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<p>The government values the vital contribution made by carers to society and continues
to provide financial support to unpaid carers – including members of the Armed Forces
community – through Carer’s Allowance, the Carer Element in Universal Credit and through
other benefits. Carers within the Armed Forces community have access to various channels
of government support. Carers may be eligible for Carer’s Allowance if the person
for whom they care receives disability benefits or related qualifying payments such
as Armed Forces Independence Payment and the War Pension Constant Attendance Allowance.</p><p>The
government understands that the rising cost of living has presented additional financial
challenges to many people, and particularly to the most vulnerable members of society
such as disabled people and their carers. That is why the Cost of Living package announced
on 26 May includes UK-wide support to help disabled people with the particular extra
costs they are facing, with 6 million people who receive non-means-tested disability
benefits due to receive a one-off Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150. Veterans
in receipt of a disability benefit through the Department for Work and Pensions, such
as Personal Independence Payment, or in receipt of similar support specifically for
veterans – such as Armed Forces Independence Payment, the War Pension Mobility Supplement
or War Pension Constant Attendance Allowance – are eligible for the £150 Disability
Cost of Living Payment. Carers of these veterans will also benefit from this payment
if they live in the same household.</p><p>Carers may also be able to benefit from
other elements of the £37 billion of support for the cost of living the government
has announced this year, which include: a one-off Cost of Living Payment of £650,
paid in two instalments, for over 8 million households across the UK in receipt of
means-tested benefits; an extra one-off £300 this year for over 8 million pensioner
households, to cover the rising cost of energy this winter; and £400 off the bills
of all domestic electricity customers in Great Britain from October, through the expansion
of the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS).</p><p>Previously announced measures to
help people tackle the cost of living will also benefit carers, including frozen alcohol
duty and fuel duty, raising the NICs threshold, council tax rebates and the rise in
the National Living Wage to £9.50 an hour. For people that are not eligible for Cost
of Living Payments or for those that still need additional support, the government
is providing an extra £500 million of local support, via the Household Support Fund.
The Fund will be extended from this October to March 2023, bringing total funding
for the scheme to £1.5 billion.</p>
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