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<p>The Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by informal
carers who provide invaluable support for relatives, partners, friends and neighbours
who may be ill, frail or disabled. We are already supporting carers in a number of
ways, including through the benefit system. Since 2010 the rate of Carer’s Allowance
(CA) has increased from £53.90 to £64.60 a week, meaning an additional £550 a year
for carers. By 2022/23 we are forecast to spend £3.7bn a year on CA, a real terms
increase of more than a third since 2016/17.</p><p> </p><p>Access to CA for pensioners
and full-time students reflect long-standing principles of the benefit system and
we have no plans to change the rules.</p><p> </p><p>Although there is no age limit
to claiming CA, it cannot normally be paid with the State Pension. CA 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.
For this reason, social security rules operate to prevent them being paid together,
to avoid duplicate provision for the same need. However, if a carer’s State Pension
is less than CA, State Pension is paid and topped up with CA to the basic weekly rate
of CA. Where CA 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
£36.00 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.</p><p>The Government thinks
it is right that people in full-time education should be supported by the educational
maintenance system, via its range of loans and grants, and not the social security
benefit system. That is why, as a general principle, full-time students are usually
precluded from entitlement to income-related and income-maintenance benefits. Part-time
students may be able to claim CA though.</p>
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