Carers are being reminded of the DWP payment they are entitled to which equates to £278 a month amid warnings of rising bills this winter. Many experts have been warning about the cost of living crisis this winter as energy prices soar alongside many other household costs.
Many will be looking for extra financial support from the government and those who are a carer are being reminded of an extra payment that they can receive. The DWP can award carers an additional £69.70 a week, equating to over £3,000 a year, the Manchester Evening News reports.
In order to qualify for Carer's Allowance, the claimant must be at least 16 years of age and spends a minimum of 35 hours a week caring for someone. Furthermore, the claimant must also live in England, Scotland, or Wales and have earnings of £132 a week or less, after tax, National Insurance and expenses.
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Despite this, Carer's Allowance is not dependent on National Insurance contributions and is therefore not means-tested, which means it is not based on a claimant's personal income or savings. However, at the same time, Carer's Allowance is a taxable payment and can therefore affect other benefits you may be claiming or planning to claim.
The person being cared for must also claim at least one of the following for their carer to receive the payment:
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Disability Living Allowance
- Attendance Allowance
- Disablement Benefit Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Child/Adult Disability Payment.
If a person shares caring duties with someone else, only one of the carers can claim the Allowance. Additionally, Carer's Allowance can only be claimed once, even if the claimant is caring for more than one person.
The government will also provide a Christmas bonus to those claiming Carer's Allowance. As a one-off payment, recipients will receive £10 - the bonus will also not affect any other benefits.
However, the DWP is yet to confirm the exact date when the payment will be made, but it generally lands in peoples' bank accounts in the first week of December. In order to apply for Carer's Allowance, you should head to the GOV.UK website or phone the Carer's Allowance Unit for a claim form on 0800 731 0297.
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