Carer’s Allowance can affect your state pension and other DWP benefits | Personal Finance | Finance
Benefits affected include council tax reduction, state pension and Pension Credit. Before making a claim, it is important for people to know how this may change any existing benefits they may get.
Carer’s Allowance gives unpaid carers an extra £69.70 a week.
The benefit is administered by The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and they are urging Britons to check their eligibility for state support as the cost of living crisis continues.
It is paid to people who provide care for someone for at least 35 hours a week.
If people are eligible it could add an extra £3,624 a year to their household budget.
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More information about eligibility can be found on gov.uk.
A successful claim for Carer’s Allowance could affect Britons’ entitlement to other state benefits.
The DWP has confirmed in its latest guidance that total benefits will usually go up or stay the same, but they shouldn’t decrease.
However, it’s important to note that applying for Carer’s Allowance could mean the person being cared for stops receiving help towards council tax.
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If people claim income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit as well as Carers Allowance, their payments will be reduced by the amount of Carers Allowance they receive.
It could also lead to them not receiving severe Disability Premium paid with their benefits or an extra amount of severe disability paid with Pension Credit.
If the person who is being cared for claims severe Disability Premium then this payment of £69.40 a week could be stopped when Carer’s Allowance has been claimed.
Individuals will only receive Severe Disability Premium if they live alone, receive means-tested income, receive the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), or receive the daily living component of PIP.
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Under the “overlapping benefits” rules, people are not entitled to receive Carers Allowance if they claim other specific benefits.
These include the contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit and Maternity Allowance.
People also cannot claim if they receive Bereavement or widow’s benefits, or contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. If someone gets Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit, they must contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to tell them about their Carer’s Allowance claim.
Britons can check on the Government website to find out more information on how Carer’s Allowance may affect other benefits. The benefits calculator can work this out for people.
With over £15billion worth of state benefits under claimed, charities are urging those on low incomes to check what they may be entitled to, especially as the cost of living continues.
