Can Someone In Full Time Employment Claim 'carer's Allowance'

[sandyRoe]

?

[hc4361]

It's a shocking disgrace, Eddie.

[THECORBYLOON]

If you pay for someone to care for the disabled person whilst working, the amount you pay or half of your earnings, which ever is lower, can be deducted when calculating the earnings.

Each benefit has its own conditions of entitlement and some are not payable as soon as the hours worked or earnings exceed a certain figure. In the case of Carer's Allowance, a penny over £102 earnt in a week will mean the benefit will not be paid for the following week (unless the pay has to be averaged. )

It may not appear to be fair but no matter what the limits are, there will always be folk who will not be entitled because their earnings exceed.

[hc4361]

What's not fair is when a person has to give up their very well paid job, or their business, to care for somebody who desperately needs it and costs the government (the taxpayer) less than 1/10th of the cost of that person going in to a nursing home and gets very little support.
It's usually at an age when they can't get back in to work easily when they are no longer needed as a carer. Very, very sad situation for a lot of people.

[THECORBYLOON]

As already explained, up to half of your earnings can be deducted if it goes toward paying for a non-relative to provide care whilst at work.

[hc4361]

I know that, thecorbyloon, but paying for care whilst holding down a full time or part time job is not always possible and paying for care can cost more than an average full time wage, obviously.

[EDDIE51]

corby, so as an agency worker I may go several weeks with no work and then be offered a weeks work that would pay say £250 , at the moment I am turning that work down so as not to go over the £102 limit. Can I average my earnings then? if so for how long?

[THECORBYLOON]

I know that if there are variable earnings they can use a five-week period but there would normally be earnings in each week. If I were you, I would get in touch with Carer's Allowance Unit to seek advice.

[EDDIE51]

Thanks Corby, that seems better. Though I have gone as long as 8 weeks with no work offered.

[THECORBYLOON]

I am sure there must be plenty folk working for an agency or on a zero-hours contract who are claiming CA so I would think it an easy question for them to answer for you. Their e-mail address is [email protected].