People on benefits including Universal Credit and Pension Credit have been urged to check if they could get a ‘higher rate’ of payments.
The Government has issued advice about how carers can get extra payments on top of their benefits, in response to a question in Parliament.
Labour peer, Lord Keith Bradley, asked ministers if there were any plans to review the payment rates for Carer’s Allowance or the eligibility criteria for the benefit.
Responding to his query, Baroness Maeve Sherlock said the Government is “looking closely” at how to better support carers particularly through Universal Credit and Carer’s Allowance.
She pointed out that the law states the state pension and benefit payment rates have to be reviewed every year.
Baroness Sherlock explained: “In the case of Carer’s Allowance, the relevant statute provides that it must rise at least in line with the increase in prices over the preceding year. The review to set rates for 2025/26 will take place in the autumn.”
She also said that there is extra support through the benefits system for carers.
She explained: “Full-time unpaid carers on low incomes may also be eligible for means-tested support, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit.
“These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively.
“Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £198.31 per monthly assessment period. The additional amount for carers in Pension Credit is £45.60 a week.”
Benefits payment rates increased 6.7 percent in April in line with inflation, including Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit and Pension Credit.
Carer’s Allowance is currently £81.90 a week with the benefit providing access to other support such as a council tax reduction or help from your local council.
State pension payments went up 8.5 percent following the triple lock rule, which guarantees payments increase by the highest of 2.5 percent, inflation or the rise in average earnings.
You can find out what benefits you can claim using a benefits calculator, such as the one on the Turn2us website.
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