Claims for Carer’s Allowance could affect the other benefits you get

As the cost of living crisis continues, Britons are being told by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to take advantage and claim all the benefits that they are entitled to in order to financially support them more. Carer’s Allowance can be claimed when a person provides care for someone else for 35 hours a week, is over the age of 16 years and not earning more than £132 a week from employment or self-employment after income tax, National Insurance and pension deductions.

Britons can also only claim the allowance if the person they care for claims one of the “qualifying benefits”.

These benefits include Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), or Armed Forces Independence Payment.

Currently, Carer’s Allowance is paid at £69.70 each week and people can either be paid weekly in advance or every four weeks.

Overall, this gives someone £278.80 each payment period and around £3,600 each year.

READ MORE: Octopus Energy alert as trial to save money on energy bills continues

However, people need to be aware that claiming Carer’s Allowance can impact the other benefits they claim.

However, people should not be worried about losing financial support as the DWP states that a person’s benefit total will usually go up or stay the same.

If a person claims the contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), contribution-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) or Maternity Allowance then the amount of Carer’s Allowance can be reduced or stopped.

If a person’s Carer’s Allowance is either the same as or less than the other benefit, people will get the other benefit rather than Carer’s Allowance.

DON’T MISS:

The Government recommends that people use their benefits calculator to work out how their other benefits could be affected by claiming Carer’s Allowance.

To claim the benefit, people will need their National Insurance number, bank or building society details, employment details or their most recent payslip if they are out of work.

If someone is studying, they will need to provide details about their course.

People will also need to provide details about the person they are caring for. This includes their date of birth, address, National Insurance number, age and whether they are receiving disability allowance if they are under 16.

Carer’s Allowance is included in the DWP benefits which are set to see a 10.1 percent increase next April.

With this increase confirmed by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in his Autumn Statement, Britons claiming Carer’s Allowance will receive a £75.74 weekly payment, which equates to £302 each month.