Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling the Carer’s Allowance to be treated as earnings for the work allowance element of the calculation of Universal Credit.

There are no plans to change the way that Carer’s Allowance is treated in Universal Credit.

In recognition of the support provided by carers for relatives, partners and friends who may be ill, frail or disabled, there is an additional amount of benefit payable in Universal Credit to support carers who provide care of 35 hours or more each week for a severely disabled person. For claimants who meets these requirements an additional amount for caring, £168.81 per month, is included in their Universal Credit entitlement.

Carer’s Allowance is a benefit paid by the State and so is classed as unearned income.