Unpaid carers across Great Britain are being left an average of £2,494 out of pocket each and every year through the increased cost of caring - despite the benefit of receiving Carer's Allowance. The research, which was accrued by Later Living Marketplace Lottie, found that the average shortfall equates to £207 a month.
The findings show that the added financial drain for carers comes from expenses such as travel, household costs and additionally equipment needs. Lottie detailed exactly how these expenses can quickly rack up quite the bill for carers, taking a monetary and mental toll.
Back in January, the Office for National Statistics estimated that there were around five million informal carers across England and Wales - with around 1.2million over the age of 65 according to Lottie. Nigh-on 50 per cent of older carers are also estimated to be providing in excess of 50 hours a week in care.
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The Mirror reports that unpaid carers also provide some £193billion of the UK's social care system each and every year. Lottie co-founder, Chris Donnelly, said: "All too often, the work of informal carers across the country goes unnoticed and unrewarded.
"Carers - whether paid or unpaid - make an enormous contribution to society and provide invaluable support for their loved ones. We are calling on the Government to better support carers across the country, alongside employers, who can do more to support their employees.
"There must be changes to the UK’s benefits system to make it easier for carers to access financial assistance, and greater investment in social care to relieve the financial and emotional pressure on informal carers."
If you're a carer, then you should look into financial assistance available to you from the Government. Read our explainer on this below.
What is Carer's Allowance?
The most common benefit that carers claim is Carer's Allowance, which is distributed by the Government via the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). In the region of 1.3million people across the UK claim the benefit, however, when compared to the number of carers there are estimated to be in the UK - it's a slim margin.
Carer's Allowance comes in at £76.75 per week, equating to £332 a month. Over the course of the year, Carer's Allowance payments provide almost £4,000 in extra income for carers. One common misconception of the benefit is that you need to be related to the person you are claiming for in order to claim it.
However, this is not true.
Who is eligible for Carer's Allowance?
In similar fashion to other DWP benefits, there is a certain eligibility criteria you must meet to successfully claim Carer's Allowance. You have to be caring for someone for 35 hours per week or more, and be over the age of 16.
You also can't be earning more than £132 per week from employment or self-employment - following deductions for income tax, National Insurance and pensions. Furthermore, the person you're claiming for must also claim one of the following benefits.
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
DWP rules stipulate that caring for someone includes helping with washing and cooking, taking someone to a doctor's appointment, and helping with other household chores like shopping and bill management. Older carers should be aware that claiming the benefit can have an impact on their state pension, as you aren't able to claim the full amount for both at the same time.
Should your state pension be less than £76.75 per week, you can get the difference in Carer's Allowance - but it won't be the whole amount. If you think you're eligible to claim Carer's Allowance, you can apply on the Gov.uk website or call the Carer's Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297, and request a form.
You can claim for the carer's element of Universal Credit too if you have 'regular and substantial caring responsibilities' for a 'severely disabled person'. The element is worth £185.86 per month.
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