Carer's Allowance
Carer’s Allowance is a benefit for people who
care for someone for more than 35 hours per week. There are several
rules for claiming it:
- the person you are caring for must be in receipt of the care
component of the Disability Living Allowance at the middle or
higher rate.
- you must be aged over 16 and spending at least 35 hours per
week in total caring for the sick or disabled person.
- you cannot earn over a certain amount from other work (after
allowable expenses). The amount you can earn is £95 per week (this
figure is revised each year). However, to be eligible for Carer’s
Allowance, your savings are not taken into account and it does not
depend on whether you have paid any National Insurance
contributions, but it is dependent on any other benefits you may
receive.
- you cannot get Carer’s Allowance if you are on a full-time
course (21 hours per week or more of supervised study). You can
also qualify for free milk and vitamins if you have a child with a
learning and/or physical disability aged five to 16 years old who
is not a registered pupil at a school.
Further information
To apply for the Carers Allowance, contact
your local Social Security office or Jobcentre and request the
DS700 claim pack. You can also call the Benefits Helpline on 0800
88 22 00 to make your claim.
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