Should carers keep getting Carer’s Allowance after they reach state pension age?
Carer’s Allowance is currently £86.45 per week for those providing at least 35 hours of care to someone receiving a qualifying disability benefit. People over state pension age cannot usually receive full Carer’s Allowance and full state pension at the same time due to the overlapping benefits rule; if the pension is higher, they get underlying entitlement instead, which may boost Pension Credit but pays no extra cash. Recent rises in state pension age from 66 to 67 are projected to leave around 26,000 carers around £134 per week worse off during the transition.
29 Opinions
Carers save this country a fortune and is largely done by women. Caring almost always costs money and effort that would not be required if it was not being done- extra laundry, special food, extra journeys for example. The carers allowance should not be means tested or included in mean tested benefits.
The carers allowance is to account for lost earnings. If you’re retired and claiming a pension then by definition you are not losing earnings anymore.
The 2 "benefits" should be separate. The state pension is classed as a benefit, but in reality it's only a benefit to those from households that didn't contribute through working - to everyone else, it is an expectation. Both carer's allowance & pensions are taxable, so the state could still get its ugly claws on some of the money.
Why not. If they are caring for somebody why is the fact that they are of pensionable age even relevant. The State tries to impoverish us at every stage of our lives. Social care is not properly funded & families live with the consequences. It would be another example of our greedy bureaucracy wanting something for free.
All the time they provide 35hrs of care a week and prevents other services from being involved yes they should. But if they are not able to provide the services required then it needs reviewing
You don't stop being a carer just because you're a pensioner.
Once people reach state pension age, support should sit within the pension and retirement framework rather than continue through working-age benefits. However, the transition must be managed carefully, recognising ongoing caring responsibilities and avoiding a sudden loss of income. Reform should provide a fair, coherent system that supports carers without creating a financial cliff edge simply because they reach retirement age.
Caring duties mean they are not retired, they are working the toughest job. The pittance they are given is much lower than what it would cost the tax payer paying a care agency.
Yes. If pensioners continue providing genuine care, they deserve financial recognition. I'd sooner see that money supporting British families and circulating in our economy than disappearing into the profits of offshore-owned care providers. Unpaid family carers can save taxpayers substantial sums. Support them, scrutinise care-home contracts, expose opaque ownership and profit extraction, and ensure public money pays for actual care rather than enriching shareholders.
The state pension is far more than the carer's allowance, they are no longer losing employment income, so, why should they get both?