If you have reduced your hours at work or stopped working altogether in order to provide unpaid care for someone, you may be eligible for certain benefits. In this guide, we’ll go through the benefits available to dementia carers in the UK, as well as other discounts and allowances on offer to you and the person you care for.
What Benefits are Dementia Carers Eligible for?
Carer’s Allowance
This is a benefit available for people caring for someone for 35 hours or more per week. Our full guide to Carer’s Allowance for dementia carers will talk you through:
- What Carer’s Allowance is
- Who is eligible
- What you’ll receive
- How to claim
Universal Credit
Universal credit may be available to you if you are out of work or on a low income. If you currently receive universal credit already but also spend 35 hours or more per week caring for someone who gets a disability benefit, you may be eligible to get extra money as a part of this benefit.
The Understanding Universal Credit website will help guide you through whether you are eligible for this benefit, and how much you may be entitled to.
Carer’s credit
This benefit for dementia carers is available to people who are caring for someone 20 hours a week or more, providing you are under State Pension age.
You’ll need to fill out a Carer’s Credit claim form to apply for this benefit. You don’t need to apply if you already get Carer’s Allowance as the credit will automatically be applied.
Other dementia guides you may find helpful
Scotland: Benefits for Dementia Carers
Young Carer Grant
This is a grant of £300 per year until you turn 19, and is available to any young carer between 16 – 18 who lives in Scotland.
You must meet these additional requirements to be eligible for the grant:
- You provide 16 or more hours of care for someone who has been receiving one of the following benefits for three months or more:
– Personal Independence Payment (PIP) daily living component
– Disability Living Allowance (DLA) middle or high rate care component
– Attendance Allowance
– Armed Forces Independence Payment
– Constant Attendance Allowance
You can claim your Young Carers Grant online if you think you are eligible.
Carer’s Allowance Supplement
This is an extra payment for people who get Carer’s Allowance on a particular date, and live in Scotland.
People receiving Carer’s Allowance Supplement will receive £245.70 from December 2022 if you get your Carer’s Allowance on 10th October 2022.
You can find out more and check if you are eligible for Carer’s Allowance Supplement online.
Other Benefits for Carers:
These benefits for dementia carers can be a huge help to you financially – enabling you and the person you care for to enjoy enriching days out across the country without worrying about the additional cost of admission for two people.
Carers Cashback Card
The Ode card from Discounts for Carers allows you to earn cashback when shopping with retailers such as Asda, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, and Boots.
Local Carer’s Cards
Many local council’s offer a carer’s card which acts as proof of your role as a carer, and can entitle you to some discounts in your area. Contact your local council to find out if they offer a carer’s card.
CEA Card
This national scheme enables a disabled cinema guest to receive a complimentary ticket for someone to go with them when visiting a participating cinema.
Carers Go Free
There are a number of attractions and organisations that enable carers to visit for free when taking the person they care for. These include (but are not limited to):
- The National Trust
- Chessington
- Chester Zoo
- Disneyland Paris
- Legoland
- RHS Garden Bridgewater
- Woburn Safari Park
Insurance for Dementia Carers
If you are a self-employed carer, work as a Personal Assistant, or provide care arranged via direct payments, you may want to consider carer’s insurance to cover you should an accident occur while at work.
Read more about carers insurance and why it’s something you should seriously consider.