Skyrocketing denials for crucial advantage offering £340 yearly, enabling comprehensive state pension benefits - strategies to evade it
In the UK, a significant number of individuals are providing unpaid care to loved ones, totaling almost 5.7 million people. However, many of these carers may be unaware of the benefits available to them, particularly Carer's Credit. This article aims to shed light on this often overlooked benefit and its eligibility criteria.
Carer's Credit is a National Insurance credit that can help fill in the gaps in your National Insurance record, ensuring you receive the full state pension when you reach retirement age. If you are aged 16 or over but under the state pension age, you may be eligible to claim Carer's Credit.
The main requirement for eligibility is that you care for someone for 20 hours or more a week. This can be for one or more people, and you may still be eligible even if you do not qualify for Carer's Allowance. For instance, if you do not care for any one of them for 35 hours or more a week, you can still claim Carer's Credit.
The person you are caring for must typically be receiving one of the following: the middle or higher rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) (at either rate), Attendance Allowance (at either rate) or Constant Attendance Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP), or be in hospital or residential care.
However, there are exceptions to this rule. You can claim Carer's Credit if the person you are caring for does not claim disability benefits or if their benefits have stopped due to hospital or residential care.
Jon Greer, head of retirement policy at Quilter, has highlighted the issue of too many carers missing out on this benefit due to lack of awareness or administrative complexities. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) acknowledges concerns about the number of rejected Carer's Credit applications in the past and present, emphasizing efforts to improve awareness and support to reduce refusal rates.
In 2024/25, a total of 6,773 Carer's Credit claims were submitted, with 990 being rejected, which means nearly 15% of claims were rejected. The most common reasons for refusal were missing qualifying benefit links or missing health or social care certificates.
If your claim for Carer's Credit is rejected, you can still challenge the decision through mandatory reconsideration within one month of the date of your decision letter. You'll need to provide the date of your original benefit decision, your name and address, your date of birth, and your National Insurance number when asking for mandatory reconsideration.
If you are a foster carer, you can apply for National Insurance credits instead of Carer's Credit. If you get Carer's Allowance or Carer Support Payment, you automatically receive Carer's Credit. For those who do not qualify for these benefits, you can download a claim form online through the Government website or get the form by calling the Carer's Allowance Unit.
When you apply, you should fill in the Care Certificate part of the application form and ask a healthcare professional to sign it. If you have only 10 qualifying years, you would get just £3,420.86 a year. Claiming Carer's Credit can significantly boost your National Insurance contributions and help secure your future state pension.
In conclusion, Carer's Credit is an essential benefit for many carers in the UK. By understanding its eligibility criteria and the process of claiming, carers can ensure they are not missing out on this valuable benefit. For more information, visit the Government's website or contact the Carer's Allowance Unit.
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