The government of the UK gives money to people who spend a lot of time taking care of someone who needs a lot of help. This is called Carer’s Allowance. The UK government provides the Carer’s Allowance to recognize and ease some of the financial strains that come with this important job.
This Allowance gives caregivers a small but important income to help them pay their bills. As a caregiver, you can get your Carer’s Allowance payments in two ways: weekly in advance or every four weeks. The money goes straight into your bank account. The current weekly payment amount will be looked at and changed once a year.
DWP Carer’s Allowance Eligibility Criteria
To get the Carer’s Allowance Supplement, you have to meet a number of specific requirements. These standards make sure that the help goes to the people who need it the most.
- You have to care for someone for at least 35 hours a week.
- You care about them no matter where they live. You can get it if you live in the right area.
- After tax and allowed costs, you must make less than £139 a week.
- It’s important that your salary is less than £81.90 a week so that you can get the allowance.
- You need to be sixteen or older.
- You shouldn’t go to school full-time or study more than 21 hours a week.
- People in charge of immigration should not be able to stop you.
- For this to work, you must have lived in England, Scotland, or Wales for at least two of the last three years.
The Person You Care For
The person you care for must already be getting one of these benefits in order to be eligible for Carer’s Allowance:
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP): Daily living component
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA): Middle or highest care rate
- Attendance Allowance
- 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
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Child Disability Payment: Middle or highest care rate
- Adult Disability Payment: Daily living component at the standard or enhanced rate
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What is the Payment Amount and its Schedule?
In June 2024, the first payment of the Carer’s Allowance Supplement was made. This payment was for £288.60. To get this amount, you must have been getting Carer’s Allowance on April 8, 2024.
The second bonus payment, also for £288.60, is set to happen in December 2024. To get this amount, you must be getting Carer’s Allowance on October 7, 2024.
Shared Care Situations
The Carer’s Allowance can only be claimed by one person who cares for someone with another nurse or doctor. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will decide who gets the benefit if both of you apply, so you should talk to the other caregiver about who will get the income.
Earnings Calculation
Your earnings are all of your cash from jobs and working for yourself after taxes, National Insurance, and other costs are taken out. Some examples of allowable costs are
- 50% of your contributions to your pension
- Things you need for your job, like specialized clothes
The money you spend on gas or train tickets between jobs that isn’t paid for by your boss - If you work for yourself, business bills (like a computer that you only use for work)
You can write off care costs that are less than or equal to 50% of your earnings as an expense if you pay someone to watch your disabled partner or children while you work. This only applies if the carer is not your spouse, partner, parent, child, or relative.
Non-Countable Earnings
Some payments don’t count as wages, like:
- Money that comes in from a private or work pension
- help with your housing or living costs from someone you live with (they can’t be a renter or guest).
- The first £20 a week and half of any money you make from having someone stay in your house.
- loan money or advance payments from your job
Do you get a State Pension or Pension Credit?
State Pension: You can’t get the full amount of both your State Pension and your Carer’s Allowance at the same time. If your salary is more than £81.90 a week, you will not get Carer’s Allowance. You will get a Carer’s Allowance payment to make up the gap if your pension is less than £81.90 a week.
Carer’s Allowance: If your State Pension is more than £81.90 a week, you will not get a Carer’s Allowance payment. Instead, your Pension Credit amounts will go up.
How to Apply for Carer’s Allowance?
You can apply for Carer’s Allowance online or by post.
Online Application
You can apply online through the government’s website.
Postal Application
If you prefer to apply by post, you can find the Carer’s Allowance forms on the government’s website. Alternatively, you can contact the Carer’s Allowance Unit to request a form by:
- Phone: 0800 731 0297
- Textphone: 0800 731 0317
- Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 731 0297 (Relay UK helps people who cannot hear or speak on the phone)
From Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Carer’s Allowance Unit is open.
Make sure you have the right form if you download it from the government website. If you get a State Pension, you need a different claim form.
To fill out your form, you can either print it out and use a black pen, or you can fill it out on your computer and then print it out.
For those who got a paper form from the DWP, use the envelope that came with it to send it back. To send it somewhere else, you can:
Required Documents
- National Insurance Number: Have your National Insurance number ready.
- Bank or Building Society Details: Ensure you have your bank account details for payments.
- Employment Details: If you are working, have your employment details and latest payslip.
- P45: You will need your P45 form if you have finished work.
- Course Details: If you are studying, provide details of your course.
- Earnings Information: Ensure you don’t earn more than £151 weekly.
- Expenses: Document any expenses such as pension contributions or costs of caring for your children or the disabled person while you are working.
- Care Recipient’s Information: You will need details about the person you care for, such as their date of birth, address, National Insurance number (if they are 16 years or older), and their Disability Living Allowance reference