Carers Allowance

[Ric.ror]

A colleagues daughter is about to lose her job but has been offered a carers role for an elderly neighbour - a role she would like and would be well suited to
Would it be better for her to claim JSA and help on a voluntary basis or claim the carers allowance

[ummmm]

Is she going to be paid?

[Ric.ror]

Not sure really
I think the person receives the attendance allowance so she may be
For arguments sake (until I know more) let's say yes

[ummmm]

She won't be able to claim JSA then. How many hours a week will she be working? If she does 16 hours she can claim tax credits to top her wages up.

[RATTER15]

Read here..... http://www.mycaremyhome.co.uk/handling-the-cost-of-care/self-funding-care-or-assistance-within-your-own-home/

[Ric.ror]

And if she doesn't get paid?

[ummmm]

She'd get JSA but she'd be expected to be looking for paid work. I'm not to clever on benefits but I think she'd have to show proof of job hunting.

[bednobs]

how much caring will she be expected to do? It would be unusual (in my opinion) to do caring on a substntial basis for a non-relation without expecting payment. If she's doing it as a paid role, she won't get carers allowance

[EDDIE51]

To get carers allowance you have to certify that you do 32 hours ( I think) care for the person a week. So you can't claim JSA as well. Also you can only earn £102 (may now be £105) a week without losing the extra £ for £ off the carers allowance. used to get it for looking after my wife. It was stopped when I got my state pension.
I had a part time job but I had to make sure I kept my earnings under £102 a week or they would have deducted the extra off the carers allowance.

[EDDIE51]

Carers allowance is a swindle! You get under £70 a week for doing 32 hours as a carer. So well under the legal wage of £7.20 an hour. Carers save the country a fortune by working for peanuts !

[Ric.ror]

So she would earn £72 CA and could also earn up to £105 to supplement this - this could take the form as a payment from the person in need of care from their attendence allowance - is that right?

[EDDIE51]

I am not sure you could get carers allowance for looking after someone and also work for the same person as a paid carer. I really do not know the answer to that, sorry.
Possibly ask another question based on that situation ?

[EDDIE51]

You could quite legally get carers allowance for looking after 'A' and be a paid carer for 'C' at the same time. Just not sure how it would work if it was the same person, possible conflict of interest?
I worked in a care home and got carers allowance for looking after my wife there was never a problem about that.

[Debshelper]

Hi Ric.ror,

This website is often a useful source for care related information.

https://www.carezee.co.uk/supportandinsights