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CARER'S ALLOWANCE

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 8:20pm
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Hello again

I just got a letter from the DWP in the UK about my claim for Carer's Allowance which was rejected.

My partner who is 70 had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia and we decided to move to Spain as it would be less stressful for us both.  While here he went into Santa Lucia Hospital Cartagena with a blood clot.  Now he is on Pradaxa for the thrombosis and a patch to slow down the dementia.

I am looking after him every day without any bitterness, its life.

I am 57 so live off James' old age pension and a small work's pension.

I am the only one who looks after him but I can cope but it is unfair that the DWP said as James has not claimed Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Allowance when at times he cannot remember his own name.

Any advice - we are both resident's of Spain.

Thanks a lot

Annemarie

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 9:06pm

Cheryl

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Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 9:06pm

Hello AnnMarie, I am so sorry to hear of your situation, my late mother had dementia and spent the last 3 years of her life in a care home which cost a fortune and it is a most horrible disease.
I may be wrong but I don't think you can get Carer's allowance unless the person you are caring for is in the system, as it were. You can apply for PIP on his behalf and there is part of the application form where you explain why you are filling in the form on his behalf. How you fill in the form is vital so it may be an idea to contact a charity, maybe for dementia/Alzheimer's to help you and a good place to start may be Help Vega Baja (https://helpvegabaja.com/)
Don't try filling in the forms without help. 

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 9:32pm

Movingon

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Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 9:32pm

You might find this from the UK CAB useful, on the face of it it seems clear that you are not eligible.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/carers-allowance/

Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 9:44pm

Cheryl

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Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 9:44pm

Movingon wrote on Sat Apr 18, 2020 9:32pm:

You might find this from the UK CAB useful, on the face of it it seems clear that you are not eligible.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/carers-allowance/

Sorry Movingon but can you be specific to what excludes her from eligibility please as I have read it quickly and can't see anything to make them ineligible.

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Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 10:29pm

Movingon

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Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 10:29pm

You can usually get Carer’s Allowance if all of the following apply:

the person you're caring for gets one of the following benefits: Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, the middle or highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance, the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (either rate) or Armed Forces Independence Payment

You usually have to be in Great Britain when you claim. 

You may be able to get Carer's Allowance if you and the person you are caring for move to the EU - as in, not if you already have which I believe applies to some other benefits.

EDIT

"it is unfair that the DWP said as James has not claimed Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Allowance when at times he cannot remember his own name."

If you were in UK your husband could be assessed which clearly he can't be in Spain, that's reasonable not unfair.

Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:34am

Cheryl

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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 8:34am

Movingon wrote on Sat Apr 18, 2020 10:29pm:

You can usually get Carer’s Allowance if all of the following apply:

the person you're caring for gets one of the following benefits: Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, the middle or highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance, the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (either rate) or Armed Forces Independ...

 

Read more...

...ence Payment

You usually have to be in Great Britain when you claim. 

You may be able to get Carer's Allowance if you and the person you are caring for move to the EU - as in, not if you already have which I believe applies to some other benefits.

EDIT

"it is unfair that the DWP said as James has not claimed Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Allowance when at times he cannot remember his own name."

If you were in UK your husband could be assessed which clearly he can't be in Spain, that's reasonable not unfair.

"You may be able to get Carer's Allowance if you and the person you are caring for move to the EU - as in, not if you already have which I believe applies to some other benefits"

It actually says "You may be able to get Carer's Allowance if you and the person you are caring for move to the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein, or if you’re already living in one of these countries. You can find out more about claiming benefits if you live, move or travel abroad on GOV.UK

.https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/payment-disability-benefits-other-european-countries, this then explains that if you have a proven link with the UK (and I'm assuming that the OP's husband worked and paid tax to the UK for many years) then the OP can claim one of the qualifying benefits on behalf of her husband which will then allow her to claim Carer's allowance as well.

The DWP can contact the doctor and specialist here to confirm his conditions haven't got better, which is highly unlikely, and he was diagnosed in the UK so records will be available there as well.



Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 8:37am

davyaztec2

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Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 8:37am

Cheryl wrote on Sat Apr 18, 2020 9:06pm:

Hello AnnMarie, I am so sorry to hear of your situation, my late mother had dementia and spent the last 3 years of her life in a care home which cost a fortune and it is a most horrible disease.
I may be wrong but I don't think you can get Carer's allowance unless the person you are caring for...

 

Read more...

... is in the system, as it were. You can apply for PIP on his behalf and there is part of the application form where you explain why you are filling in the form on his behalf. How you fill in the form is vital so it may be an idea to contact a charity, maybe for dementia/Alzheimer's to help you and a good place to start may be Help Vega Baja (https://helpvegabaja.com/)
Don't try filling in the forms without help. 

Cheryl thank you for your reply.  Will follow your advice and let you know how I am getting on.  So sorry to hear about your late mother but you did you best for her like I am trying to do for James.

Take care

Annemarie

Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 2:44pm

Posts: 21

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Joined: 6 Aug 2017

Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 2:44pm

There are some good advice forms on PIP and AA on internet also there is a scoring point system so make sure you read these first 

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