Durham Carers InfoPoint

Durham Carers InfoPoint

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Financial support

The links below will help you and the person that you care for, receive financial help and support.

Benefits for carers

If you are over 16 years old, you may be eligible for Carer’s allowance to help you look after someone with substantial caring needs, if you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for them. Carer’s Allowance is taxable, and it can also affect other benefits you may receive.

You could get Carer’s credit if you’re caring for someone for at least 20 hours a week and are over 16 years of age and under State Pension age. Carer’s Credit is a National Insurance credit which helps build your entitlement to the basic State Pension and additional State Pension.

You can also find out more from Durham County Council’s Benefits for carers page.

Financial help carers may be entitled to

As a carer, you may be entitled to different forms of financial support, or you may be able to claim or access on behalf of the person you care for. The links below offer information and advice for some of the support available.

Visit the Energy Saving Trust website for details of how they can help you save money on your energy bills.

CarersUK Financial Support pages offer support and advice on a range of topics illustrating the different forms of financial support you may be entitled to.

The Gov.uk Benefits pages provide general information on benefits including eligibility, appeals, tax credits and Universal Credit. It also offers a useful tool to Check benefits and financial support you can get.

Turn2us is a charitable service which helps people access the money available to them – through welfare benefits, grants and other help.

Durham County Council’s Welfare Rights service can help with questions and problems on a wide range of benefits and entitlements, give you information on what benefits you might be entitled to and how to claim them.

Find out what benefits you’re entitled to, how to claim them, when you qualify, and what to do if things go wrong on MoneyHelper Benefits (previously the Money Advice Service).

The Crisis and Resilience Fund is a national grant funded by the UK government. It supports low-income households who encounter a financial shock.