Benefit Advice – Incapable of work Most people who cannot work due to illness or disability get Statutory Sick Carers Benefits for people who are caring for someone who is severely disabled.

Pay, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance (please note Severe Disablement Allowance ceased for new claimants in April 2001). Failing entitlement to any of these benefits may be claimed. You may also be able to get Income Support to ‘top up’ any of these benefits.

For all of the above benefits you must first establish that you are ‘incapable of work’. This requires medical certificates from a doctor.

Statutory Sick Pay

If you work and are sick for four or more days in a row you may qualify for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from your employer.

To get SSP you must:

 be an employee (i.e. not self-employed or unemployed)

 be incapable of work

 be earning a weekly wage not normally more than the lower earning’s limit for contributions, which currently stands at £90.00 per week gross

 not have been receiving Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance or Maternity Allowance in the previous 8 weeks

For more information and how to get SSP

Use this link to take you to the Department of Work and Pensions Website for an on-line guide to Statutory Sick Pay www.dwp.gov.uk

You must notify your employer as soon as you become sick. Any SSP entitlement will be paid the same way as wages. SSP can be paid for up to 28 weeks.

Employment and Support Allowance

Carers

Many people are full-time carers for their partner, child or another dependent relative or friend.

If you fall into this category you may be entitled to Carer’s Allowance. This is a weekly benefit for people who cannot work full-time because they are a carer. Remember - you don’t have to live with the person you care for.

Who can claim

 You can claim if you are caring for someone who receives Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) higher or middle rate of the care component;

and

 You are caring for that person for at least 35 hours a week. This does not have to be spread throughout the week, for instance you could claim if you just care for the person for two days;

and

 You are aged 16 or over; and

 You do not earn more than £100 per week (based on 2012/13 rates) from other work.

Carer’s Allowance is not a means-tested benefit, you can claim whatever your savings or money. Your partner can earn an unlimited amount as long as you, the carer are within the £100 earnings limit.

You can claim even if you have not paid any National Insurance contributions. Carer’s Allowance does count as taxable income and is taken fully into account when claiming Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (income related), Employment and Support Allowance (income-related) and or Council Tax Benefit. However, the rate for these will include a carer’s premium which means that overall your income should increase.

Carer’s Allowance overlaps with benefits such as Jobseekers Allowance (contribution-based), Incapacity Benefit/Employment and Support Allowance (contribution-based), & Retirement Pension. If you qualify for two or more of these benefits you will get the one which pays the most, it is therefore advisable to seek advice on how this will affect you.

At present, Carer’s Allowance is paid at £58.45 per week (based on 2012/13 rates) plus additions for dependent adults and children.

WARNING – Check the following before you claim:

Claiming Carer’s Allowance could affect the amount of benefit of the person you are caring for.

If the person you care for receives Income Support, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit, they could lose some of their entitlement which is the amount called the severe disability premium.

The severe disability premium is included in someone’s means-tested benefits if they get Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance (middle or higher rate of the care component) and they are treated as living alone and no-one receives Carer’s Allowance for looking after them.

It is therefore important that you check with the person you are caring for and if necessary seek advice before claiming Carer’s Allowance.

How to Claim

To obtain a claim form contact:

Carer's Allowance Unit Palatine House Lancaster Road Preston PR1 1HB

Telephone: 0845 608 4321 Textphone: 0845 604 5312

Email: [email protected] or visit: www.direct.gov.uk

For further advice or information contact:

Welfare Rights and Money Advice Southampton City Council Civic Centre Southampton SO14 7LR

Telephone: 023 8083 2339

Website: www.southampton.gov.uk/welfarerights