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Caring for someone can lead to money worries, especially if your caring role means you have to give up work. There could be financial support available to help you.
Carers Allowance is a benefit you could get if you care for someone. To be eligible to apply:
You will get Carer’s Credit automatically if you get Carer’s Allowance, although you don’t have to be receiving Carer’s Allowance to get it.
Universal Credit
Universal Credit has replaced means-tested benefits.
Benefits calculator and further information
Carers can use the Citizen’s Advice Benefit calculator.
Carers UK provides advice and factsheets on the financial aspects of caring and how to manage income and expenditure.
Upfront will help you understand what benefits and entitlements you can receive as a carer.
If you are looking for extra financial assistance for someone with a disability, then the Disability Grant website provides a list of grant providers.
If you have a carer’s assessment from your local council, they may find that you are eligible for a carer’s personal budget, to help you with your caring role.
If you are concerned about your own financial circumstances and would like to find out whether you are eligible to apply for support from the Government, your local council or grants that you might be able to access. Please call us on 0300 111 1919 and ask to speak to our Welfare Rights Service we will be able to support you with a full benefits check and advise you and how you can make a claim.
You can get help if they are struggling to afford your energy bills, or top up your prepayment meter. If you’re on a low income you could be entitled to the Government’s Warm Home Discount Scheme. The money is not paid to you – it’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill, between October and March.
You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity. Contact your supplier to find out. The discount will not affect your Cold Weather Payment if the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees celsius or below over seven consecutive days.
If you’re in debt to your energy supplier, you might be able to get a grant to help pay it off. All households will receive £200 off their energy bills in October 2022. This will be applied automatically to every single bill and is not optional – you can’t choose not to get it. If you’re on prepay, the Government will pay it through your smart meter or give you a voucher or a cheque.
Then from April 2023, and for five years after that, you will then have your bill automatically – without choice – increased by £40 a year.
Council taxpayers in bands A to D will receive a rebate of £150 from their bills in April 2022, which will not have to be paid back.
Low-income households are entitled to cheaper broadband packages through social tariffs.
WaterSure is a scheme which helps lower your water bills, if you are on benefits and need to use a lot of water either for medical reasons or because your household has a certain number of school-age children. You need to have a water meter installed.
Under the ECO Scheme, qualifying home owners could have their old in-efficient boilers replaced completely free of charge, or heavily subsidised via a new boiler grant, as well as cavity wall insulation and loft insulation.
You may qualify for if you claim certain benefits and meet other requirements. In some cases you may be able to get help even if you’re not receiving any benefits.
Unlike other schemes ECO is not a government grant, it is an obligation placed on the largest energy suppliers to support households install energy improvements. Visit Energy Company Obligation website to see if you qualify for help.
Advice to save energy/money can be found at Simple Energy Advice including information about draught-proofing, saving energy, making sure you’re on the right energy tariff and energy suppliers are aware if anyone vulnerable lives in the house, turning down your heating by 1 degree and replacing lighting with low energy light bulbs.
Service offered to anyone over 50 who resides in the county and are:
This free service is run in conjunction with Age UK’s Handyperson Service available to carry out:
The Handyperson Service can fit:
This whole service is completely free and an excellent annual service to help the most vulnerable cope in the winter months.
Contact Age UK
Tel: 01234 360510
Email: enquiries@ageukbedfordshire.org.uk
Read our cost-of-living tips and we can also add you to our prioritised mailing list to receive the latest information and financial support available to you.
We have Carers grants available to enable you to take up a break, activity, service or training that will improve your health or wellbeing.
What financial support you’re entitled to can be confusing and foreboding. If you would like to talk to one of our support workers who can talk you through it, please call 0300 111 1919 and register with us first.
By registering with us as a carer you will get access to a whole range of services, including advice, information, access to our groups, events and carers grants.
You can book a call with one of our support workers and talk to them about any of your concerns.
