Financial help for carers

State benefits are available from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Social Services offices have some forms, or you can ring the Pension Service and ask them to send you one:

The Pension Service
Tel 0845 60 60 265

Some forms such as the Carer’s Allowance and the Disability Living Allowance are available online.

If you are not sure whether you are entitled to any benefits, claim it anyway, they can only say 'no'. If you need advice about which benefits you may be entitled to write, telephone or email any of the following organisations:

Waltham Forest Carers Association
St Andrews Centre
St Andrews Road
Walthamstow  E17 6AR
Tel 020 8531 9652
Fax 020 8527 8889
E-mail wfcarers@btconnect.com

Waltham Forest DIAL (Disability Information and Advice Line)
Community Place
806 High Road
Leyton  E10 6AE

Tel 020 8539 8884
Fax: 020 8539 8077
Minicom: 020 8539 8077

Walthamstow Citizens Advice Bureau
167 Hoe Street
Walthamstow  E17
Tel 0870 126 4026
Website www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Leytonstone Citizens Advice Bureau
Greater London House
547-551 High Road
Leytonstone  E11
Tel 020 8988 9620
Fax 020 8558 7911
Website www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Or make a free call to the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 882 200

Carers Allowance (previously called Invalid Care Allowance ICA)

This is the only benefit specifically for carers. You may get this if you are over 16 and spending at least 35 hours a week caring for someone. The person you care for must be getting Attendance Allowance, Constant Allowance or Disability Living Allowance Care Component at the middle or higher rate.

Your earnings must not exceed £84 per week, and Carers Allowance overlaps with certain other earnings replacement benefits, so it is always best to check your eligibility first. You cannot claim Carers Allowance if you are studying full-time. If you are getting Income Support and are eligible for Carers Allowance your Income Support can be increased by the 'Carers Premium’.

If you would like advice about Carers Allowance, you can call the Carers Allowance Unit on 01253 856123, Textphone 01772 899 489 or via Typetalk on 0800 959 598.

Attendance Allowance (AA)

The person you care for, or you yourself, or both of you might be able to claim this benefit. The person claiming must be 65 or over.

A person may be able to get Attendance Allowance if she or he needs help in at least one of the following ways:

  • Frequent attention throughout the day in connection with bodily functions (things like washing, eating, drinking, using the toilet, getting in and out of bed, dressing and undressing)
  • Continual supervision throughout the day in order to prevent danger to her/himself or others
  • Prolonged or repeated attention during the night in connection with bodily functions
  • Continual supervision throughout the night in order to avoid danger to her/himself or others

A person must have needed help for at least six months in order to get Attendance Allowance (although people who are terminally ill can get it straight away).

An important thing to remember is that the questions ask whether you need help or have difficulty doing things, not whether you are getting help.

Attendance Allowance is paid at two rates:

  • the lower rate for someone who needs help by day or by night
  • the higher rate for someone who needs help by day and by night

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

If you, or the person you care for, have a disability, you may be able to claim Disability Living Allowance. It is aimed at people who need help looking after themselves and at people who find it difficult to get around. It is divided into two parts:

  • A care component: for help with personal care needs, paid at three different levels
  • A mobility component: for help with walking difficulties paid at two different levels

In order to get Disability Living Allowance, the claimant has to pass a disability test, be under 65 and pass other tests regarding the length of time they have had the disability and their residence status.

The forms are very long and difficult and we would recommend you seek help in completing them. The organisations listed above will be able to help you.

Contact your social security office for a claim form. Find your local office on the Department for Work and Pension's (DWP web site or look in the phone book under Benefits Agency, Jobcentre Plus or social security.

Once processed, DLA claims are then handled at Blackpool.

Disability Living Allowance Unit
Warbreck House
Warbreck Hill Road
Blackpool  FY2 OYE
Tel 08457 123 456
Textphone 08457 22 44 33 (for hearing or speech difficulties)
Lines are open 7.30am - 6.30pm Monday to Friday

Independent Living Fund (ILF)

The Independent Living Fund is a charitable trust set up and funded by the Government. You can claim help with the cost of help at home/personal care. The fund can also make lump-sum grants. There is no official limit on the amount you can get, but you normally have to qualify for payments under the Fund's rules, which are broadly as follows:

You must:

  • Be severely disabled to the extent that extensive help with personal care or household duties is needed in order to maintain an independent life in the community
  • Be getting the  higher rate Care Component of Disability Living Allowance
  • Be aged 16-65
  • Be getting Income Support, or would have income less than the level of Income Support, after you have paid for the care you need

Please note that the scheme is discretionary. If you are turned down there is no right of appeal.

To claim write to:

  • The Independent Living Fund
    PO Box 7525
    Nottingham  NG2 4XT
    tel 0845 601 8815

Income Support (IS)

You are eligible for Income Support if you are aged between 16 and 60 and fulfil one of the other criteria below:

  • You are not in full time, non-advanced education
  • You are incapable of work (income support may top-up other benefits)
  • You are regularly and substantially engaged in caring for another person
  • You are a lone parent and responsible for a child under 16 who is a member of your household
  • You and your partner have less than £8,000 capital

How it works
Income Support tops up your weekly income if it would otherwise be less than the weekly amount the Government thinks you and your family need to live on. This is done by comparing what you already get with what you 'need'. If you get less than you need, the balance is made up by Income Support.

The amount the DWP thinks you and your family need to live on is worked out by adding up three different set amounts. The set amounts depend on your circumstances. There are three types of set amounts: 'personal allowances', 'premiums' and 'housing costs'.

  1. Personal Allowances: These are set amounts for each person who lives with you. The amounts depend on your ages and individual circumstances
  2. Premiums: These depend on your circumstances (eg. If you are a parent, a lone parent, a pensioner, a disabled person or a carer)
  3. Housing Cost: Mostly this is to do with the interest on a mortgage; if you pay a mortgage, you can normally get help with the 'interest' bit of what you pay

There are basically three kinds of income which will count against you for an Income Support claim:

  1. Earnings: Most of the money you earn after deductions for tax, National Insurance contributions and half of any contribution to an occupational or personal pension scheme will count against you
  2. Other Income: Nearly all other income (including most benefits) is counted against you in full -but there are some important exceptions: for instance Housing Benefit, Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance do not count against you
  3. Capital: If you have savings of between £3,000 and £8,000 the DWP will assume that your savings earn you a set amount of weekly income. The amount of income which they will assume you get depends on how much savings you have. The value of the place where you live does not count as part of your savings

If you get Income Support you are entitled to other help, such us with prescription charges, dental treatment, eye tests, etc.

Tax credits

Child Tax Credits (CTC)
Child Tax Credits is for people who are responsible for at least one child or qualifying young person. You do not have to be working to claim Child Tax Credit.

Working Tax Credit (WTC)
Working Tax Credit is an income related payment for those in low paid work or self-employment.

You can claim tax credits by calling 0845 300 3900.

Pension Credit

Pension Credit is a new means-tested benefit for people over 60 which replaced the minimum income guarantee from 6 October  2003. It has two elements:

  • a 'guarantee credit' for people over 60 and over and
  • 'saving credit' for people for 65 and over

There is no capital limit on which you cannot claim but if you have savings and capital above £6,000, the Pension Service will assume that your savings and capital earn you set amount weekly.

To apply for Pension Credit call free on 0800 99 1234.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

These are benefits you can get from the local council to help with paying rent and Council Tax. You can get help with up to 100% of the rent you pay (excluding things like water rates and heating charges) and up to 100% of the Council Tax.

If you get Income Support, you can get the maximum amount of these benefits, subject to possible deductions for other people living in your household.

If you do not get Income Support and have less than £16,000 in capital, you may still get these benefits on low-income grounds.

Some groups of people are 'disregarded' for council tax purposes. Among these are people who are 'severely mentally impaired' and a limited group of carers. There are several conditions in these categories, and it is best to check with the local authority to see whether you are eligible.

The Social Fund

The Social Fund makes payments for maternity expenses, funeral expenses and payments for periods of cold weather and winter fuel. You are legally entitled to a payment if you satisfy the rules laid down in the regulations.

The discretionary social fund provides grants and loans to meet a variety of other needs. There is no legal entitlement and it is discretionary and budget limited.

For more information contact Department of Works and Pensions, Robart House, E11. Tel 020 8988 5300.

How to appeal against a Department of Work and Pension decision

If you think that the Department of Work and Pension have made a wrong decision about your benefit, you should:

  • Check with the Department of Work and Pension office about the details of the decision. If you still think that it is wrong you can ask them to change it, or appeal to a Tribunal. This is not as daunting as it sounds!
  • You should send a letter within one month of the DWP's decision stating that you would like to appeal and why you feel that the decision was wrong. If you want someone to check your letter, or help write it, contact the Citizens Advice Bureaux

If the Department of Work and Pension agree that the decision was wrong, they will correct it and pay the money. If it does not agree, or only partly agree, the matter will go to a Tribunal.

You will then be told to come along and the Department of Work and Pensions will provide you with copies of the papers used to make the original decision. Take these to an advice centre if you feel that you would like help in understanding what is going on.

Do try to get to the Tribunal. If you have someone who can help explain you case for you, then take her/him along. The moral support might be useful. The Citizens Advice Bureaux may be able to help here. Answer the Tribunal's questions as fully as possible and remember that it is your right to ask any questions you want. Remember to claim for your expenses for attending the Tribunal.

The result

You will get a letter within a few days telling you the result of the Tribunal. If your appeal is successful, you should receive the benefit within a short time. If you are unsuccessful but the Tribunal panel made a mistake about the law, ask for leave to make a further appeal. Go to you advice centre and ask for help.

More information

You can find more information about challenging a decision by reading the Department of Work and Pensions' leaflet "If you think our decision is wrong". This leaflet is available online as a PDF file. It is 97Kb in size.