I will never forget the total focus on my mum and her family – nothing was too much trouble and all was explained/discussed. Miraculously my mum could make her wishes known – difficult to communicate, but staff were so patient.Family of a patient

All quotations are used with permission.

Taking on the responsibility of caring for someone who is ill may lead to a loss of income or more pressure on finances. Carers may be entitled to financial help with the costs of caring.

What benefits are available?

These are some of the main benefits affecting carers – but this is not a complete list and the benefits system is complex. Also, the language about what particular benefits are called can be confusing, especially if you hear about what other people are getting ‘on the grapevine’.

If you, or the person you are caring for, has a cancer diagnosis and you have any questions about benefit entitlements, please call the Macmillan Benefits Helpline on 0808 801 0304. They are open from Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.

Carer’s Allowance

Carer’s Allowance is the main benefit paid to carers. You may be entitled to Carer’s Allowance if:

• you look after someone for at least 35 hours each week, and
• the person you look after gets Attendance Allowance or the middle or higher rate of  the care component of Disability Living Allowance, or constant attendance allowance, paid with the Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes, and
• you are aged 16 or over, and
• you are not studying for more than 21 hours a week, and
• you are not earning more than a certain amount a week from paid work , and
• you satisfy the UK residence test (you have been living in the UK for at least 26 weeks in the past year at the point you make your claim) and you must not be subject to immigration control

Carer’s Allowance ‘overlaps’ with other benefits including:

• Employment and Support Allowance.
• State retirement pension.
• Maternity Allowance.
• Contribution based job seekers allowance.
• Widows and bereavement benefits.
• State training allowance

If you get any of these, you may establish underlying entitlement to Carer’s Allowance, but you may not be paid anything depending on how much you receive in other benefits.

The advantages of establishing entitlement to Carer’s Allowance - even if you don’t get paid anything – is that a carer premium is included in the calculation for other means tested benefits, like housing and council tax benefits. National Insurance credits may be paid and it may help in qualifying for additional state retirement pension.

The disadvantage is that the person you are caring for may lose some of their benefit. So check this out before you go ahead with your claim.

To claim

You can claim online at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/carersallowance/

More information about claiming Carer’s Allowance can be found at  http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/MoneyMatters/DG_10012522

or call the Carer’s Allowance Unit on 01235 85 61 23 (textphone: 01772 89 94 89) or the Benefits Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00 (textphone: 0800 24 33 55).

Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance is paid to people with long term illness or disability for help with extra care and/or mobility costs. It is paid to the ill or disabled person – not the carer.

Income and savings do not affect this allowance. To qualify, you must claim before your 65^th birthday.

Disability Living Allowance is split into:

• care component, for help with personal care needs – paid at lower, middle or higher rate; and
• mobility component, for help with walking difficulties - paid at lower and higher rate

Depending on needs, either or both components may be paid.

Terminally ill people can apply for this allowance under ‘special rules’, which will fast track the application. In these circumstances, someone else can apply for the allowance on behalf of the ill person.

To claim

You can claim online at www.dwp.gov.uk/eservice or call the Benefits Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00 (textphone: 0800 24 33 55).

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance is paid to people with long term illness or disability for help with extra care costs. It is paid to the ill or disabled person – not the carer. Attendance Allowance provides no payment for help with mobility needs.

Income and savings do not affect this allowance. To qualify, you must be aged 65 or over.

Terminally ill people can apply for this allowance under ‘special rules’, which will fast track the application. In these circumstances, someone else can apply for the allowance on behalf of the ill person.

To claim

You can claim online at www.dwp.gov.uk/eservice or call the Benefits Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00 (textphone: 0800 24 33 55).

Help with health care costs

People over the age of 60 are entitled to free prescriptions and sight tests, but this is not necessarily the case for ill or disabled people under this age (unless they are children or in full time education where particular rules may apply).

Those on a low income may be able to get help with health costs such as NHS prescription and dental charges, optical and hospital travel costs. You can make a claim under the NHS Low Income Scheme which will base the amount of help you get on the amount of income you have.

To apply for help you need to complete form HC1. This is available from NHS hospitals and Jobcentre Plus offices. You can also order a form on 08701 55 54 55.

Online information about help with health care costs can be found at  http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/Abouthealthcosts.aspx

Prescriptions

Free prescriptions are only available to those who:

• are aged 60 or over
• have a listed medical condition and a valid NHS exemption certificate (HC2)
• receive, or who’s partner receives, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit
• are on Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• have a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate
• are a war pensioner and the prescription is for their accepted disablement and they have a valid war pension exemption certificate

Among other things, the ‘listed medical condition’ category includes those who, because of a permanent disability, cannot leave your home without help. To claim under this category, complete a form FP92A which you can get at your GP (family doctor) surgery. Your GP has to countersign the form to confirm that you meet the criteria in order to get this.

More information on free prescriptions and prepayment certificates can be found at http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069022

Other benefits and help

Other benefits paid to individuals and families involved in caring and on a low income may include: Employment and support allowance; income support; jobseekers allowance; pension credit; working tax credit and child tax credit.

More information about these can be found at  http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/MoneyMatters/DG_10037637

This site also includes information on council tax and housing benefit; community care grants and the blue badge scheme for disabled parking.

In some circumstances, when the ill or disabled has been assessed by social services as having care needs, it may be possible to access direct payments in order to arrange the care independently rather than have it arranged by social services. More information on this can be found at  http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/MoneyMatters/DG_10018517

Contact your local authority

Your local authority can be really helpful in getting support and practical help. They will be able to provide: