Client aged 65, gets RP + earnings related addition, and DLA MRC. Husband 59 gets short term lower IB. About to make a claim for CA to qualify for the carer's additional amount and thus get Guarantee Credit.

For Savings Credit purposes, IB does not count as "qualifying income" but CA does. Has anyone explored whether underlying entitlement to a benefit that would count as qualifying income if it were in payment can also be counted for the savings credit calculation?

Or, put another way, is it possible to argue that he'll really be getting £45.70 CA topped up by £11.95 IB? State Pension Credit Reg 9 is silent on this, so any suggestions...?

Hi Gerry,

I liked your idea so much I had to put aside my lunch break to have a look!

Unfortunately, I think you may be caught out by Reg 15(3) of the SPCR, which if I'm reading it right would exclude the underlying Carers Allowance as income because of the overlapping benefit regs.

Dammit Simon I think you're right. They've anticipated and pre-empted what I was hoping might be quite a useful ploy.
Oh well...

Mind you, there's still a better off calculation to do, and he may need to think about giving up the IB in favour of CA.

True, but I so wanted your other idea to work