Carer’s Allowance
If you regularly provide unpaid care to a loved one, you may be entitled to receive Carer’s Allowance. Most people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance fit the following criteria;
- Aged 16 or over
- Not in full-time education
- Care for someone at least 35 hours a week
- Earn no more than £196 per week from employment or self-employment after deductions such as income tax, National Insurance and half of your pension contributions
In addition, the person you care for much be receiving one of the following benefits;
- Attendance Allowance
- Middle or High Rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Middle or High Rate daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Armed Forces independence Payment
Learn more about Carer’s Allowance on the GOV.UK website.
If you’re not eligible to get Carer’s Allowance
Some caregivers will not be eligible to get Carer’s Allowance, this is commonly when you do not provide 35 hours of care per week. If you’re caring for someone at least 20 hours per week, you may be able to receive Carer’s Credits to help with gaps in your National Insurance record. Learn more about Carer’s Credits on the GOV.UK website.
Council Tax Reduction for Caregivers in Gateshead
Some caregivers living in Gateshead are entitled to a reduction in council tax. To be eligible for this you must fit the following eligibility criteria;
- Providing unpaid care for at least 35 hours per week on average
- Living with the person you care for
- The person you care for is not your spouse/partner
- Not be the parent if the person you care for is under 18 years old.
- Caring for someone who is entitled to at least one of the following state benefits:
- Higher rate Attendance Allowance
- Highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Standard or Enhanced rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- An Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Increase in Constant Attendance Allowance under the Industrial Injuries or War Pensions scheme
- Highest rate of Constant Attendance Allowance payable on top of full rate Disablement Benefit paid for an industrial injury
Learn more about the Council Tax Discount for Caregivers on Gateshead Council’s website.
Online Benefits Calculator – by Turn2us
National charity Turn2us offer an online benefits calculator for you to understand what welfare benefits you may be entitled to.
Please be aware that any information submitted in the online form below will be provided to Turn2us and not Caregivers Connected Gateshead. You can find Turn2us privacy policy here.
We’re here to help
We have a specialist caregiver benefits worker in our team who can offer advice and support in applying for the following benefits:
- Carer’s Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Attendance Allowance
To access our support, please complete our online registration form and we will contact you as soon as we can. Please be sure to include any upcoming benefit form deadlines in the notes section.
Speak to our team at our caregiver benefits drop-in sessions
We’re in your local Family Hubs across Gateshead, giving caregivers the chance to pop in and get advice from our caregiver benefits worker!
Find out when our next drop-in session is coming to a Family Hub near you!