support for parent carers

You are entitled to request a Carer's Assessment from your Local Authority to assess what help you may need and how yours and your family's needs can be met. If you are a Parent Carer to a child, you will need to contact the 0-25 Team of your Local Authority. If your child is an adult, you will need to contact the Adult Social Care Team.

There are lots of different types of support you could be entitled to, including: 

• Equipment or alterations to your home.
• Emotional support such as counselling.
• Breaks from caring, such as respite care for the person you care for. 
• Support for your wellbeing, such as a gym membership or driving lessons.

It can also entitle you for support for the child that you care for, including:

Short Breaks Local Offer (respite care and activities for your child to attend).

Direct Payments (which can be used to employ a carer or a personal assistance to support you in your caring role or provide you with some respite).

Carer’s Allowance (CA) is the main benefit for carers. You can apply for CA if you are caring for someone for at least 35 hours per week, you earn no more than £151 per week, and the person/child you care for is in receipt of one of the following qualifying benefits:

Disability Living Allowance (DLA): Middle or High Rate Care.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP): Any rate of Daily Living.

Attendance allowance: At any rate. (This is a benefit for older people).

Please be aware that Carer's Allowance is an overlapping benefit to Universal Credit, and is deducted £ for £ from your Universal Credit entitlement.

Carer's Element is an extra element of Universal Credit (UC). It is an additional payment made on top of your UC entitlement, for people who care for someone for more than 35 hours per week. You can add this element to your existing UC claim if the person/child you care for is in receipt of one of the following qualifying benefits:

Disability Living Allowance (DLA): Middle or High Rate Care.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP): Any rate of Daily Living.

Attendance allowance: At any rate. (This is a benefit for older people).

You don't have to be in receipt of Carer's Allowance to qualify, and you can claim both Carer's Element and Carer's Allowance at the same time.

Carer’s Credit is a National Insurance (NI) contribution to help make sure you do not lose out on some social security benefits, such as the State Pension, because of gaps in your NI record. You can apply for Carer's Credit if look after someone for at least 20 hours a week and you do not get Carer's Allowance.

Carer Premium is an allowance for people of state pension age that you can get on top of some benefits. You can apply for it if you already get a benefit, such as Guarantee Pension Credit, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, etc. You can enquire at your local Jobcentre Plus or Jobs and Benefits Office.