Friday, March 29, 2024

Carer’s Allowance

Carer’s Allowance is a taxable benefit to help people who look after someone who is disabled.

You do not have to be related to, or live with, the person that you care for.

You may be able to get Carer’s Allowance if you are aged 16 or over and spend at least 35 hours a week caring for

a person who gets either:

  • Attendance Allowance
  • Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate for personal care
  • Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
  • Constant Attendance Allowance at the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension

Who cannot get Carer’s Allowance?

You cannot get Carer’s Allowance if you are in full-time education with 21 hours or more a week of supervised study or earn more than £100 a week after certain deductions have been made – for example Income Tax.

How much do you get?

The weekly rate is £53.90. This is reduced by the amount of certain other benefits, including State Pension, that you receive.

If you receive certain other benefits at £53.90 or more a week, Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid to you as well.

You may have to pay tax on the amount you receive.

You may be able to get an additional amount for your husband, wife or civil partner or someone living with you who looks after your dependent children.

How it is paid

Carer’s Allowance is normally paid directly into any account of your choice which accepts Direct Payment of benefits.  This might be a bank, building society or other account provider.

You may be able to get someone else to collect your Carer’s Allowance if you wish. For help with this, contact your bank, building society or other account provider.

If you would like more information about how you can be paid by other means, contact the Carer’s Allowance Unit.

Claiming Carer’s Allowance may affect any other benefits, allowances, pensions and entitlements you, or the person you care for, are receiving.

How to claim

The Carer’s Allowance Unit can send you a claim form. Tell them if you need a form in Welsh, Braille, large print or on audio tape.

Their address is Carer’s Allowance Unit, Palatine House, Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 1HB

Telephone: 01253 856 123

Textphone: 01772 562 202

You can contact these numbers between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm Monday to Thursday, and between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm on Fridays.

If your first language is not English or Welsh, ask for information about the interpreter service.

Fax: 01772 899 354

Email: cau.customer-services@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Ask the Benefit Enquiry Line

You can contact the Benefit Enquiry Line for a claim form and advice on how to fill it in.

Telephone: 0800 88 22 00

Textphone: 0800 24 33 55

You can contact these numbers between 8.30 am and 6.30 pm Monday to Friday, and between 9.00 am and 1.00 pm on Saturdays.

Ask a local office for a form

You can get in touch with any Jobcentre Plus office or Pension Centre. You can find the phone number or address in the phone book.

You can also download help notes and a claim form to print off and complete at www.direct.gov.uk

Changes in circumstances for you or the person you are caring for

Changes to your circumstances – and those of the person you care for – can affect your eligibility for Carer’s Allowance, or the amount you get. For example, changes to your income or employment, if you go into full-time education or take a break from caring.

Carer’s Allowance – British Sign Language and subtitled film

A short film about Carer’s Allowance – which is presented in British Sign Language, narrated and also subtitled – can be downloaded from Directgov. You can also view films about Disability Living Allowance and about Attendance Allowance.

The information is also available on DVD, which you can request to be delivered to you.

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

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