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<p>Carer’s Allowance aims 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.</p><p>For those over
the age of retirement, the State Pension is intended to replace income when work ceases.
It has been a long-held feature of the UK’s benefit system under successive governments
that, where someone is entitled to two benefits for the same contingency, then whilst
there may be entitlement to both benefits, only one will be paid to prevent duplicate
financial provision for the same need. We have no plans to change these arrangements.</p><p>Where
underlying entitlement of Carer’s Allowance occurs (all entitlement conditions are
met, but the overlapping benefit rule prevents payment), additional financial support
may already be available through Pension Credit, notably including the additional
amount payable to carers in Pension Credit. This additional amount is currently £42.75
a week and 108,000 people are receiving it. It is paid to recognise the additional
contribution and responsibilities associated with caring and means that lower income
pensioners with caring responsibilities can receive more than other lower income recipients
of Pension Credit. 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> </p><p>Since April
2022, the Government has undertaken a substantial and sustained communications campaign
to raise awareness of Pension Credit and promote its take-up, including extensive
advertising in regional and national newspapers, on social media, on the radio and
on TV. The department also includes information in the leaflet that accompanies the
annual uprating letters to pensioners drawing attention to the availability of Pension
Credit and encouraging them to check their eligibility and make a claim.</p>
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