Carers allowance

Benefits, finances and funding
1

Hi im going to start claiming carer’s allowance, my grandma is 79 and is on state pension and PIP, my biggest concern is will her benefits be affected if i claim carer’s allowance,
Please help
And thankyou

2

Does grandma have housing benefit.

3

No housing benefit,
Just state pension and PIP,
Really need to know if these 2 get affected if i claim carers allowance

4

Did you read the two links…

Is she on pension credit.

5

Hi Samm - I’ve forwarded your question to Carers UK’s Helpline and I will post the response from one of our advisers in this thread/topic within the next few days.

With good wishes

Michael

6

Hi Samm - one of Carers UK’s helpline advisers has provided the following response to your question on Carer’s Allowance and your grandma’s benefits.

I hope this is helpful.

Michael

Thank you for getting in touch with Carers UK. To be able to answer your question fully, I would ideally need a little more information about your grandmother wider circumstances, income and savings to do a full benefits check. However, if your grandmother is:

  • Living alone and,


  • In receipt of a qualifying disability benefit (e.g. any rate of Daily Living PIP or middle rate or high rate care Disability Living Allowance DLA or any rate of Attendance Allowance) and,


  • No-one makes a claim for Carer’s Allowance to meet her care needs,

Then, she will be eligible for the Severe Disability Addition (SDA) in the calculation of any means-tested benefits she may claim: e.g. Pension Credit, Housing Benefit (if applicable) and/or Council Tax Reduction. The SDA is factored at the rate of £66.95 / week. It was previously £65.85 / week for the tax year 2019-2020.

If your grandmother has the SDA factored in any of her means-tested benefits calculations, a claim for Carer’s Allowance will stop her entitlement to the SDA and she stands to lose significant benefit income. How much will depend on her income from pension(s) or other sources and if she has savings £10,000 or over, the assumed income from savings that will be included in the calculation of entitlement to means-tested benefits.

So the advice would be to check whether your grandmother is currently in receipt of any means-tested benefit and to check her award letter(s).

7

Old thread - locked. Usual reasons