Benefits

Welfare benefits are available for you and the person you care for to help you both manage financially.

Depending upon the circumstances of the person you care for, they may be entitled to additional financial support from the government which is intended to help people living with disabilities and long term illnesses to cover extra costs.

You can check whether you are eligible for means tested benefits by using benefits calculators. We recommend using all three to gain an average amount as results will vary.

Benefits Calculators

Policy in Practice

Entitled To

Turn2Us

Note down the results for each

Applying successfully for some benefits is not straightforward. To improve your chances of success, we strongly recommend that you subscribe to Benefits and Work or become a member of Fightback4Justice before applying for benefits and follow their guides. Your local Citizens Advice can also support you with making a claim.

Benefits forms for PIP and Universal Credit are complex and the forms have to be returned within a short time frame. The clock starts ticking when you register your claim with the DWP so it’s better to prepare your claim responses in advance and then register your claim. The boxes on the forms are very small, but it’s best to provide as much detail as possible. Use sheets of paper with your name and National Insurance number at the top to include additional information and prioritise the information you include in the boxes on the forms.

If the person you care for is unable to manage their benefits themselves, you can apply to the Department for Work and Pensions to become their Appointee. You do not need Power of Attorney for this.

Link on FilmTVCarersClub.org Benefits page to information on the government website about Carer's Allowance. An older man with white hair sits in a wheelchair looks down towards a younger dark haired man in a green jumper who is kneeling beside him.

Universal Credit

Universal Credit is a means tested benefit available to support you if you are on a low income or out of work with limited savings and assets. If you are claiming Universal Credit for someone of working age who is unable to work through ill health or disability, they will be required to complete the Work Capability Assessment.

This is a link for claiming PIP on the FilmTVCarersClub.org website. Two middle aged men with short hair smile as they sit close together and look at a large mobile phone screen.

Personal Independence Payments

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit paid to people of working age with a physical or mental health condition to cover the additional costs of a disability or long term illness. PIP is not a means tested benefit. You can apply even if you are working or have substantial savings.

Film and TV Carer's Club page about benefit help. This link is for Universal Credit. On the right, a woman with dark short hair glasses holds a bowl of food to the left is a teenage girl with long brown hair in a pony tail looking at a phone

Carer’s Allowance

You can claim Carer’s Allowance if you care for someone for more than 35 hours per week and they receive Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or another eligible benefit. You cannot claim Carer’s Allowance if you earn over £132 per week after tax.

This link on the FilmTVCarersClub.org Benefits page to information on the government website about Attendance Allowance. An older man and woman sit together. The man on the left is laughing and the woman on the right looking at him is smiling.

Attendance Allowance

If the person you care for is of pensionable age, Attendance Allowance can assist with the extra costs. Attendance Allowance is not a means tested benefit. You can apply whether you still work or have substantial savings.

Link to Disability Living Allowance for Children on .GOV.uk. A small child with curly hair sits on a woman's knee and looks into the camera. The woman with dark shoulder length hair is looking at him.

Disability Living Allowance - Children

Disability Living Allowance is available to pay for the additional costs of your child’s long term health condition or disability.

Film and TV Carer’s Club accepts no responsibility for content on external websites.

A blackboard with a chalk male silhouette walking up text 'Step by Step'

Mental Health Benefits Guide

The CAPG has produced this fantastic Mental Health and Benefits handbook.