Latest news with #CarerPremium
Daily Mirror
05-08-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Benefit that 'can't overlap' with state pension could stop at 66
People entitled to the full state pension and Carer's Allowance payments won't be able to get both but are urged to still claim their entitlement Carer's Allowance provides £83.30 a week for people providing at least 35 hours of unpaid care per week to someone receiving certain benefits. There are no age restrictions on claiming or receiving this DWP benefit, but those hoping to claim state pension alongside it will face a potentially unexpected issue. It's not possible to claim the full amount of state pension and Carer's Allowance at the same time. You might be able to keep a portion of your Carer's Allowance payments but this will depend on your state pension amount. Your state pension amount is determined by your National Insurance record; you'll need 25 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits to claim the full £230.25 a week from the new state pension. If you have fewer qualifying years, your payments will be proportionately reduced. The only situation where you can receive both state pension and Carer's Allowance at the same time is if your state pension payments are less than the Carer's Allowance rate of £83.30. The caring benefit will then supplement your payment to this amount, according to Carers UK. For example, if you receive £70 per week from state pension, you can then get an additional £13.30 from Carer's Allowance, totalling £83.30 per week. However, if you receive £84 a week from state pension, you won't be eligible for any further Carer's Allowance payments. Those eligible for Carer's Allowance are urged to apply for the benefit even if they won't receive any payments due to the state pension rule, as it could unlock access to additional benefits, reductions and support through what's called an underlying entitlement. Carers UK explained: "It is still worth applying as you may be able to get what's called an 'underlying entitlement' to Carer's Allowance. This is where it is agreed that you meet the criteria for Carer's Allowance, and you will be sent a letter of 'underlying entitlement'. "This tells the benefit agencies that you are still a carer, and because of this it may mean certain benefits you're already receiving increase or you may be eligible to receive certain benefits for the first time." Those claiming other means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit will typically become entitled to any relevant Carer Premium or Carer Addition through this underlying entitlement. Obtaining Pension Credit can also unlock eligibility for numerous other benefits and support based on individual circumstances, with full details available on the website. Pension Credit entitlements: Free prescriptions Free dental treatment Warm Home Discount Cold Weather Payment Free TV licence if you are over 75 The underlying entitlement letter can also be used to prove your caring role for things like getting a discount or free entry to leisure attractions. You will still need to meet all the usual eligibility requirements for Carer's Allowance in order to get underlying entitlement.
Daily Mirror
14-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Reporting service for DWP and HMRC claimants if someone dies
The Tell Us Once service allows people to report a death to the majority of government organisations in a quick and streamlined process Friends and family of those on benefits who have died can alleviate the stress of sorting out affairs with one particular reporting service. When someone dies and the death is registered, benefit departments do not automatically stop payments and they must instead be told of the death directly. However, each relevant department does not need to be individually told due to the Tell Us Once service. This service enables people to report a death to most government organisations all at once. This means that if the deceased was claiming benefits from one or more departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), they can be notified at the same time so that all payments stop. Carer's benefits and death This is particularly crucial if you're receiving a carer's benefit, such as Carer's Allowance, that is dependent on a person who has now died, as you could be overpaid. If you are overpaid because of this, you may be required to repay the money. However, you can still receive payments from Carer's Allowance for up to eight weeks after the person you were caring for passed away. Similarly, payments will continue up to eight weeks for other carer benefits such as Income Support and Carer Premium. If you're currently receiving the carer element of Universal Credit, you could continue to receive your payment at its existing rate before a reassessment takes place and your payments are adjusted through a 'bereavement run on'. This is typically paid for up to three months prior to a reassessment of the claim. Eligibility for Tell Us Once To use the Tell Us Once service, the deceased must have been residing in England, Scotland, or Wales at the time of their passing. The service can also be used if the person passed away whilst temporarily abroad, such as on holiday. Additionally, the death must have been registered or reported to a coroner while possessing a final or interim death certificate. The Tell Us Once service cannot be used if the person was living in Northern Ireland or was permanently residing abroad when they passed away. How to use the Tell Us Once service Upon registering someone's death, a registrar should explain how to use the Tell Us Once service and will either assist you in completing the service or provide you with a unique reference number so you can use the service online or over the phone. However, the unique reference number is only valid for 28 days, so you must use the service within this period. Alongside this reference number, you will also need the following before using Tell Us Once: surname if there's no surviving spouse or civil partner or their spouse or civil partner is not able to deal with their affairs, the name and address of their next of kin if there's a surviving spouse or civil partner, the name, address, telephone number and the National Insurance number or date of birth of the spouse or civil partner date they died if they died in a hospital, nursing home, care home or hospice, the name and address of that institution name, address and contact details of the person or company dealing with their estate (property, belongings and money), known as their 'executor' or 'administrator' National Insurance Number (if they were getting money or paying into a relevant pension scheme) In some cases, you may also need to provide: if they were getting any benefits, tax credits or State Pension, information about which ones they were getting if they had a driving licence, their driving licence number if they were getting money or paying into public sector pension schemes, details of those schemes if they had a Blue Badge, their Blue Badge number if you know it if they owned any vehicles, the vehicle registration numbers if they had a passport, their passport number and town of birth if they were paying Council Tax or getting services from their local council, such as Housing Benefit payments, the name of their local council and which services they were getting if they were getting money from an Armed Forces Pension or Compensation Scheme, details of that scheme Further details on Tell Us Once, as well as a link to start using the service, can be found on here.
