Hello: Your kind advice, please:
Mother receives Pension Credit (and Attendance Allowance). She now requires full-time care at home, for which I’ve given-up work, so I’m entitled to CA for her as have no work income and don’t claim benefit. I know that she will lose c £50 PC if I get CA, having run the gov.uk PC calculator, but it would overall still be worth it as CA’s more. HOWEVER, my sister also provides over 35 hours’ care a week for our mother (mainly oversight when I am out). My sister’s disabled, receiving ESA, with the carer premium, for our mother’s care.
Question: will my sis lose her ESA carer premium AS WELL AS my mother losing c £50 PC if I claim CA? If so, that’s a loss of c £85, resulting in overall loss. The CA application asks whether anyone else is providing over 35 hours’ care - my sis is - so it suggests that she could lose out as above.
As mother needs care day and night now, it’s a shame if the ‘double-whammy’ loss applies, as I suspect it does, as it’s far cheaper for us to care for her than the state to - yet more that one carer is effectively penalised for doing so…
CA is pretty complicated because of the potential knock-on effects on the cared-for’s benefit as well as any other carer’s…
Hi Marcus.
One for the CAB or Carers UK Advice Team ( Best by email ) … who can advise on the best combination of benefits.
Contact details for both follow :
Citizens Advice
https://www.carersuk.org/forum/support-and-advice/carer-disability-benefits/how-to-contact-the-carers-uk-adviceline-24147
If housing / universal credit are factors , they will take those into account.
No mention of day to day caring needs ?
A mini bible as to what’s available out there , and how to go about sourcing external help :
https://www.carersuk.org/forum/support-and-advice/all-about-caring/home-care-services-a-guide-from-the-money-advice-service-web-site-37984
AGE UK … on their radar ?
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/
Given their expertise , always recommended to make contact.
Hello Chris: Many thanks indeed for the kind, helpful reply.
Mother owns home: HB not in issue; receives AA for day and night needs (if that’s what you’re asking; know I can approach social services if professional help needed, but not yet).
I’m moderately savvy about benefits as help my hospice patients with them - but CA’s effects on others’ benefits I’ve yet fully to comprehend.,
Best wishes,
Marcus
Your welcome.
From one forum member helping clients at his local food bank to another helping local hospital patients.
HB: Thanks for the kind reply. I’ll post the enquiry’s outcome.
I have a military pension so can’t claim income-replacement benefits (not complaining), but as it’s a ‘low’ income I can get exemption from NHS charges, and I can claim carer’s credit to keep NI contributions up. Money is tight, particularly relative to the good salary I had, but I can manage.
The current financial arrangement for carers appears to incentivise handover to the Council for assessed care - which in most cases must cost the taxpayer more (much more?) than realistic financial provision for ‘unpaid’ carers to be able to afford to reduce or give up work to do what they and the cared-for would in nearly all cases much prefer…
Warm wishes,
Marcus