Will having a carer affect living alone allowance

Builderfromhell

I applied for and have been granted the Carers allowance and will stay at the caree's home (my Mum) for 4 nights a week.

I read all the documentation S/W sent to me and they say that the ' Free fuel allowance, Living alone allowance and Qualified Adult allowance is not payable with carer's allowance.'

Does this mean that the person I am caring for would lose all these allowances or does it mean that I, the carer, would not be eligible for them?

Can't call them now as bank holiday and the last time I called I was on hold for 45 minutes so I'm hoping someone here can advise.

Thanks

From my reading on Citizens Info she would definitely lose living alone allowance, however her fuel & household benefits should remain. Re travel it looks like both she and you might get it when travelling together, eg she would need you to accompany her using public transport.

Over a decade ago I was in somewhat of a similar situation, legally I owned the apartment we were both living in but all utilities were in her name, so had some of the best of both worlds. I was working full time though, I only got the very small dependent relative tax allowance. However I enjoyed the heat, electricity & TV.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058269815/will-having-a-carer-affect-living-alone-allowance

Note to be a carer you don’t need to “stay” I understand. it would help your application be approved to state you are sleeping 4 nights.

Just pointing that out.

Builderfromhell

Thanks for the replies.

I did take the precaution of calling S/W to inquire about this prior to making my Carers allowance application. and they said if I was staying there only for security reasons she would still receive all her allowances. It is hard to get clear info. from websites and it does not seem fair that she would lose an allowance because someone is caring for her.

Builderfromhell

I have copied and pasted part of the relevant guidelines below.

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/f532d4-operational-guidelines-living-alone-increase/

Residing alone by day but with relative/friend at night

Where the person for security reasons, needs to sleep overnight with a relative/neighbour/friend, LAI can be paid at the person's home address, provided the person returns home the following day.

Relative/friend staying overnight, for security reasons

Where the person is aged, infirm or afraid to sleep alone at night, an immediate family member or friend can stay with him/her (on an overnight basis only), for the purpose of company/security, without affecting his/her LAI entitlement. This is provided that the immediate family member or friend has a permanent home address elsewhere .

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119815211#Comment_119815211

The OP has already been awarded Carers.

TooTired123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119815194#Comment_119815194

The mother (the caree) is, I’m sure, a pensioner so would have free travel in her own right.

The OP as the carer will also have free travel in her own right. The mother isn’t going to lose her LAI as she needs an overnight carer for security reasons.

Builderfromhell

The caree is 95 and no longer travels. I have written to the Carer Allowance section of S/W for clarification.

I am thinking that what they mean is the carer is not eligible for those allowances but the caree is.

It's not clear in their letter as written in my original post.

' Free fuel allowance, Living alone allowance and Qualified Adult allowance is not payable with carer's allowance.'

In the noughties, as I indicated above, my mother got the fuel, TV & telephone benefits, even though she was living with my in my own apartment, as bills were in her name. I didn’t have carers allowance or anything like that, as I was working full time, but she got those benefits which I enjoyed too as I was also resident there. It would seem crazy if it were now the case where having a relative with carers allowance would annul entitlement to benefits of, eg, helping to keep the house warm. The carer, after all, is likely not enjoying same income as if they were working.

endofrainbow

Glad you got sorted Builder and so quickly. My understanding is that Fuel Allowance is per household (not per carer/caree).