JSA and caring for someone

Hi,

Can someone give me some advice please. My son who is 28,is on JSA, he also helps care for me, along with my husband, I get DLA, LRC and LRM, and I really had to fight for that, as I only get LRC I do not qualify for carers allowanace. My son has been getting the right run aroound from the job centre, changing his appt times, etc etc. anyway he was late for an appt. when questioned he told them that he had been looking after me as my husband had to go out, they then said "well you're not down as a registered carer", so then he explained about my DLA etc, and they actually rang me up and I explained everything to them.

So, my question is, how does he register as one of my carers, when he doesn't get carers allowance for me? Do I write to them?, any advice would be great.


Sorry for the long post, hope it makes sense.

Thanks Chrissie

Hi Harley,

This is not an area I know anything about, I'm afraid.

Other than getting carer's allowance, I'm not sure that there is an 'official' status of carer. But literally millions of people across the UK are carers without receiving care allowance. It would be hard for even the DWP to argue that there are no carers other than people who get CA.

In the end, where someone is late for, or misses an appointment, they need to show that they had reasonable grounds for doing so and, if the decsion goes against them, appeal.

Good luck,

Steve

thank you Steve

Hi Harley

Well let's hope that the Adviser at the Jobcentre has noted the telephone call in the CONV (conversation) section of LMS (Labour Market System). Make sure your son asks the Adviser if this has been done at his next FJR (Fornightly Jobseekers Review). In the event that your son might not be able to keep his appointment with them as a result of taking care of you, on receipt of a telephone call (make sure he takes the name of the person he speaks to) the FJR person can do 1 of 2 things. Excuse attendance on the grounds of a domestic emergency (up to 1 week on each occasion and up to 4 occasions per year) or for up to 8 weeks for looking after a member of the family who is ill.

Unless the regulations have changed, this was the case up until May last year. Hope this information is of assistance to you.

Hi Harley

If you get advice from CAB or your local Welfare Rights office with Social service.
They will help your son apply for Carers Allowance.

You can also go through your GP.

This will mean he will be registered or at least officialy noted as a carer.

If your son is claiming JSA he won't get any money, but he will get what is called Underlying Entitlement to Carers Allowance.

He will be registered and It could, possibly, also be a road in to other benefit entitlements as well.

Look around on the Web for Carers Associations in your area they can also help.

'Yours' Magazine for the over 50s is very good for giving advice to carers.

Hope this is of some help

I think I am right in saying that you can only qualify for carers allowance if the person cared for is on the middle rate of care or higher. Sadly.