As we approach the Christmas period, members of the public have been warned that this will be one of the most difficult winters in years due to the soaring cost of energy bills.
Because of this, many will be looking for different avenues of extra financial support from the government. If you're a carer, you may be entitled to an extra payment as well as a Christmas bonus.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can award carers an additional £69.70 a week - equal to £278 a month, or over £3,000 a year. 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.
Read more: All DWP cost of living payments between now and Christmas
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. 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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