Carers allowance

Shazza1
Shazza1 Online Community Member Posts: 52 Connected
in Benefits and income
So I am reading that if you get a career who then claims the caters allowance it is taken from your universal credit so what is the benefit to do it that way? Am I missing something? 

Comments

  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 11,783 Online Community Programme Lead
    Hello @Shazza1, this has always been the case with the older income-related benefits too. You can claim carer element of Universal Credit which pays an additional £185 a month but in most cases there is no financial incentive to claiming Carer's Allowance alongside UC. 

    Some people prefer to claim Carer's Allowance alongside UC as it contributes higher National Insurance credits and can be paid more frequently than UC.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    For the avoidance of doubt. this only applies if you or partner (that you claim UC with) claims carers allowance. 
  • Shazza1
    Shazza1 Online Community Member Posts: 52 Connected
    Yes because I was thinking if I got someone to help me I may as well pay them directly
  • Shazza1
    Shazza1 Online Community Member Posts: 52 Connected
    I don’t want to claim it but my sister may claim it for the care she gives me but if I get the money paid to her taken off of me it all seems ridiculous because then I won’t have enough money to live on 
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 11,783 Online Community Programme Lead
    Hi @Shazza1, it shouldn't be taken off of you in this circumstance. Who told you that it would be? 
  • Shazza1
    Shazza1 Online Community Member Posts: 52 Connected
    That’s how I interpreted it when I looked online it said the person you care for will have their benefit reduced by this amount. Or am I getting confused with something else?
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 11,783 Online Community Programme Lead
    Ah, okay. Do you have a link to where you read it? I think you may have been reading about SDP (severe disability premium), but as you are claiming Universal Credit this doesn't apply to you.
  • Shazza1
    Shazza1 Online Community Member Posts: 52 Connected
    Arh yes you may be right. I can’t remember where it was it’s all so confusing. So where do I look for the right information please? 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    edited March 2024
    I don't think there's anything specific that will tell you anything more than what we've said here. If a person claims Carers allowance for looking after you then it doesn't affect your UC. I think this is what you may have seen. https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/effect-on-other-benefits#:~:text=Your%20Universal%20Credit%20payment%20will,on%20your%20Universal%20Credit%20account.
    However, whether they can claim carers allowance will depend on their circumstances. Do they claim any benefits their self, if so which ones? 

    You must also be claiming a qualifying disability benefit yourself such as PIP/ADP daily living or DLA mid/high rate care. I see from a previous thread of yours that you've recently had a PIP assessment and this is a new claim, so you will need to wait for that decision to be made first. 
  • Shazza1
    Shazza1 Online Community Member Posts: 52 Connected
    No they don’t claim anything. Thanks poppy 

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