(Image Credit: Google image – Creative Commons)
Changes to Carers Allowance.
THIS POST NEEDS UPDATING
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:
“Today’s spring statement confirms that the Government’s welfare reform plans will include the first substantial cuts to Carer’s Allowance in decades, realising many carers’ worst fears. This is an unprecedented step in the wrong direction and must be swiftly rectified.
“According to the DWP’s impact assessment, changes to Personal Independence Payments (PIP) entitlement rules will see 150,000 people lose their entitlement to carers’ benefits by 2029/30 – a reduction in financial support for carers worth £500 million.
“PIP is a ‘gateway’ benefit impacting eligibility for further support for carers, for whom the knock-on effect is both shocking and shameful. This will cause huge anxiety for hard-pressed carers and their families who need every penny they can get to pay their bills. 1.2 million unpaid carers already live in poverty, and 400,000 live in deep poverty in the UK.
“Carers save the UK economy an estimated £184 billion a year, but now many more are in danger of further financial hardship and poverty. They deserve so much more. The repercussions of today’s changes will be felt deeply by those who for too long, have been our last line of defence – providing vital support which simply can’t be found elsewhere.”
Aged 16 or over
- Spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone
- Have been in the UK or the Isle of Man for at least 26 weeks in the 12 months before you claim
- Live in the UK when you claim – there are some exceptions, eg members and family members of the Armed Forces
- Not subject to immigration control
The person you care for must be in receipt of one of these benefits:
- Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance – the middle or highest care rate
- Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Constant Attendance Allowance at the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension.
Exceptions
- you’re in full-time education, and studying for 21 hours a week or more (this includes supervised study and things like coursework and experiments, not just time spent with a tutor)
- you earn more than £100 a week (after tax)
- you get one of the benefits listed below
If you get any of the benefits listed below and they pay you £62.10 or more you may not get Carer’s Allowance. Instead, Jobcentre plus will work out if these benefits can be increased or if you’re entitled to other benefits.
- Bereavement Allowance
- contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance
- contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Death Benefit
- Maternity Allowance
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- State Pension
- training allowance
- Unemployability Supplement – paid with Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or War Pension
- War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension
- Widowed Mother’s Allowance
- Widowed Parent’s Allowance
- Widow’s Pension
Lord Darzi, once appointed by Gordon Brown as a Health Minister, said “The State should demand people take greater responsibility’for the health and social care of themselves and their families”!
He also said family members who care for older relatives should receive greater financial help from the state. This is still yet to be the case.
However, if you are caring for someone and not claiming Carers Allowance you might as well take the paltry £76.75 the Government offer. Carers allowance has increased by £14.75 in 7 years when I first wrote this post.
