Carer's Allowance is part of the Disability and Carers Service which administers Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carer's Allowance and is situated in the Castle Court complex in central Belfast. Carer's Allowance is a taxable benefit for informal carers aged 16 and over who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a disabled person.
The rate of Carer's Allowance paid may depend on certain other benefits that are in payment to you. If you receive Carer's Allowance, other benefits that you receive may increase or decrease. An increase may also be payable for a dependent adult based on their circumstances.
Certain benefits paid to the person you look after may sometimes reduce.
Note: Since 6 April 2003 dependency increases for children must be made to the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Child Tax Credit Scheme.
If you are aged 16 and over and spend at least 35 hours a week looking after someone receiving payment of:
Carer's Allowance is not payable if you are in full-time education of 21 hours or more each week or if you earn more than £95 per week after deductions and allowable expenses. Further details should be obtained from Disability and Carers Service.To claim Carer's Allowance you should complete claim form DS700 if you are not in receipt of State Pension, or DS700(SP) if you are in receipt of State Pension. You should not delay making a claim even in cases where the disabled person is waiting to hear about their own claim for Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance.
How long can it be paid for?Carer's Allowance will be paid for as long as all the conditions of entitlement and payability are satisfied.
Carer's Allowance can be paid at a non-standard rate if you are in receipt of certain other Social Security benefits that are paid at less than the rate of Carer's Allowance, e.g. Retirement Pension or Incapacity Benefit.
If the benefit you receive is lower than the entitled rate of Carer's Allowance the difference will be made up to the weekly rate of Carer's Allowance that would be payable.
Carer's Allowance is not payable if you receive the same amount or more from certain other benefits, for example Widow's Benefit. However you may still have underlying entitlement allowing you to receive payment of the carer premium if you or your partner are entitled to Income Support. If you or your partner are getting or become entitled to an applicable amount similar to the carer premium. You may also be entitled to a Class 1 National Insurance contribution credit.
- if it is paid to the carer or their partner it is taken fully into account for Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) and Pension Credit purposes;
- if Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) is paid to the disabled person they cannot get the severe disability premium if someone gets paid Carer's Allowance for caring for them;
- a customer who is entitled to Carer's Allowance and receives:
Income Support; or
Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based); or
Housing Benefit; or
Rate Rebate
will be able to qualify for the carers premium of £27.75 a week.
Carer Premium can also be paid when you are entitled to Carer's Allowance but it is not payable because of an overlapping benefit.
Customers in receipt of Pension Credit will be entitled to an increase to their applicable amounts.
Carer's Allowance can also affect Working Families' Tax Credit. If Working Families' Tax Credit is awarded and subsequently Carer's Allowance is awarded, at the next time of assessment for Working Families' Tax Credit, Carer's Allowance will be taken into account as income.
If you are in receipt of, or have an underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance, you may be able to build up State Second Pension. To qualify you must have entitlement to Carer's Allowance for the complete tax year, April to April. State Second Pension will build up year on year and is payable when you reach retirement age along with the normal state pension.
Rates of Carer's AllowanceEffective from 9 April 2008
| Rate |
Criteria |
| £50.55 |
Personal Rate benefit |
| £30.20 |
Increase for a spouse, partner or other adult dependant |
| £ 8.75 |
Increase for eldest/only child dependent |
| £11.35 |
for each subsequent dependent child |
No increase is payable for a first child if your partner earns more than £185.00 per week after all allowable deductions and expenses. No increase is payable for a further child for every £25 your partner earns over £185.00 per week after all allowable deductions and expenses.
Note: If a dependency increase for any child is not payable for 58 consecutive days entitlement for that child will cease. Any further dependency payments for that child should be made to the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Child Tax Credits.
If you are entitled to Carer's Allowance you may be entitled to a Class 1 National Insurance Contribution Credit, unless you are a married woman with a reduced rate liability election in force.
Carer's Allowance can continue in payment during a break in caring if it is temporary and, for example:
- the carer or the disabled person is taking a holiday; or
- the carer or the disabled person has gone into hospital.
A total of 12 weeks break may be taken in any six month period, but no more than four weeks can be holiday weeks and you must have completed 26 weeks caring before the break begins. You should always check with the Disability and Carers Service before accepting benefit payments.
If Attendance Allowance/Constant Attendance Allowance/Disability Living Allowance ceases, payment of Carer's Allowance will cease.
This is only to be taken as a general guide.
|
