 3,040 Championing
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
  • AngelicaPickles
    AngelicaPickles Online Community Member Posts: 7 Connected
    edited March 2023
       
  • 2oldcodgers
    2oldcodgers Posts: 739 Connected
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
    That's a very interesting question.
  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 3,040 Championing
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
    That's a very interesting question.

    Don't know about Ireland but I can't see any more checks being carried out in Wales or Scotland
  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,415 Championing
    That's so unfair because we are a group of countries so we should be entitled to the same things. 
  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 3,040 Championing
    durhamjaide2001 said:
    That's so unfair because we are a group of countries so we should be entitled to the same things. 
    We definitely should be.. 
  • 2oldcodgers
    2oldcodgers Posts: 739 Connected
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
    That's a very interesting question.

    Don't know about Ireland but I can't see any more checks being carried out in Wales or Scotland
    So the DWP have just to accept the applicants word for it? Recipe for disaster as well as fraud,
  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 3,040 Championing
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
    That's a very interesting question.

    Don't know about Ireland but I can't see any more checks being carried out in Wales or Scotland
    So the DWP have just to accept the applicants word for it? Recipe for disaster as well as fraud,

    You couldn't claim that is the case with carers allowance anyway
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,456 Championing
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
    That's a very interesting question.

    Don't know about Ireland but I can't see any more checks being carried out in Wales or Scotland
    So the DWP have just to accept the applicants word for it? Recipe for disaster as well as fraud,

    You couldn't claim that is the case with carers allowance anyway
    No checks are made on whether the person caring actually cares for the disabled person the for minimum of 35 hours/week. 
    Although lots of people very likely spend double that time caring! 
  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 3,040 Championing
    poppy123456 said:
    Wibblesdsaid:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
    That's a very interesting question.

    Don't know about Ireland but I can't see any more checks being carried out in Wales or Scotland
    So the DWP have just to accept the applicants word for it? Recipe for disaster as well as fraud,

    You couldn't claim that is the case with carers allowance anyway
    No checks are made on whether the person caring actually cares for the disabled person the for minimum of 35 hours/week. 
    Although lots of people very likely spend double that time caring! 

    My wife definitely does
  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 3,040 Championing
    poppy123456 said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
    That's a very interesting question.

    Don't know about Ireland but I can't see any more checks being carried out in Wales or Scotland
    So the DWP have just to accept the applicants word for it? Recipe for disaster as well as fraud,

    You couldn't claim that is the case with carers allowance anyway
    No checks are made on whether the person caring actually cares for the disabled person the for minimum of 35 hours/week. 
    Although lots of people very likely spend double that time caring! 
    How could they check anyway?
    They would have to watch several million carers 24/7 to check exactly how many 
     hours they were caring for someone
    An impossible job
  • Cartini
    Cartini Online Community Member Posts: 1,107 Trailblazing
    edited March 2023
    durhamjaide2001 said:
    That's so unfair because we are a group of countries so we should be entitled to the same things. 
    You can blame Mr Barnett for his formula which is used by the Government to allocate money to the desolved countries.
  • 2oldcodgers
    2oldcodgers Posts: 739 Connected
    Wibbles said:
    poppy123456 said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
    That's a very interesting question.

    Don't know about Ireland but I can't see any more checks being carried out in Wales or Scotland
    So the DWP have just to accept the applicants word for it? Recipe for disaster as well as fraud,

    You couldn't claim that is the case with carers allowance anyway
    No checks are made on whether the person caring actually cares for the disabled person the for minimum of 35 hours/week. 
    Although lots of people very likely spend double that time caring! 
    How could they check anyway?
    They would have to watch several million carers 24/7 to check exactly how many 
     hours they were caring for someone
    An impossible job
    Yes more or less impossible which leaves the door wide open to multiple cases of fraud.
    Much like what they did with the money for businesses during the lockdown where £millions were not used for the purposes that it was paid out - no checks!
  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 3,040 Championing
    edited March 2023
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    poppy123456 said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
    That's a very interesting question.

    Don't know about Ireland but I can't see any more checks being carried out in Wales or Scotland
    So the DWP have just to accept the applicants word for it? Recipe for disaster as well as fraud,

    You couldn't claim that is the case with carers allowance anyway
    No checks are made on whether the person caring actually cares for the disabled person the for minimum of 35 hours/week. 
    Although lots of people very likely spend double that time caring! 
    How could they check anyway?
    They would have to watch several million carers 24/7 to check exactly how many 
     hours they were caring for someone
    An impossible job
    Yes more or less impossible which leaves the door wide open to multiple cases of fraud.
    Much like what they did with the money for businesses during the lockdown where £millions were not used for the purposes that it was paid out - no checks!

    I am guessing that you or anybody who cares for you - do not claim CA ?
    But bear in mind that total governmental expenditure on CA is £3 billion
    Compared to state pensions (£110 billion)
    It's pretty insignificant


  • 2oldcodgers
    2oldcodgers Posts: 739 Connected
    Wibbles said:
    poppy123456 said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
    That's a very interesting question.

    Don't know about Ireland but I can't see any more checks being carried out in Wales or Scotland
    So the DWP have just to accept the applicants word for it? Recipe for disaster as well as fraud,

    You couldn't claim that is the case with carers allowance anyway
    No checks are made on whether the person caring actually cares for the disabled person the for minimum of 35 hours/week. 
    Although lots of people very likely spend double that time caring! 
    How could they check anyway?
    They would have to watch several million carers 24/7 to check exactly how many 
     hours they were caring for someone
    An impossible job
    Yes more or less impossible which leaves the door wide open to multiple cases of fraud.
    Much like what they did with the money for businesses during the lockdown where £millions were not used for the purposes that it was paid out - no checks!
  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 3,040 Championing
    edited March 2023
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    poppy123456 said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Maybe England is more caredo hful with taxpayers money?
    There are no checks on being a carer just as long as the cared for receives the right level of DLA/PIP/AA and the carer confirms that they give at least 35 hours of care per week. I've seen family members claim yet don't give any care at all.
    Until the DWP can check that the level of care is given the system is open to abuse.

     

    Do they do any more checks in Wales,. Scotland or Ireland?
    That's a very interesting question.

    Don't know about Ireland but I can't see any more checks being carried out in Wales or Scotland
    So the DWP have just to accept the applicants word for it? Recipe for disaster as well as fraud,

    You couldn't claim that is the case with carers allowance anyway
    No checks are made on whether the person caring actually cares for the disabled person the for minimum of 35 hours/week. 
    Although lots of people very likely spend double that time caring! 
    How could they check anyway?
    They would have to watch several million carers 24/7 to check exactly how many 
     hours they were caring for someone
    An impossible job
    Yes more or less impossible which leaves the door wide open to multiple cases of fraud.
    Much like what they did with the money for businesses during the lockdown where £millions were not used for the purposes that it was paid out - no checks!

    So you are comparing £3Billion CA to (£4.9 billion) genuine fraud are you ?
  • anawilliam850
    anawilliam850 Online Community Member Posts: 29 Connected

    It is understandable that there may be a desire for unpaid carers in England to receive similar benefits to those in other parts of the UK. Caring for a loved one can be a challenging and time-consuming responsibility, and it's important to recognize the valuable contributions that unpaid carers make to society.

    In England, carers may be eligible for a Carer's Allowance, which is a means-tested benefit that provides financial support to those who care for someone for at least 35 hours per week. However, the eligibility criteria for this benefit can be quite strict, and many carers may not be able to qualify.

    There may be arguments in favor of providing additional support for unpaid carers in England, such as a non-taxable grant or other financial assistance. Supporters of this idea may argue that unpaid carers provide valuable services that should be recognized and supported by the government. On the other hand, there may be concerns about the cost of providing additional benefits and the potential impact on government budgets and other priorities.

  • 2oldcodgers
    2oldcodgers Posts: 739 Connected
    edited March 2023
    Wibbles said:
    2oldcodgers said:
    Wibbles said:


    So you are comparing £3Billion CA to (£4.9 billion) genuine fraud are you ?
    Well yes I am. The amount is immaterial, fraud is fraud. Those that don't carry out the full 35 hours a week of care are doing a disservice to those that actually spend over 35 hours a week. If I was likeminded to claim Carers Allowance  for my late father who lived over 350 miles away I could have done so carrying out little or no care and nobody would have  been the wiser.

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