People aged 16-65 who are spending at least 35 hours a week caring for a severely disabled person who is in receipt of the middle or highest rate of Disability Living Allowance care component or Attendance Allowance. To claim CA you must not earn more than a certain amount each week or be in full-time education.

Carer's Allowance is a benefit to help people who look after someone who is disabled. You do not have to be related to, or live with, the person you care for.

• You can’t claim Carer's Allowance if you are in full-time education with 21 hours or more a week of supervised study or earn more than £84 a week after certain deductions have been made (such as Income Tax).
  
  
• If you stop looking after the disabled person for a short time, you may still be able to get CA for weeks when, for example, you need to take a short holiday, or when the disabled person is in hospital or respite care, or if you go into hospital. You can take a total of 12 weeks break in any six month period, but no more than four can be holiday weeks. You must tell the CA Unit about any short breaks.
  

• You may carry on when you become 65 if you were entitled to CA before your 65th birthday. You cannot receive a state retirement pension as well as CA.

Use the claim form in pack DS700 which you can get from a social security office or by phoning the Benefit Enquiry Line, tel: 0800 882200 (08:30-18:30 Mon-Fri and 9am-1pm on Sat). The texphone number is 0800 243355 (08:30-18:30 Mon-Fri and 9am-1pm on Sat). Backdating is limited to three months.

The CA rules are complex and can become frustrating. The Carers National Association gives specialist advice, tel: 020 7490 8818.

The Association also runs a free advice line open 10am-12pm and 2-4pm, tel: 0808 808 7777.

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