bid Report post Posted October 4, 2005 Hi all, If you care for two people (disabled adults getting Attendance Allowance) does anyone know if you get the full amount of Carers Allowance for each of them...or is there a 'two for the price of one' rate?? Many thanks! Bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tez Report post Posted October 4, 2005 We were told it was two for the price of one rate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted October 5, 2005 (edited) This is complicated! Our situation is we get CA for phas jr (he gets DLA@middle rate). Mrs P claims that. Easy so far...Mrs P gets DLA for herself, but only at lower rate so she cannot claim CA for herself - but, when the time arrives that she goes onto middle rate DLA I can claim it for her and she can still claim it for Phas jr. (With me so far?). Now, my mum gets DLA at low rate + full mobility. When she was last assessed for DLA they told her if she goes onto middle rate she could claim CA - paid to who she asked (I can't claim anything as our finances are tightly balanced) ? She was told she can claim it for herself and (technically) use the money to 'buy in' her care from a third party! So you may not be able to claim it twice but one of the claimants in your house can pay it to you and the other can claim it to pay to 'someone else'. Hope that makes sense, and helps. Edited October 5, 2005 by phasmid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lil_me Report post Posted October 5, 2005 (edited) So far like Phasmid has suggested a person can only claim carers allowance once, but there is sometimes ways of working it round if 2 seperate carers are claimed. Shocking system really as no matter how many people you care for you can only claim one low rate which isn't very much at all. I know of a family with 3 children with disability and she also cares for an elderly Mother, but she can only claim it the once as her partner works full time. Also if you are on Incapacity you can't claim carers allowance, but they will pay NI contributions. But if you are on IS and claim it you are entitled to a carers premium. Edited October 5, 2005 by lil_me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tez Report post Posted October 5, 2005 (edited) We have a similar situation. I care for my son A who receives higher rate DLA, my step son C who also receives higher rate DLA and my husband's Aunt who receives higher rate Attendance Allowance. All also receive a mobility allowance but I believe this is not relevant to Carer's Allowance. I receive a carer's allowance for A. C receives a carer's allowance for the nights he spends looking after my husband's aunt and her looking after him (I can't be in all places at once. That leaves one Carer's allowance unclaimed as no one claims for C. He should however be able to get a premium on his Income Support money which makes up his Carer's allowance (the premium you get on income support if in receipt of DLA and no one is claiming Carer's Allowance for you is higher than the premium you get if you are receiving a carer's allowance) - but so far the Income Support people can't get their head round it so we're still trying to sort this out. So basically in our case in our case it's 3 for the price of 2. Edited October 5, 2005 by Tez Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted October 6, 2005 Thanks for the replies This was with regard to my parents, as in the near future (hopefully) I will be caring for them. Well, the Money Advice Unit visited them today, and filled in the applications for Attendance Allowance. But, they were told that neither of them is entitled to Carers Allowance for each other (until such time as I can take over their care), because of their pensions! I phoned yesterday, and was told that I would only receive Carers Allowance for one of them It's madness Bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oracle Report post Posted October 6, 2005 I claim Carers Allowance for David who get's the higher rate for care on DLA. Although we live on benefits we can not claim Carers Allowance for Matthew - well we can but they take it all off you. I also am now full time Carer for my Mum and I can not claim for that either Three times the work load and only one claim per person who is being paid It's something that really gets to me. Carole Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brook Report post Posted October 6, 2005 Both my children recieve DLA but I'm only allowed to claim for one with carers allowance, when I phoned and asked them, they said 'someone else could claim it for your second son' I replied 'but I'm the one who cares for him, not someone else', they basically said 'oh well, nothing we can do then'. Brook Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites