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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Benefits and money
    3. Benefits and financial support
    4. Financial support when caring for someone

    Introduction to caring

    Throughout nidirect 'carer' means someone looking after a friend, relative or neighbour who needs support because of their sickness, age or disability.

    What is a carer

    A 'carer' does not mean a professional care-worker in a nursing home, for example - or someone employed by a person with disabilities. If you are a carer, you may also be entitled to help, support and financial help. 

    Health and Social Care Trusts

    The local Trust may be able to make things easier for you and the person you care for. They may offer help such as home help (like cleaning) or short-term breaks for you as a carer. To find out what services you could benefit from, some issues social services may discuss with you include the help:

    • needed for the person you care for
    • you currently give

    This is called a carer's assessment.

    • Assessments for carers  

    To request a carer’s assessment you can contact the Carer Coordinator in your local Trust.  

    • Health and Social Care Trusts

    Carer's Allowance

    If you give care to someone for at least 35 hours a week, you might be eligible for Carer's Allowance. You can make a claim online or use a downloadable form. Disability and Carers Service processes all claims for Carer's Allowance.

    • Carer's Allowance

    Young carers

    If you are under 18 and care for someone, it is important that you get help and support. You should not have the caring responsibilities that an adult could take on and there are people and services available to help you.

    • Young carers  

    Caring for a child with disabilities

    If you care for a child with disabilities, your needs will be considered in the family's needs assessment, through the social services department of your local Trust. You can contact the Trust directly, or you can ask your doctor (GP) to contact them on your behalf.

    • Caring for a child with disabilities

    Your rights as a carer

    As a carer, you have certain rights by law. 

    • Carers and Direct Payments Act (NI 2002) (leglislation.gov.uk website)  

    More useful links

    • Carers Northern Ireland
    • Crossroads Caring for Carers
    • Financial support
    • Carers Trust website
    • Contacting 08 and 03 numbers
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    Financial support when caring for someone

    • An overview of carers' rights
    • Assessments for carers
    • Carer's Allowance
    • Carer's Credit
    • Caring and your pension
    • Direct payments for carers
    • Disability Living Allowance for adults
    • Disability Living Allowance for children
    • Introduction to caring
    • Leaving work to care for someone

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    What to do next

    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

    For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

    For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

    If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

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    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

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    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

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    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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