Carer’s allowance: Thousands could be due over £100 extra in benefit payments in April | Personal Finance | Finance
Carer’s Allowance is due to increase by 3.1 percent in April in-line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). CPI measures the average change in prices over time that consumers pay for a basket of goods and services.
Payments will increase by £2.10 per week, which over the course of the year amounts to £109.20.
Carer’s Allowance is currently paid at a weekly rate of £67.60.
It will rise to £69.70 from April 11, 2022, offering unpaid carers £69.70 per week instead of the current £67.60 rate.
Carer’s Allowance recipients will see the benefits earnings limit rise £132 per week if they look after someone for 35 hours per week.
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Around 400,000 additional people could claim Carer’s Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions(DWP) to make up for the fact that they will be able to take less hours on at work.
This under-claimed benefit works out at £292 a month and could be a lifeline to cash-strapped Britons right now.
Almost half a million are missing out on this benefit offering over £3,500 per year for unpaid carers.
They are also entitled to a range of other freebies and add ons they are rightfully entitled to.
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Those claimants on Carer’s Allowance can also be eligible for:
- Local council support
- Council Tax Reduction
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Grants and bursaries
- Income Support
- Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance Supplement.
It is worth noting that claiming Carer’s Allowance alone does not immediately entitle one to these benefits as they have additional eligibility criteria too.
To qualify for Carer’s Allowance, people need to be looking after someone for 35 hours or more a week.
They must also be earning no more than £128 a week after tax and National Insurance to be eligible for this DWP benefit.
They don’t have to live or be related to the person they are caring for.
Caring responsibilities could include helping someone with tasks like washing, cooking or taking the patient to a doctor’s appointment.
People do not get paid extra if they care for more than one person.
The person they are caring for must also be claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance or Child Disability Payment.
It’s important to let the person know as it could affect how much money they receive.
While claiming Carer’s Allowance could mean an extra £292 a month, it may affect someone’s other benefits so that they don’t receive this full amount.
However, it’s worth doing as it won’t mean people end up with less money in their pocket.
The Government website states: “When you claim Carer’s Allowance your other benefit payments may change, but your total benefit payments will usually either go up or stay the same.
“Carer’s Allowance does not count towards the benefit cap.”
