The number of people aged over 50 receiving Carer’s Allowance has increased by 22 percent to more than 375,000 since the pandemic. However, some carers are not able to receive the benefit due to the tight criteria.
Helen Smith, 52 spoke exclusively with Express.co.uk about her role as carer for her mother, 82.
Helen has spent the past six years caring for her mum and spends approximately 65 hours a week on her caring responsibilities.
She also juggles a social media job which is only 15 hours a week (she works flexibly and from home) but it means she is not eligible for Carer’s Allowance. She has used her savings to self-fund the care.
According to the Government’s website, people eligible for Carer’s Allowance should be aged 16+, not in full-time education and not earning more than £132 a week from employment or self-employment after tax, National Insurance and expenses.
The Government website lists expenses to include:
- 50 percent of their pension contributions
- Equipment needed to do a job, for example, specialist clothing
- Travel costs between different workplaces that are not paid for by the employer, for example, fuel or train fares
- Business costs if someone is self-employed, for example, a computer they only use for work.
They must spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a sick or disabled person and the person being cared for must be in receipt of a qualifying benefit such as the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or the middle or highest care rate of the Disability Living Allowance for example.
More information about who can claim can be found on the government website.
Helen explained: “Because I also work as a risk analyst (£500 a month) to fund the care I am not eligible for Carer’s Allowance, my mother is in receipt of a private pension from abroad which covers the rent of this unsuitable property and I get topped up (£730) by the Government’s Universal Credit – which includes £500 towards the rent which is £1000 a month – but if I earn too much they deduct pay, even though the cost of living has gone up.
Helen explained she doesn’t really see friends or go out anymore due to the cost of living crisis and lack of financial support for caring for her mother.
She continued: “I haven’t been on holiday for the same reasons, no respite just the same four walls and constant working. So those are the sacrifices.
“I sold my house and gave up a full-time job to care for my mother, I have spent all of my savings over the last six years and I bought a car because my mother’s wheelchair doesn’t fit on public transport.
“It has been really tough without help from the government, I have done all the research possible with the help of Carer’s Wales but there is nothing I can get help with. I never thought I would be in this situation, I have always worked and love working but two jobs, one being unpaid is hard work and tough on my mental health.
“I love my mother so much, I want the best for her. The system is unfit for purpose.”
Rest Less is a digital community and advocates for people aged over 50. It analysed a bespoke dataset from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) which shows the number of people in the UK in receipt of Carer’s Allowance broken down by age group.
In its analysis, Rest Less found that between October 2021 and September 2022, there were nearly 50,000 people aged 50 or older in work who were receiving Carer’s Allowance. In contrast, there were just over 320,000 economically inactive people aged 50 or older who received the benefit.
Some Rest Less members have had caring responsibilities for a long time without claiming the benefit but having left the workplace for good, are now eligible for the first time.
A Government spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “Our welfare system provides a safety net for millions of people every year and our priority is ensuring they get the benefits they are entitled to promptly and receive a supportive, compassionate service.
“There is a range of financial support available to those with caring responsibilities and we have provided record levels of direct financial support to the most vulnerable to help with the rising costs of living – £1,200 last year and a further £1,350 in 2023/24 – while the Household Support Fund is helping people with essential costs.
“We have also made an unprecedented increase to the National Living Wage this month, the Energy Price Guarantee has been extended and benefits, including Universal Credit, have been uprated by 10.1 percent.”
Similarly, many have managed without claiming the benefit, despite being eligible, but are having to claim for the first time because finances are so squeezed right now.
Express.co.uk has contacted the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for comment.
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