Disability Living Allowance for Carers Guide
Residents of the UK who have a physical or mental disability or both may qualify for a disability living allowance. Additionally, if an individual has a disability that is severe enough that you need help caring for yourself or if you have walking disabilities, you may be eligible for a disability living allowance.
To qualify for benefits if you need help caring for yourself, your disability must be severe enough that:
1- You need help with washing or dressing yourself, eating, getting to and using the toilet, or communicating your needs
2- Are at risk of putting yourself or others in danger
3- Are a dialysis patient
4- Not being able to prepare a meal for yourself
Depending on how your disability affects you determines the rate component you will receive. There are three rate components:
- The lowest rate is given if you need help or supervision for part of the day or if you are unable to prepare a complete meal
- The middle rate is given if you need help or supervision throughout the day only, or someone to watch over you during the night only, of if you need someone with you while on dialysis
- The highest rate is given is you need help or supervision all the time
Disability Living Allowance For Mobility Needs
For the disabled individual who has mobility needs, there is certain criteria that must be met to determine the rate component you will receive. Your disability must be severe enough that:
-You are unable or virtually unable to walk, or if you have no feet or legs
-You are both 100% disabled because of loss of eyesight and not less than 80% disabled because of deafness and you need someone with you when you leave the house
-You are severely mentally impaired with severe behavioural problems and qualify for the high care component
-Trying to walk could threaten your life or seriously affect your health
-You need help when walking outside or in unfamiliar places
There are only two mobility rate components:
1- The lower rate is given if you need guidance or supervision out of doors
2- The higher rate is given is you have more severe walking disabilities
Children can also receive the disability living allowance as long as they are at least three months old if:
1- The child is unable or virtually unable to walk
2- If the child is 100% disabled because of loss of eyesight of not less than 80% disabled because of deafness
3- If the child is severely mentally impaired with severe behavioural problems and qualifies for the highest rate care component
4- At age five if the child needs guidance or supervision when walking outside
A person qualifies for the disability living allowance if they have a progressive disease and they are not expected to live more than another six months. The disabled person will get the highest care rate component no matter what their needs are without having to wait three months.
To get the disability living allowance an individual must generally:
- Be a resident in Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales)
- Be in Great Britain when you file the claim
- Have lived in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Isla of Man, Jersey or Guernsey for at least the last 26 weeks out of the last 52 weeks
- Not be subject to immigration control
In a lot of cases, the disabled person may need someone to come into their home and care for their needs. If that is the case, the UK offers a Carer’s allowance for that type of situation. In order to be eligible to receive the Carer’s allowance a person must:
- Be over the age of 16
-Spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a person who gets:
+ An attendance allowance
+ The disability living allowance at the middle or highest rate for personal care
+ Constant attendance allowance at or above the normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
+ Constant Attendance Allowance at the basic rate with a War Disablement Pension
An individual cannot get the Carer’s allowance if they are a full time student with 21 or more hours a week of supervised study or if they earn more than £95 a week after deductions. Carer’s can receive a weekly rate of £53.10 as long as other benefits are not £53.10 or more a week. This allowance is paid weekly directly into an account of your choosing that accepts direct deposit payments. In order to claim a Carer’s allowance, the claimant can file the claim online, ask for a claim form to be mailed to them or download a copy from the website here.
If you are a resident in the UK and have a disability that prevents you from caring for yourself as you should, you could qualify for a disability living allowance. If your condition is severe enough, it is possible to get someone to come to your home and care for you and the caregiver can get what is called a Carer’s allowance for helping you.