Can You Apply For Carer's While On Disability Allowance?

brigidcooley75

Just a quick question, my daughter is on disability allowance for anxiety disorder and she lives with me. She's been working very hard on helping me at home, living here and taking care of me and my husband, as I'm struggling as my knee gets worse as does my arthritis. My husbands in his 70's and hasn't been the same since he had an embolism to the brain, so he can't be left on his own as he tends to forget lots of things like leaving doors open or keys in them, the cooker on and things like that.

My daughter lives with us, and does so much around the house for us, and as I don't claim anything at all and I just rely on my husbands pension and my daughter helps with food shopping and whatever she can, I was wondering if I can put in for her to be my carer for carers allowance?

Will she have to be taken off her disability allowance? I don't want to make things difficult financially for her, or is it worth going down that root?

baby and crumble

You can't receive two full SW payments at once, but there is something called the Half-Rate Carers Allowance, where if you get certain payments and then become a carer, you can claim your full original payment and then a half-rate of carers. DA is one of the qualifying payments.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/half_rate_carers_allowance.html

She may also be eligible for the Carers Support Grant which is a one-off payment paid in June each year: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/respite_care_grant.html

She can also put in to be assessed as a carer for you both, as there's also an increase when caring for a 2nd person.

Family Carers Ireland might be worth a chat, they have a phoneline you can call (1800 240724), or they have lots of local centres around the country you can call in to for advice (https://familycarers.ie/find-us/).

brigidcooley75

Thank you so much, that is very helpful!!

lulu1

You can get half-rate Carer’s Allowance with the following weekly social welfare payments:
State Pension (Contributory) and State Pension (Contributory) Increase for a Qualified Adult
Deserted Wife's Benefit
Invalidity Pension and Invalidity Pension Increase for a Qualified Adult
Jobseeker's Benefit Increase for a Qualified Adult
Jobseeker's Allowance Increase for a Qualified Adult
Illness Benefit and Illness Benefit Increase for a Qualified Adult
Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
Injury Benefit and Injury Benefit Increase for a Qualified Adult
Death Benefit
Health and Safety Benefit
Partial Capacity Benefit
Maternity Benefit
Adoptive Benefit
State Pension (Non-Contributory) and State Pension (Non-Contributory) Increase for a Qualified Adult
Blind Pension and Blind Pension Increase for a Qualified Adult
Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension
One-Parent Family Payment
Pre-Retirement Allowance and Pre-Retirement Allowance Increase for a Qualified Adult Allowance
Disability Allowance and Disability Allowance Increase for a Qualified Adult
Incapacity Supplement and Incapacity Supplement Increase for a Qualified Adult
Farm Assist and Farm Assist Increase for a Qualified Adult
You cannot get half-rate Carer’s Allowance with the following social welfare payments:
Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) and SWA Increase for a Qualified Adult
Jobseeker's Benefit
Jobseeker's Allowance
Jobseeker's Transitional payment
Working Family Payment (formerly known as Family Income Supplement)
Back to Work Allowance
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Carer’s Benefit