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418525

	registered interest
	date	11/09/2015
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy that the recipients of carer's allowance lose only a proportion of that allowance when they begin to earn more that £110 per week.
	tabling member constituency	Edinburgh East
	tabling member printed	Tommy Sheppard
	uin	9983
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2015 answer text <p>The information requested is not available.</p><p> </p><p>A carer can earn up to £110 a week after National Insurance, tax and other allowable expenses are deducted and still be able to receive Carer’s Allowance. The earnings limit was increased by 8% in April 2015 and 4,000 people will benefit from this increase this year. We have no plans to move to a taper system.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 9981 question first answered 16/09/2015 12:39:16 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4453 label Biography information for Tommy Sheppard

416210

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2015
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will replace the earnings limit for Carer's Allowance with an earnings taper.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
	uin	8807
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2015 answer text <p>The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment. It was never intended to be a carer's wage nor a payment for the services of caring, and is therefore not comparable with the National Living Wage.</p><p> </p><p>The earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance is not linked to the number of hours worked. It is currently £110 per week, net of tax, National Insurance and various expenses. This offers help for carers who can undertake some employment in addition to their caring responsibilities. The limit was increased by 8 per cent in April 2015 from £102 per week. Around 4,000 people will benefit from this increase this year.</p><p> </p><p>The Government keeps the earnings limit and rules under review, including whether an increase in the threshold is warranted and affordable.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 8680 question first answered 09/09/2015 15:31:43 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

1383472

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2021
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what communications strategy she has in place to try to ensure that unpaid carers, who are eligible for but not in receipt of Carer’s Allowance because it overlaps with the state pension, are aware that applying for Carer’s Allowance could entitle them to other top-up payments to other benefits; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	84324
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2021 answer text <p>It has been a long-held feature of the UK’s benefit system, under successive Governments, that where someone is entitled to two benefits in broadly the same circumstance then only one will be paid in full. Although entitlement to State Pension and Carer’s Allowance arise in different circumstances they would be paid for the same reason – as an income replacement. Carer’s Allowance replaces income where the carer has given up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to care for a severely disabled person, while State Pension replaces income in retirement. A social security rule, called the “overlapping benefit” rule, operates to prevent them being paid together. There are no plans to change this policy.</p><p> </p><p>If a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer's Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer's Allowance. Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit. This gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit of £37.70 a week, and even if a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, he or she may still be able to receive Housing Benefit. Full details about Carer’s Allowance are available on Gov.UK which includes a specific reference to additional payments in Pension Credit and links to organisations able to provide advice, such as Carers UK and Carers Trust. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance" target="_blank">Carer's Allowance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p /><p>Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit, and thousands of pensioners are given this status each month. As of May 2021, there were 370,000 Carer’s Allowance claimants with underlying entitlement awards in Great Britain.</p><p> </p><p>As of May 2021, there were 101 carers in the Brighton Pavilion constituency that were receiving a carer premium with their Pension Credit.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith grouped question UIN 84325 question first answered 10/12/2021 11:13:13 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1383473

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2021
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to allow unpaid carers who meet all the conditions for Carer’s Allowance but don’t receive it because it overlaps with the state pension to receive a payment in recognition of their continued caring responsibilities; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	84325
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2021 answer text <p>It has been a long-held feature of the UK’s benefit system, under successive Governments, that where someone is entitled to two benefits in broadly the same circumstance then only one will be paid in full. Although entitlement to State Pension and Carer’s Allowance arise in different circumstances they would be paid for the same reason – as an income replacement. Carer’s Allowance replaces income where the carer has given up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to care for a severely disabled person, while State Pension replaces income in retirement. A social security rule, called the “overlapping benefit” rule, operates to prevent them being paid together. There are no plans to change this policy.</p><p> </p><p>If a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer's Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer's Allowance. Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit. This gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit of £37.70 a week, and even if a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, he or she may still be able to receive Housing Benefit. Full details about Carer’s Allowance are available on Gov.UK which includes a specific reference to additional payments in Pension Credit and links to organisations able to provide advice, such as Carers UK and Carers Trust. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance" target="_blank">Carer's Allowance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p /><p>Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit, and thousands of pensioners are given this status each month. As of May 2021, there were 370,000 Carer’s Allowance claimants with underlying entitlement awards in Great Britain.</p><p> </p><p>As of May 2021, there were 101 carers in the Brighton Pavilion constituency that were receiving a carer premium with their Pension Credit.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith grouped question UIN 84324 question first answered 10/12/2021 11:13:13 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

720852

	registered interest
	date	13/04/2017
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of paying carer's allowance to all those eligible for that benefit, including those with an underlying entitlement.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
	uin	70269
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2017 answer text <p>An estimate of the overall cost to the public purse of paying Carer’s Allowance to those claimants with an underlying entitlement, but not receiving a payment, is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.</p><p> </p><p>Expenditure on Carer’s Allowance is published within the Benefit Expenditure and Caseload Tables 2017 – available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2017</a></p><p> </p><p>Official statistics on the number of people (i) receiving a payment for Carer’s Allowance and (ii) have an underlying entitlement to Carer’s Allowance are available within Stat-Xplore: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available at: <a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 70270 question first answered 20/04/2017 09:40:19 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

720853

	registered interest
	date	13/04/2017
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who are eligible for carer's allowance currently (a) receive that benefit and (b) have an underlying entitlement without payment.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
	uin	70270
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2017 answer text <p>An estimate of the overall cost to the public purse of paying Carer’s Allowance to those claimants with an underlying entitlement, but not receiving a payment, is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.</p><p> </p><p>Expenditure on Carer’s Allowance is published within the Benefit Expenditure and Caseload Tables 2017 – available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2017</a></p><p> </p><p>Official statistics on the number of people (i) receiving a payment for Carer’s Allowance and (ii) have an underlying entitlement to Carer’s Allowance are available within Stat-Xplore: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available at: <a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 70269 question first answered 20/04/2017 09:40:20 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

670350

	registered interest
	date	09/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of individuals in receipt of carers allowance in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	59092
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2017 answer text <p>The information requested on the number of indvidiuals in receipt of Carer’s Allowance is published and available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp" target="_blank">https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp" target="_blank">https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The information requested on the total number of individuals entitled to Carer’s Allowance, including those not in receipt of a payment, is published and available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance</a></p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 59195 question first answered 12/01/2017 16:00:09 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

670343

	registered interest
	date	09/01/2017
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people claiming carer's allowance by age in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	59195
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2017 answer text <p>The information requested on the number of indvidiuals in receipt of Carer’s Allowance is published and available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp" target="_blank">https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp" target="_blank">https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The information requested on the total number of individuals entitled to Carer’s Allowance, including those not in receipt of a payment, is published and available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance</a></p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 59092 question first answered 12/01/2017 16:00:09 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

514567

	registered interest
	date	20/04/2016
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the eligibility threshold for carer's allowance to enable carers working 16 hours per week on the new National Living Wage to keep their entitlement to that allowance.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	34752
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2016 answer text <p>The primary purpose of Carer's Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring, nor is it intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.</p><p> </p><p>The earnings limit for Carer's Allowance is a net figure which is the figure left once income tax, National Insurance contributions and half of any contributions to an occupational or personal pension are deducted from earnings. There are also a number of other deductions which can be made that mean that people can earn significantly more than £110 per week and still be eligible for Carer's Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>The Carer's Allowance earnings limit is not linked to the number of hours worked. Instead, it is set at a level that aims to encourage those who give up full time work in order to undertake caring responsibilities to maintain a link with the labour market through part time work.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the Government does not link the earnings limit to any other particular factor (including the National Living Wage), we do keep it under regular review and increase it when it is warranted and affordable, and this will continue to be our approach. Most recently in April 2015 the earnings limit was increased by 8% to £110, far outstripping the general increase in earnings.</p><p> </p><p>For those carers working around 16 hours a week on a low income and receiving Working Tax Credit, Carer's Allowance is taken fully into account as income. That means that any loss in Carer's Allowance is likely to be offset by an increase in Working Tax Credit, and this is one of the changes of circumstances that results in an immediate change to Tax Credits. Going forward the earnings taper in Universal Credit will help ensure that people are always better off in work.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 34896 34897 question first answered 25/04/2016 14:44:03 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

514554

	registered interest
	date	20/04/2016
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the new national living wage on carers who will lose their eligibility for the carer's allowance for working 16 hours per week.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	34896
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2016 answer text <p>The primary purpose of Carer's Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring, nor is it intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.</p><p> </p><p>The earnings limit for Carer's Allowance is a net figure which is the figure left once income tax, National Insurance contributions and half of any contributions to an occupational or personal pension are deducted from earnings. There are also a number of other deductions which can be made that mean that people can earn significantly more than £110 per week and still be eligible for Carer's Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>The Carer's Allowance earnings limit is not linked to the number of hours worked. Instead, it is set at a level that aims to encourage those who give up full time work in order to undertake caring responsibilities to maintain a link with the labour market through part time work.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the Government does not link the earnings limit to any other particular factor (including the National Living Wage), we do keep it under regular review and increase it when it is warranted and affordable, and this will continue to be our approach. Most recently in April 2015 the earnings limit was increased by 8% to £110, far outstripping the general increase in earnings.</p><p> </p><p>For those carers working around 16 hours a week on a low income and receiving Working Tax Credit, Carer's Allowance is taken fully into account as income. That means that any loss in Carer's Allowance is likely to be offset by an increase in Working Tax Credit, and this is one of the changes of circumstances that results in an immediate change to Tax Credits. Going forward the earnings taper in Universal Credit will help ensure that people are always better off in work.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 34752 34897 question first answered 25/04/2016 14:44:03 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh