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If on ESA, can you also claim Carer's Allowance?

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If you're in the ESA, support group or Income Related group, can you also claim Carer's Allowance if caring for someone for more than 35 hours a week?

 

I've just found the answer and it's No.

"You are unable to be paid both of these benefits at the same time. However you should still claim Carers Allowance, you will not receive payment, but you will be eligible for the Carer Premium in your ESA applicable amount".

Edited by poppet2

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The short answer is YES you can claim Carer's Allowance.

 

However it will alter the amount of ESA you receive. The carer premium is an extra amount of money included in the calculation of Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit, and Council Tax Reduction.

 

It could also affect the money the disabled person gets if it's Income related (Means tested).

 

The benefits of the person you are looking after

 

If you claim Carer’s Allowance the disability benefit of the person you are looking after will not be affected; and if they are getting a State Pension this will not be affected either

 

However, if the person you are looking after is receiving means-tested benefits, your claim for Carer’s Allowance could affect how much they get.

 

If they are receiving the severe disability premium (or severe disability addition in Pension Credit) as part of their means-tested benefits, they will lose this if you are paid Carer’s Allowance.

 

The severe disability premium (or severe disability addition in Pension Credit) is £64.30 a week and might be included in the means-tested benefits of the person you are looking after if they meet all of the following conditions:

 

They receive a qualifying disability benefit (the middle or the higher rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA); the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) (at either rate); Attendance Allowance (at either rate) or Constant Attendance Allowance paid with the Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes; or Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)).

They live alone (there are some exceptions to this - such as if they live with other people who also receive a qualifying disability benefit they will all count as living alone).

No one is being paid Carer’s Allowance or the carer element of Universal Credit for looking after them:

 

- If you aren’t getting Universal Credit and just receive the ‘underlying entitlement’ to Carer’s Allowance then the person you are looking after will not lose their severe disability premium (or addition). However if you are getting Universal Credit and aren’t being paid Carer’s Allowance but get the carer element in your Universal Credit award then the person you are looking after will lose their severe disability premium (or addition)

 

Example

 

Sarah and Joe have been friends for many years. Sarah lives alone and receives the standard rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). They live in England. She also receives income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Because she receives a qualifying disability benefit (the standard rate of the daily living component of PIP), lives alone, and no one is currently being paid Carer’s Allowance for looking after her, Sarah gets the severe disability premium included in her income-related ESA award. This is worth an extra £64.30 a week.

 

Joe looks after Sarah. If Joe claimed Carer’s Allowance and was paid this for looking after Sarah, he could be £64.60 a week better off (although he might not be better off by this much if he is also receiving a means tested benefit - see above).

 

However, Sarah would lose the severe disability premium in her income-related ESA award, and so she would be worse off by £64.30 a week.

 

You should therefore think carefully about how a claim for Carer’s Allowance may affect the benefits of the person you are looking after.

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Thank you very much for this, Itrytoplease.

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