Caring for someone while on a Spouse Visa

[malct]

Hi.

My wife is caring for a relative who is not so well and she as been advised that she can claim from the government for Carers allowance.

Looking of the Direct Gov web site, under Eligibility, It says that you must have spent 2 out of the last 3 years in the UK.

I am not sure how this would effect my wife, she arrived in the UK on the 3rd Oct 2011 on a Spouse Visa which means that she has only been in the UK 21 months apart from Holidays, Prior to that, My wife was in the UK for 6 months on a Visitors visa from March 2011 to august 2011.

Can anyone offer any advice on if she can make a claim or not, we don't want this effecting her IIR application in September.

Regards

Malc

[7by7]

Carers allowance is on the list of proscribed public funds, and I cannot find it under the exceptions.

The carers allowance eligibility page also says that to be eligible to receive it you must not be subject to immigration control (ignore the bity about sponsored immigrants; that doesn't mean spouses or partners).

[Maybole]

I am not sure if there is the same in England. In Scotland there is such a thing as an "Attendance Allowance", which is paid directly to the infirm.There are two levels depending on the amount of infirmity and it is not counted for Income Tax. Access is through the local Social Work department.

[7by7]

Good point, Maybole.

Whilst someone subject to immigration control cannot receive attendance allowance, I can see no reason why someone who is in receipt of it cannot use some or all of it to pay a person subject to immigration control to look after them.

Eligibility.

You can get Attendance Allowance if you’re 65 or over and the following apply:

• you have a physical disability (including sensory disability, eg blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties), or both
• your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else’s safety

Wont be much, though. The highest rate is just £79.15; and that's only paid if the person requires constant care and/or supervision 24/7.

[malct]

Today has been frustrating , We went to Cab who gave us the wrong information saying that my relative can claim PIP ( Personal Independence Payment) which was the wrong info because my relative is older than 64 and the people at the PIP gave us wrong contact numbers for the DWP.

Regarding the Carers allowance, I have spoken to DWP regarding my wife and i pointed out that my wife has spent more than 2 years in the UK out of the last 3 due to a visitors visa and now the spouse Visa, She maybe able to claim, so if we apply for the carers allowance, We have to send a covering letter plus either her passports or take her passport to a local JSA and they will take Photo copies of my wifes passport showing Visa's and dates.

When speaking to the lady at the DWP, i pointed out that we have to be sure that if she was to claim to be a carer, this has not to jeopardize her IIR application, the lady said that it would help her application.

Our relative is able to claim attendance allowence, So some of this maybe passed on to my wife caring for her.

My wife is doing more than the 35 hours caring.

I am unable to apply because i earn over £100 a week.

[malct]

The reason why i posted is because my wife is caring for someone and i needed confirmation if my wife can Claim carers allowance while on a spouse visa, I was not aware that carers allowance was a benefit plus i needed to know that if she did claim carers allowance, that it would not effect her IIR application.

I am sorry if you thought that i was using this forum for advice for benefit claiming.

[Jay Sata]

What your wife is doing is wonderful. It would cost the UK a lot more if a private company looked after your relative and employed your wife to do the job.

The Thai way of taking care of ailing family and offspring is a better model than the UK where we dump them in local authority homes.

[malct]

Can i ask MrZM

What is your problem?

I was not aware that the Carers allowance was a Benefit, thats why i asked the question, but we were advised that my wife should receive a payment to cover her own expenses, the likes of Transport for a 12 mile round trip everyday, using her own washing machine to wash my relatives clothes, then ironing, Doing the shopping, Cleaning the House and its more than the 35 hours a week.

as i stated in my first post, I wanted to know if receiving carers allowance would effect my wife's IIR, So it is relevant to this forum.

My wife is caring because its in her nature to be caring, Not because of money and lets face it, The carers allowance would not go far and it's less that £2 a hour.

[MrZM]

Can i ask MrZM

What is your problem?

I was not aware that the Carers allowance was a Benefit, thats why i asked the question, but we were advised that my wife should receive a payment to cover her own expenses, the likes of Transport for a 12 mile round trip everyday, using her own washing machine to wash my relatives clothes, then ironing, Doing the shopping, Cleaning the House and its more than the 35 hours a week.

as i stated in my first post, I wanted to know if receiving carers allowance would effect my wife's IIR, So it is relevant to this forum.

My wife is caring because its in her nature to be caring, Not because of money and lets face it, The carers allowance would not go far and it's less that £2 a hour.

As I said in my post, I admire your wife for what she is doing, it's not an easy job!

Against that fact, you are asking wether she is able to claim carers allowance, which like any tax payer funded pool is a benefit.

Which is usually added to DLA.

[theoldgit]

Unpleasant remark removed plus a few, reasonable, responses.