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Getting help through financial benefits |
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DISC Tel: 0845 120 4048 email: info@disc.org.uk
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This fact sheet offers advice about specific benefits that
may be available to carers and to the person cared
for. It does not deal with the broad
range of state benefits that are available to pensioners, to people with a
long-term illness or other forms of state assistance. If you wish to know who
to contact regarding these matters then we can help you. You may also
find the following fact sheets useful
· What is dementia? · Making your home dementia friendly · Treatment and therapy for people with dementia · Having an assessment · Paying for services at home · Making the decision about future plans for care Applying for assistance If you have not applied for specific benefits before, completing the forms requires time and energy. Some forms for example are long, complicated and repetitious, eg, making an application for Disability Living Allowance and require evidence from other people such as a GP. The following organisations may prove helpful in completing forms or giving advice. · Citizens Advice Bureau · Age Concern · Benefit Enquiry Line - Tel 0800 882200. If you have hearing problems 0800 - 243355 · Carers Allowance Unit 01253 856123. For mini com, use 01772 899489 Contact DISC to find where your nearest local benefit advice centres are. Acting on
someone’s behalf
If the person for whom you care, cannot fully manage their own money, you may need to |
With all the benefits described below, entitlement may change if the
carer goes into hospital or no longer continues caring or if the cared for
person goes into hospital, a care home or goes abroad. Further advice can be
obtained from the Department of Work and Pensions. Contact us if you need
address, phone number, etc.
Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance is for people who need help
with personal care because of an illness or disability.
Key features of attendance allowance
How much would I receive?
There are two rates for receiving Attendance
Allowance. For someone needing help only during the day the amount you receive
is currently £39.35. If you need help both during the day and night you receive
£58.80. The money can be spent on whatever you think the cared for person would
most benefit from. For example, someone to help with the housework, gardening,
costs or additional heating, a holiday fund, taxis to visit a friend or go to
the shops.
What needs are necessary to claim Attendance
Allowance?
The person your care for would need constant
supervision either because of severe mental incapacity or physical
disability. Examples of appropriate need
would include
Or
Continuous supervision throughout the day to avoid danger to themselves or others - this may include wandering or agitation
Or
The carer is awake for a prolonged
period or at frequent intervals, to watch over the cared for person to avoid
danger to the person or someone else.
There must also be evidence that the above
situations have been ongoing for at least six months unless you can show that
the cared for persons condition is not going to improve. In this case you may
be able to claim attendance allowance as early as two months after the onset
date of the person needing extra support.
If the
person is terminally ill they do not have to wait for the six month rule for
attendance allowance and will not have to show a need for care, as the highest
rate would be awarded anyway.
If the person is terminally ill
which means suffering from a progressive disease where death would reasonably
be expected within a six-month period. The GP will have a form that is specially for this situation,DS.1500, to be completed when an application is being made
for Attendance Allowance on the grounds of terminal illness.
What is involved in filling in the form?
Claims for Attendance Allowance are made on a
self - assessment form. Someone who
knows the person, ie doctor, relative or carer is
asked to say what the person's physical or mental difficulties are
necessitating regular and ongoing help.
The rest of the form needs to be filled in by you
on behalf of the person you care for. It
is important to fill it in as accurately and as fully as possible, as the
success or otherwise of the claim will depend on what has been written. It is important that you, as the carer, go
through the form to make sure it reflects the true level of support the person
needs.
Disabled Living Allowance (DLA)
What is it?
DLA is a social security benefit that the person
you care for may be able to claim if they have long term health problems,
mental or physical, that affects their everyday activities.
It is paid to someone with a disability before
the age of 65 and is not means tested. However, if you were already in receipt
of DLA when under the age of 65, then it continues to be paid after that age as
long as the cared for person continues to meet the criteria.
How much would I receive?
DLA is made up of two parts (1) Care Component
and (2) Mobility Component
The person you care for can be awarded one or
both components of DLA.
Care Component is divided into three bands. The
amounts are:
Higher Rate = £58-80
Middle Rate = £39-35
Lower Rate = £15-15
The mobility component is divided into two bands
Higher rate- £41-05
Lower rate - £15-15
What needs are necessary to claim DLA?
For the care component
planning a meal - chopping, lifting etc.
The person cared for needs constant supervision
either because of severe mental incapacity or physical disability. For example:
· During the day they have needed help with basic care - using the toilet, washing, dressing or eating,
Or
Continuous supervision throughout the day to avoid danger to themselves or others - this may include wandering or agitation.
Or
The carer is awake for a prolonged
period or at frequent intervals, to watch over the cared for person to avoid
danger to the person or someone else
There must also have been evidence that the above
situations have been ongoing for at least three months and that this is
expected to continue for at least a further six months. In this case you may be
able to claim DLA straight away.
If the person is terminally ill they do not have
to wait six months and will not have to show a need for care, as the highest
rate care will be awarded anyway.
The level of care needed for the middle and
higher rates is the same as the two levels of Attendance Allowance. In
addition, the person must have had the level of disability for three months
before a claim can be made. If the person is terminally ill they do not have to
wait for the six month rule for DLA and will not have to show a need for care,
as the highest rate for care would be awarded anyway.
Terminally ill means suffering
from a progressive disease where death would reasonably be expected within a
six-month period. The GP
surgery should have a form that is especially for this situation. It is the
DS.1500 and is to be completed when an application is being made for DLA on the
grounds of terminal illness.
For higher rate mobility - one of the following
must apply: -
1)
The person
is unable or virtually unable to walk (the DWP will want to know about the
speed, length of time, distance and manner of the individuals waking ability
when walking outdoors). If someone is
caused severe discomfort by walking then the above criteria should be
completely disregarded)
OR
2)
The exertion
of walking may cause danger to health or life, eg, the person has a heart
condition, chronic bronchitis or asthma and walking could bring on an attack
OR
3)
Is both deaf
and blind and needs help outdoors
OR
4)
Is a double
amputee or born with no feet or legs
OR
5)
Gets the
high-test rate of DLA care component and is severely mentally impaired and has
extremely disruptive or dangerous behavioural
problems
If applying for the higher rate mobility
component the Department of Work and Pensions may seek medical evidence from
the cared for persons GP, or ask them to undergo a medical examination.
The person you care for would have problems
walking and would have to satisfy one of the criteria listed above for Lower
rate mobility
Or
The person would be mentally disabled and in need
of guidance and supervision for most of the time when walking outside or
walking on unfamiliar routes.
What is involved when filling in the form?
The form is a self-assessment form. Someone who knows the person well, eg, carer,
relative, GP is asked what the person claiming is suffering from. The rest of the form is completed by, or on
behalf of the person. It is advisable to
contact a local organisation that specialises
in filling these forms in such as Citizens Advice Bureau, Carers
Centre, Age Concern or Alzheimer's worker.
To order a claim pack, contact the Department of
Work and Pensions on 0800 - 882200. This
is also a help line for enquiries from carers and
people with disabilities.
Carers Allowance
What is it?
This was called Invalid Care Allowance until
April 2003. It is a weekly benefit paid to a carer for the care they give to a
disabled person. The person cared for
can be your husband or wife, partner, parent, neighbour,
relative or friend.
You must be aged at least 16 to qualify. There is no upper age limit. Carers aged 65 and
over can claim Carers Allowance provided they meet
the conditions outlined below. If you
are over 65 - Carers Allowance for people over 65 will only benefit carers on lower income and those carers
with no Retirement Pension or reduced rate of Retirement Pension. Carers Allowance
overlaps with Retirement Pension so you will not receive Carers
Allowance if you have a Retirement Pension, which is worth more than Carers Allowance.
What needs or benefits the person you care for must have in order for you
to claim Carer's Allowance?
You may be able to get Carer's
Allowance if
The person you are caring for is in receipt of
Attendance Allowance (higher rate only)
Or
The middle or higher rate of the care
component of Disability Living Allowance
You are caring for 35 hours or more a week (you
don’t have to be caring every day of the week)
You cannot claim Carer's Allowance if
you are working and earning more than an average of £79 a week. This is earnings after the following had been
deducted
You cannot claim Carer's
Allowance if you are studying full time.
If I can claim Carer's
Allowance how much would it pay a week?
Please note the amount listed is a guide only, as
everyone’s circumstances are individual.
£44.35 a week
The person I care for is in receipt of Disabled
Living Allowance, but does not get Care Component.
You will not be eligible for Carer's
Allowance if this is the case.
If you think the persons needs have changed or
that the decision to award care component was unfair you can ask for the
Department of Works and Pensions to look at the decision again. Ask your local citizens advice bureau, welfare rights or carers centre for help with this. Some organisations specialise in helping people to appeal against decisions.
What if the person I care for does not live with
me?
If the person you care for does not live with you
they may be entitled to extra Income Support called the Severe Disability
Premium. This is an extra £42.95 a week
but can only be paid if the carer does not receive Carer's
Allowance.
I was claiming Carer's
Allowance Before
Before 28th of October 2002, carers aged 65 and over did not qualify for Carer's Allowance.
This restriction was removed from 28th of October 2002.
If the person you are caring for dies, and you
were claiming Carer's Allowance it will continue to
be paid for a further 8 weeks.
Will Carer's Allowance Affect other benefits that I am claiming?
Carer's Allowance cannot be received by anyone who is on
another benefit which is "worth more" such as Incapacity Benefit.
If you are in receipt of an "overlapping"
benefit, you will be credited with Class 1 Contributions if you claim carer’s allowance, even if you are not paid it because of
the overlapping benefit rule.
What if my partner receives an addition for me on
another benefit?
If your partner receives an addition for you on
another benefit such as Retirement Pension or Incapacity Benefit you will be
paid Carers Allowance instead of the addition.
Does Carers Premium
affect other benefits?
Carers Allowance qualifies you for a Carers
Premium of £25.10 a week
This will increase your Income Support, Income-Based Job Seekers
Allowance, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.
The Carers Premium will also allow you to earn
£25.00 per week before the means tested benefits are reduced.
If you receive any of these benefits you should inform the Department of
Works and Pensions and local council office that you are now in receipt of Carers Allowance and ask them to award the carer premium
from the date it was awarded.
I can't get Carer's Allowance because
of an overlapping benefit, what happens to my Carer's Premium?
If the only reason you do not claim Carer's
Allowance is that you receive an overlapping benefit such as Retirement
Pension, Incapacity Benefit, Bereavement Benefits, you need to claim Carer's Allowance even though you will not receive it, to
establish your entitlement to claim Carer's Premium.
Will claiming Carers
Allowance count towards pension contributions?
From April 2002 the Second State Pension (S2P)
replaced the State earnings-related pension scheme (SERPS). Certain disabled
people, carers and people with low incomes will be
credited for Second State Pension.
What if the claim is turned down?
Ask for a written explanation from the DWP you
can do this by phone or in writing.
If you are still unhappy with the decision you
can appeal to an independent tribunal
Or
You can ask the department of works and pensions
to reconsider your claim, with the option to appeal to a Tribunal if you still
disagree with their decision.
If you want to appeal to an independent Tribunal
you must put this in writing within one month of the original decision on your
claim, or within one month of the reconsideration decision of your claim.
We
are constantly looking to improve our information. It helps if you let us know whether the
information in this fact sheet was/was not useful and if there are other fact
sheets that you would have found helpful that we have not yet provided.
While
the information contained in these fact sheets is believed to be correct DISC
does not accept liability for any error/s it may contain.