Hi, I returned to the UK to care for my Dad after he had a stroke and was told he would need to go into care as he lived alone. I have been here for 9 months caring for him, working a few part time hours and my husband and kids have joined me here a couple of months ago. We tried applying for carers allowance and was turned down. But without it we need to work full time and will not be able to dedicate the time we need to care for him, to keep him safe and active etc etc and he will decline or be a danger to himself without our intervention. He receives Attendance Allowance. My husband and I are both “attending” and caring, 35 hours + each. Any advice? What counts as “genuine and sufficient link to the UK”? What other financial help can we get? Is Universal Credit another option? I have no idea how any of that works.
welcome to the forum. I suggest you contact the helpline for advice specific to your situation. Put as much information in regarding when you left the UK, how long you worked in the UK before leaving etc etc and email this to the helpline. There is a phone number too, but more detailed and individualised advice can be received by email.
You can email us at adviceline@carersuk.org and we will respond to your enquiries within 10 working days, although it can often be sooner.
Our telephone helpline providing information is open from Monday to Friday between 9am and 6pm - 0808 808 7777
Welcome to the forum. Can you shed a bit more light on your situation?
When did you leave the UK? How long for? Is your husband currently working?
Does dad have over £23,000 in savings? Own or rent his house?
Thank you, spoke to the helpline already. They suggested I ask for a mandatory consideration - I just wanted some “ammo” and ideas before I call.
There may be options that you haven’t considered.
I can explain more once I have your answers.
Social care and getting help is a bit like Snakes and Ladders. I try and help avoid the Snakes and find the ladders.
I forgot to ask how old dad is? Is he aware of how you need to work or get an income from somewhere?
Do you have any siblings?
Hi, we left over 5 years ago, a temporary move for work. I returned each non-covid summer to stay with my Dad, my husband returned less often, as work permitted. We have not been tax resident in UK during that time, but we are now. We are both working part-time for charities on minimum wage around my Dad’s care. One of us could potentially go full time, but at least one of us needs to work significantly reduced hours so that my Dad can get the support he needs. Without carers allowance, I can imagine us both trying to juggle near-full-time jobs whilst squeezing in limited support for my Dad around our roles, instead of fitting our work in around him. We don’t know how much longer we have with him to be honest and want to make the most of the time that we have with him and make him the priority over work and help him live his life to the fullest as much as he can, while he can. My Dad’s finances are not really relevant to the question as anything we would receive does not affect anything he receives.
I appreciate you trying to help find other solutions. He is self funding. He is aware, and very grateful for our help. We could work full time but that would be detrimental to him. We are happy to take a reduced income to be able to help care for him. We just had hoped that we could get Carers Allowance to help cover some of the loss of income. So we need to evidence ‘genuine and sufficient link’ but not sure what that constitutes and hoped somebody here might know.
I seem to remember reading some time ago that, according to the to the Carers UK factsheet on Carers Allowance there are conditions relating to how long you’ve been living in the UK. CUK’s current factsheet suggests that Citizens Advice website has further details:
• You meet UK residence and presence conditions and UK immigration conditions – Citizens Advice has detailed information on this.
So I have checked the Citizens Advice website and found this in their website which may be relevant to your situation:
You must have lived in Great Britain for 2 out of the last 3 years - this is known as the ‘past presence’ test. Great Britain is England, Wales and Scotland. It doesn’t include Northern Ireland.
Your time spent in Great Britain doesn’t need to have been in one go. For example, you could have lived in England for 1 year, the USA for 1 year and Wales for 1 year.
If you haven’t been in the UK for long enough, check if there’s another way to pass the past presence test or if you can get Carer’s Allowance without passing the test.
@ConfusedCarer yes what susieq has wrote. you have to have lived in England, Scotland ,or wales for 2 years out of the past 3 years. There are exceptions eg refugee .if you type in gov.uk carers allowance it will tell you everything on those pages. Criteria etc. Does your dad already have care if he is self funding. You are just wanting to provide extra care and support. You could also Aswell as looking at these pages . Into Google type Citizens advice bureau then the area that you live.that will bring up your local citizens advice bureau phone number ,then give them a ring .have a pen and paper with you then anything they tell you .you will be able to jot down. When you first ring they will ask you briefly what you are wanting to know then they will make an appointment for someone to ring you back. Have a lovely Evening .
Google says genuine and sufficient link to the uk . It means you have to show a connection to this country it’s a legal term.for someone who has moved from abroad has a strong enough personal, social , economic connection to qualify for certain uk social security benefits without waiting the usual length of time.
Decision makers look at the picture of your whole life not just your history with the welfare system.time spent , family ties,financial connections. Work and taxes , intentions why you have come to live in the uk.ring the citizens advice bureau.
Dad’s financial and housing situation are very relevant, but I have severe arthritis and it’s easier to ask a few basic questions to reduce the amount I type. Is dad claiming Attendance Allowance?
If he is classed as “self funding” then one option would be for him to pay you to care for him. If you look at the Office of Public Guardian website, there is a lot of information there.
Thank you, it seems like Attendance Allowance and Carers Allowance follow the same 2 out of 3 year rule, even though many kids must return home to look after their parents?
Thank you bowlingbun, I appreciate you trying to find different solutions.
Thank you Teddybear. I know we can theoretically prove a strong enough connection to the UK as we have had to do something similar for another government department for something else (totally unrelated), so if it follows a similar thought process I think we might be in with a chance. I shall ring citizens advice tomorrow.
@ConfusedCarer yes ring the citizens advice write a list of the things you want to know ask them.you should be ok .also I don’t know if you know this but you and your husband both caring for your dad only one of you would be able to Claim carers allowance so you would need to decide which one of you claims it .if you read that gov.uk carers allowance that tells you all about it. How much your allowed to earn there a limit . When you ring the citizens advice tell them your situation you and your husband if you have children ask them what benefits you will be able to claim universal credit, etc. and they will go through everything with you. That’s why I said have a pen and paper so you can write things down.We are here if you need help. You have come to care and help with your dad you should be ok.
Does you dad get attendance allowance that is for disabled people over state pension age. He would claim for that himself. For people under state pension age it is pip. Take care ok.
The two benefits are very different. Attendance Allowance is paid directly to the disabled person. To qualify they have to have a certain level of disability, but it is NOT means tested. He doesn’t even have to have a carer to receive it. Carers Allowance is paid to the carer, as long as they do 35 hours a week.