Carers allowance and severe disability premium

[tyronem]

Can anyone tell me if you can claim the £53 carers allowance at the same time as your parnter claims severe disability premium(also about £53)? As by some information I have seen is that carers allowance is taken out of your income support entitlement whereas SDP is paid aswell as your income support entitlement. I would like to know if you can claim both or if not which one makes you better off?

Many Thanks!

[leemack]

Do you receive any disability benefits and if so what rate? Do you live with your partner? Do any other adults live with you?

[id6052]

the conditions for SDP are that you

1 you are receiving higher or middle rate care component of DLA

2 nobody is receiving Carers Allowance for looking after you

3 you have no non dependant adults living with you

4 if you have a partner, they are also in receipt of higher or middle rate care component of DLA (or are blind)

 

 

if you meet condition 4, you are normally better off not claiming carers allowance

if you do not meet contion 4, you are not entitled to the SDP, therefore you are normally better off claiming carers allowance

[tyronem]

I recieve DLA at middle rate for care and lower rate for mobility, i am living with my parnter, no other adults live here just our daughter who is 5. what amount should we recieve for income support as a couple because I'm not sure of that either!?

[tyronem]

Do you receive any disability benefits and if so what rate? Do you live with your partner? Do any other adults live with you?

I recieve DLA at middle rate for care and lower rate for mobility, i am living with my parnter, no other adults live here just our daughter who is 5. what amount should we recieve for income support as a couple because I'm not sure of that either!?

 

[leemack]

Does your partner also receive DLA? and do you have any other income - for instance pensions or contribution based benefits?

[tyronem]

Does your partner also receive DLA? and do you have any other income - for instance pensions or contribution based benefits?

my partner does not recieve DLA only i do at the middle rate for care and lower for mobility. currently we get income support of £142 per week but out of that they take out £65 per week for my partner claiming carers allowance so in reality income support pay us £77 per week and my partner get £50 per week CA apart from my partner recieving child tax credit of £49 per week we don't recieve any thing else

so does this sound correct as i was living alone a few weeks ago and getting my SDP i seem to now be worse off living with a partner?

[leemack]

With income support they should subtract the amount of carers allowance that your partner receives, but then add on an amount called a carers premium which I believe is around £30 a week. But no, you are not eligible for an SDP now.

 

You should get:

 

couple rate + carers premium minus carers allowance. which I make to be around £81.40 a week, plus the carers allowance and tax credits. (2011 rates)

[Nystagmite]

Carers Allowance is £55.55 per week and the premium is £31 per week.

 

Lee - they should receive the couples rate of the disability premium.

 

Entitled to says you should receive £122.50 IS.

[leemack]

oops forgot about that - you can see I'm somewhat out of practice! Thanks for catching that.

[tyronem]

Carers Allowance is £55.55 per week and the premium is £31 per week.

 

Lee - they should receive the couples rate of the disability premium.

 

Entitled to says you should receive £122.50 IS.

So the £122.50 is that before or after they have deducted the £55 carers allowance??

also what do i need to do to rectify this as as far as i know i don't receive a carers premium. the letter i got back says i receive £102 income support for me and my partner plus £39.85 for being sick or disabled minus £65.45 for my partner equalling £77.15 a week. I feel like this office hasn't got a clue, I don't no why they are taking £65 for my partner as she doesn't get £65 for her carers allowance she receives the £55.55. My phone calls seem to be falling on deaf ears so i would appreciate any more help and advice you could give me!

[leemack]

Yes it seems that income support are not aware of your the carers allowance claim. You need to contact them with the date carer's allowance was paid from. Normally what happens is that carers allowance contact income support before a claim is paid so that you are not overpaid income support. Not sure what the £65.45 is about for your partner - was your partner claiming another benefit before carers allowance? It sounds close to an amount for contribution based jobseekers allowance, or basic rate ESA.

 

Anyway, first step is to contact them by phone and inform them about the carers allowance and date of award, and why carers allowance haven't contacted them. Ask what the current deduction for your partner is for. Ask for a call back from the decision maker - they should then email the team who deal with your claim who call you back, and if you don't get anywhere after that ask to speak to a team leader. The person at the contact centre is often pretty clueless, and for any more than reporting a change of circumstances or basic info, they're often not too good.

 

If you don't get anywhere with phone calls, put your circumstances in writing and ask for your claim to be looked at again. Point out the number of times you've phoned and that if they don't get back to you in 14 days you'll put in a complaint.

Edited April 12, 2011 by leemack

[Nystagmite]

Are your joint savings under £6,000?

[tyronem]

Are your joint savings under £6,000?

 

no savings at all! sorry is the 122.50 before or after they deduct CA?

Edited April 12, 2011 by tyronem

[Nystagmite]

it's after they deduct CA and add the premiums.