Carers allowance & compliance interview...

[Bazooka Boo]

Letter arrived today informing the other half that the DWP would be calling (telephone) on dd/mm, to go through a compliance interview to check she is getting the correct "benefits ", which currently is carers allowance, although she did work it was only 16hrs a week, the standard cut off for most claims.

 

However having now looked into it, it works out at 15hrs if you're earning nmw at £8.21hr, so this has taken her above the £120 a week earnings whereby she wouldn't qualify for CA.

 

Now she is unemployed as it was a zero hours contract and the summer season has ended, any advice or steers as to who/what to say/do or what I'm able to refer to please.?

[unclebulgaria67]

Compliance should have all of the earnings information from a data feed from HMRC, if the employers have reported the information.

 

So i would expect that the questions will be to check the information is correct, as it is not unknown for employers to make mistakes. 

 

Other half should have all of her wage slips in date order ready to go through them.

 

It is the net earnings amount and not the hours, that is relevant.

 

From what you have said, perhaps some periods will be treated as overpaid, as earnings too much ? 

Your eligibility

All of the following must apply:

• you’re 16 or over
• you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone
• you’ve been in England, Scotland or Wales for at least 2 of the last 3 years (this does not apply if you’re a refugee or have humanitarian protection status)
• you normally live in England, Scotland or Wales, or you live abroad as a member of the armed forces (you might still be eligible if you’re moving to or already living in another EEA country or Switzerland)
• you’re not in full-time education
• you’re not studying for 21 hours a week or more
• you’re not subject to immigration control
• your income is less than £123 a week after tax, national insurance and expenses

 

[Bazooka Boo]

Yes that's my thoughts exactly UB, however, what do the mean by 'expenses'?

If that covers fuel getting to and from a place of work it will bring her under the threshold,  we are talking exactly £8.21 over the maximum weekly income in earnings, and £10 of that went in the tank...??

[unclebulgaria67]

Expenses are where someone is either employed or self employed and they have allowable deductions for expenses made, which reduce their net earnings.

 

If someone is employed, it is only the net pay showing on wage slips that matters. The costs of getting to and from work are not going to be considered.

 

it is possible that for each week pay was over the £123 or whatever threshold was relevant at the time, that the Carers Allowance would be seen as overpaid .

If the weekly pay was not the same each week i.e. It was sometimes below the threshold and sometimes above, you could work out the average per week over the relevant period. Then argue that the average weekly pay should be used to verify whether overpayment occurred or not.

 

 

 

 

[Bazooka Boo]

Thanks UB, will keep this in mind, we'll need to go through her wage slips and bank statements and get all our ducks in a  row.

 

Thank you!