If you are caring for a relative or a friend who has an illness or disability you are a carer.  If you are providing most of the care which your friend or relative needs it is important that you are properly supported by your Local Authority so that you don't have to cope on your own.  While it has always been Government policy to consult carers, it has not always happened in practice.  Carers have a legal right to an assessment of their needs (the relevant legislation for this right is the Carers (Recognition & Services) Act 1995 and the Carers & Disabled Children Act 2000).  You may be a carer living with or apart from the person you care for, if you care full time or combine your caring role with paid work, you still have the right to a carer’s assessment. You may be offered a carers assessment by your local Social Care Services, if not, you can ask for one.  You need to contact the Adult Contact Team (contact details are as below). If you are caring for someone who has a mental health condition you should contact the mental health worker involved as they will be able to arrange the carer's assessment for you. You can also approach your GP or District Nurse and they may be able to do the referral on your behalf.  If the person you care for does not want to get any help from Social Care Services, your carer’s assessment is unaffected.  If you care for a disabled child you also have the right to a carer’s assessment. You do not always have to be the parent of the child, but you must have parental responsibility.

Contact: 

The Adult Contact Team (DMBC)
Tel: 01302 737391
Email: adultcontactteam@doncaster.gov.uk

The Assessment
A carers assessment looks at your needs, as a carer,  to  be able to sustain your caring role, which includes maintaining your health and well being, your current working situation as well as getting access to direct help with the tasks of caring.  The assessment may also provide you with information that may be useful to you as a carer e.g. benefit entitlements and local carer support groups. Once the assessment is completed a ‘Carer’s Plan’ will be written and this document should inform you of any action that is to be implemented to meet your needs as a carer and what services are to be provided to meet those identified needs. If you will be caring for the foreseeable future the social care worker should set a date with you to review your needs and to make sure that any help provided is working for you. 

If you are unhappy with the way your assessment has been carried out or with the care plan itself, the Local Authority (DMBC) has a comments and complaints procedure in operation.  If you wish to make a complaint you may write or telephone: 

The Customer Services Team
Tel: 01302 736000
Email: customer.services@doncaster.gov.uk

Benefits for Carers
There are two main benefits for carers:
  - Carer's Allowance
 - The Carer Premium

Carer's Allowance
This benefit is for people who regularly spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a person who receives either; Disability Living Allowance Care Component (at the middle or higher rate only) or; Attendance Allowance at either rate, or; Constant Attendance Allowance paid with the Industrial Injuries/War Pensions Schemes. You must be aged 16 or over.  Carer's Allowance is an 'earnings replacement benefit' so you cannot get it if:

• You earn more than £100.00 a week after deductions and allowable expenses
• You already get another benefit which compensates you for not being able to work 

Carer's Allowance is counted as income when other benefits are being calculated e.g. Income Support, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit.

The Carer Premium
You will qualify for a Carer Premium if you or your partner are actually paid an amount of Carer's Allowance or have an underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance (i.e. your entitlement to Carer's Allowance cannot be paid because of the overlapping benefit rules).