The first instalment of the £900 cost of living payment started landing in people’s accounts on Tuesday, April 25, however, more than 10 million people on benefits will not receive this. Carer’s Allowance is one of the benefits being excluded from the qualifying list so millions of carers will miss out on much-needed financial support.
Unpaid carers receive little financial support, and survey data from TakingCare Personal Alarms finds that 80 percent of Britons consider the current rate of Carer’s Allowance “not enough”.
According to Carers UK, 10.6 million people in the UK provide unpaid care, many of whom support elderly friends and relatives.
Without this cost of living payment, many could be left feeling the squeeze even more in this tough time.
Many will be struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living, alongside the challenges of balancing family and work life with their caring commitments.
Eligibility criteria for the Government’s second cost of living payment, worth £300, means that unpaid carers will not be able to claim this additional benefit.
List of benefits that do not qualify for the DWP cost of living payments:
Attendance Allowance
Carer’s Allowance
Child Benefit
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Contributory or New style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Guardian’s Allowance
Contribution-based or New style Jobseeker’s Allowance
Maternity Allowance
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
State pension.
Currently, carers can get up to £302 per week with Carer’s Allowance but campaigners at TakingCare Personal Alarms say this “isn’t enough” with more than one in four carers saying they would need more than £100 a week to care for someone.
Experts argue there is little support available in the UK for unpaid carers. To claim Carer’s Allowance, individuals must care for someone for at least 35 hours per week.
Carers will be deemed ineligible if they are in full-time education or study for more than 21 hours per week and earn more than £128 per week.
An elderly care expert at TakingCare Personal Alarms expanded on some of the benefits available to unpaid carers in the UK.
The spokesperson said: “It can be so challenging for carers who may be looking after an elderly parent or relative, especially those who still have children at home or work commitments. The government’s cost of living payment is means-tested, meaning most carers will be unable to benefit from the latest payment, worth £300, which is due between April and May.
“Given the current financial climate, it’s crucial for unpaid carers to understand what financial support is available to them, particularly in light of the cost of living crisis and rising inflation.
“One thing unpaid carers can claim for is Carer’s Credit, a National Insurance credit that helps bridge some of the gaps in a carers’ National Insurance record and helps towards your state pension.”
Claimants must care for someone for at least 20 hours per week, with the credit allowing them to maintain caring responsibilities and still contribute to their state pension, which is based on NI contributions.
Alongside this, they explained carers can look to their local authority for further support. Many councils will have their own list of registered organisations, charities and support groups that can help vulnerable or elderly people in the community.
For those caring for elderly friends or relatives, it’s advisable to get at-home support through a needs assessment from your local authority which will help open the door to further support.”
Who can claim Carer’s Allowance?
Claimants should be over the age of 16 and care for someone for at least 35 hours per week to be eligible.
The person being cared for must also receive one of the following means-tested benefits:
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – daily living component
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA) – the 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 – the middle or highest care rate
- Adult Disability Payment – daily living component.
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