Carers Allowance

Hi!
I have phoned Disability Benefits Helpline three times now about my wife claiming cares allowance.
They say; answer the three questions on the forn and if they apply to you you should get carers allowance.
We need the £220/month as we have recently lost £580 /month income. Do they ask supplementry questions on another form or is it as straight forward as they say.
I have posted before on this but we are scared stiff (and with the loss of imcome we are sliding further into overdraft territory) that we will lose my middle rate care if we apply putting us further in the mire.
We have reached the point where we have to decide whether to take the chance.
Thanks in advance for your help!

matchseller wrote:

Hi!
I have phoned Disability Benefits Helpline three times now about my wife claiming cares allowance.
They say; answer the three questions on the forn and if they apply to you you should get carers allowance.
We need the £220/month as we have recently lost £580 /month income. Do they ask supplementry questions on another form or is it as straight forward as they say.
I have posted before on this but we are scared stiff (and with the loss of imcome we are sliding further into overdraft territory) that we will lose my middle rate care if we apply putting us further in the mire.
We have reached the point where we have to decide whether to take the chance.
Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi,

There is a good deal of information about Carers allowance on the following Direct Gov page, including how to claim:

www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/Mo...sAllowance/index.htm

The application form is somewhat longer than just three questions, but it needs to be as whether or not you can claim it depends on the personal circumstances of both the carer and person being cared for.

However in general, the person being cared for must receive either:

A Constant Attendance Allowance paid with a War Disablement Pension (at full day rate) or Industrial Injuries Benefit ( at or above normal maximum rate) OR

Attendance Allowance or

Middle or High Rate Care Component of Disability Living Allowance.

The carer must in general

not be in full time education, work and earn over £100 per week after certain deductions and reside in the UK. They must also provide at least 35hours care per week.

Claiming Carers Allowance may in certain circumstances affect the amount of money the disabled person receives.

As such, it is impossible to tell if one is entitled without knowing facts which should not be posted on an open forum.

There is an online application form available here,

esd.dwp.gov.uk/dwpca/index.jsp

which you can play with, just do not send it at the final stage.

Pete