Work and Pensions written question – answered at on 6 June 2005.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the amount of unclaimed carers' benefit in a year; and what plans he has to improve the uptake of that benefit.
Entitlement to carer's allowance depends on whether the qualifying conditions are satisfied and this can be reliably established only after a claim has been made. There are no data available which would provide an estimate of the number of carers who would meet those conditions if they claimed.
Information and advice about entitlement to carer's allowance are available from a range of outlets including social security offices, Jobcentre Plus offices, DWP and other helplines, DWP and other internet sites, local authorities, Citizens Advice and welfare benefit offices, public libraries, health clinics, doctors' surgeries and health visitors. Officials from the Department's disability and carers service also discuss carer's allowance at outreach events up and down the country.
In addition, the extensive pension credit take-up campaign, recently mounted by the Pension Service, has helped many older carers to benefit from the Government's abolition of the upper age limit on claims to carer's allowance.
The carer's allowance claim pack is kept under review and improvements are introduced on an ongoing basis. Claims can be made in writing, by phone and on-line, and can be accepted by organisations such as Age Concern and Citizens Advice as well as DWP offices.
Yes0 people think so
No0 people think not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.