Hello,

A colleague of mine has an elderly client who is 63 her husband is 64. Mrs receives an SRP of £47.23 per week – she has applied for carers allowance and is being paid £10.18 per week giving her a total SRP/CA top up to £57.41.

We calculate that the Carers Allowance top up should be £3.32. I recall something previously about a lower SRP rate used when calculating the difference between SRp & CA and that clients can actually receive an amount higher than £50.55, as in this case.

Our assumption is that for some strange reason the client is being topped up to Basic married woman’s SRP (+£7.12 to £54.5) & to the CA level (+£3.32 to £50.55), £47.23 + £7.12 + £3.32 total £57.67 however then the total amount worked out is higher!

Any answers?!

Thanks

Jen

If her basic State Retirement Pension was £40.37 per week and she had Graduated Pension or SERPS included in her Pension making it £47.23 per week then the Carers Allowance she would be entitled would be £10.81. Carers Allowance tops your basic State Retirement Pension up to the Carers Allowance amount. It does not take into account Graduated Pension or SERPS.

I think Reg 4(2)(f) of The social security overlapping benefits regulations 1979 No.597 backs this up. Found on the following link:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/docs/lawvols/bluevol/pdf/a3_7301.pdf