Carer's Premium: Pension Credit

(asked on 18th January 2016) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of how many people have received a lower pension credit entitlement as a result of receipt of the carer premium in each of the last three years.


Answered by
Justin Tomlinson Portrait
Justin Tomlinson
This question was answered on 25th January 2016

The award of the additional amount for caring in Pension Credit (currently £34.60 weekly) does not, in itself, reduce Pension Credit entitlement as it is an additional sum added to the customer’s appropriate amount. Estimates of numbers qualifying for the additional amount in May 2014 were published last year:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/pension-credit-additional-amounts-and-assessed-income-periods-may-2014

However, in order to qualify for the additional amount for caring the customer must be entitled to Carer’s Allowance. If Carer’s Allowance is in payment then it is taken into account as income and the person being cared for does not qualify for the additional amount for severe disability in Pension Credit. We do not have any estimates of the impact on Pension Credit where Carer’s Allowance is in payment.


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