Notification to the cared for person

When a carer applies for Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment, they are encouraged to discuss this with the person they care for. This is to ensure that the cared for person is aware that we need to access information about their benefits in order to award these benefits.

This is also because an award of Carer Support Payment paid to a carer may impact the cared for person’s other benefits or extra amounts paid with their benefits. [Link to Impact on a cared for Person’s Benefits].

A carer’s Carer Additional Person Payment award does not impact any benefits the cared for person may be receiving but we still need access to information on their qualifying disability benefit to award Carer Additional Person Payment.    

The declaration on the application or change of circumstances form will ask the carer to confirm that the cared for person is happy for them to use their personal details and for their information to be accessed as part of the application or change of circumstances process.

The cared for person will get a letter telling them if a client has named them on an application for Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment.   

The letter to the cared for person will:

• identify the person who is applying for Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment
• tell the cared for person that we have had to check if they are getting a qualifying disability benefit
• explain what Carer Support Payment or Carer Additional Person Payment is
• tell the cared for person that a Carer Support Payment award may affect their benefits [link to Impact on a cared for Person’s Benefits] For Carer Additional Person Payment the letter tells the cared for person that this component does not affect any other benefits they receive.      
• explain what the cared for person can do if they disagree with the carer receiving Carer Support Payment and/or Carer Additional Person Payment