Can 2 disabled persons claim carers allowance or each other?
Yes they can, there is nothing in law to prevent this. To claim Carers Allowance a person must care for another for 35 hours per week and that person must get AA or DLA at middle or higher rate care component. There is no definition of the care that has to be provided and all that is required is that they provide ‘encouragement and support and are ready to intervene if required’ (eg call an ambulance). The only time the Carers Allowance Unit would question this would be if one person couldn’t possiably do any encouraging or supporting eg if they were paraplegic, other than this make a claim This is an important concept for maximising people’s incomes as well as possible Carers Allowance they will both also qualify for the Carers Premium of Income support or Pension credit (depending on their age), this is an extra 50.50 per week that may bring them onto IS/PC for the first time or increase the amount they are actually paid. The CA also does not affect their Severe Disability premiums a
