Claiming benefits: 'You shouldn't feel bad'
with kind permission
www.Telegraph.co.uk 24/07/07
Many families are missing out because they mistakenly think they are too well off, reports John Greenwood
A third of Britons are worried their older relatives and friends are putting families under financial pressure by missing out on benefits they are entitled to, according to new research.
Around 6m people care for elderly, disabled or ill family and friends, yet 35 per cent of the population believe older relatives do not receive the financial help they are due. Age Concern thinks many families are missing out on payments of up to £5,000 a year because they think they are too well off to receive financial help from the state.
They are mistaken: two forms of state financial assistance, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA), are paid regardless of how much income the infirm relative or the carer has. DLA and AA are paid to the person in need of care, whether they live with family or alone, but Carer's Allowance (CA) can also be paid to non-working spouses or partners of wealthy individuals if they are looking after an elderly or disabled relative for 35 hours a week or more.
The last time take-up of these benefits was officially quantified was in 1998, when it was estimated that half of those entitled were not receiving the benefits. Since then progress has been made, and today there are 1.7m people receiving Attendance Allowance and 2.9m people getting Disability Living Allowance, but Age Concern estimates that hundreds of thousands of households are still missing out.
Many families do not claim these allowances because they see looking after relatives as their responsibility and because of the stigma of claiming state benefits.
"People do not feel bad about using the NHS and they should not feel bad about claiming the Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance or Carer's Allowance they are entitled to," says Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern. "The cost of caring can be a big weight to bear for many people, but claiming benefits can help to lighten the load for the whole family."
Research published earlier this year shows that regardless of income, taking on the role of carer makes people statistically more likely to become ill themselves and also get into debt. The study, carried out for Carers UK, the support organisation, found that 72 per cent of those looking after friends and relatives are worse off since taking on the role of carer and 33 per cent are in debt. The figure rises above 80 per cent for people in their 50s, the group most likely to be looking after
family members.
The survey also found that more than half of those looking after relatives and friends said the financial worries of caring for others are affecting their health. "Carers are worse off across all income brackets. Not only do they tend to lose some of their own income, but they also have the extra costs of supporting someone else," says Bobby Ancil, a spokesman for Care UK.
Claiming these allowances is not straightforward and the forms can seem complex and daunting, but there is help from organisations such as Age Concern, Carers UK or the Pensions Service, who can arrange home visits to help with applications.
Local support groups may also help you with your application. John Pearson, who with his wife cares for both his severely disabled son and mother in law, is chairman of Preston Disability Information Service Centre.
He says: "Government departments do not like to publicise what is available and getting information about how to claim is like pulling teeth. Voluntary organisations staffed by people who have already been through the system are the best way to find your way through the maze of bureaucracy."
Disability Living Allowance
DLA of up to £109.50 a week is a non-means tested benefit that is paid to people under 65 with long-term health problems or disabilities.
This might be because they need help to get washed, dressed or take medication, need someone to keep an eye on them to make sure that they are safe, or have problems walking when out of doors. The level of payment is based on the lifestyle limits the disability imposes. DLA is also available for those who have a terminal illness.
Claiming DLA before age 65 could mean an extra £45 a week for life if your condition remains the same. This is because there is an extra mobility allowance for those under 65 that continues to be paid but is not available to those making their claim after their 65th birthday.
Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance of up to £64.50 a week is a non-means-tested benefit that is available for people over 65 who have a disability or long term health problem. To qualify the person needs to show that things such as dressing and washing are very difficult, or they need someone to make sure they are safe. It is also available to those with a terminal illness.
Carer's Allowance
This allowance of £48.65 a week is available regardless of age to those who look after a severely ill or disabled person for 35 hours a week or more.
It is not paid to those in work taking home more than £87 a week or those on a full state pension, but anyone who gives up work to care for another can claim. Research shows that 54 per cent of carers have given up work to take on the role. Because couples' income is not counted together, spouses or partners who give up work to look after friends or relatives will be entitled to it regardless of how much income the household receives as a whole. A further benefit of claiming CA is that the
recipient earns contributions to the basic state pension because the Government sees the role of caring as a form of work.
It is still worth pensioners claiming carer's benefits because they may get extra help with Pension Credit and council tax benefit, depending on the level of state pension.
