Invalid Care Allowance (ICA)

• Paid to full-time carers
• Your other benefits may increase or decrease.
• Certain benefits for the person you look after may sometimes reduce.

Are you:

1. Aged 16 or over and under 65?
2. Spending at least 35 hours a week looking after someone who is getting one of these benefits:
   • Attendance Allowance!
   • Disability Living Allowance at the middle or higher rate for personal care?
   • Industrial Injuries Disablement, Benefit Constant Attendance Allowance or War Pensions Constant Attendance Allowance?

• If the person you care for is getting Constant Attendance Allowance under the Industrial Injuries scheme, it must be at the normal maximum rate or above.
• If the person you care for is getting Constant Attendance Allowance under the War Pensions scheme, it must be at the basic (full day) rate or above.
• You cannot get ICA if you are in full-time education.
• You must not earn above a certain amount. We will not count money you pay out for things like:
  • some National Insurance (NI) contributions
  • Income tax
  • half of any money you pay towards a personal or occupational pension
  • paying someone who is not a close relative to look after the disabled person while you are at work (up to a certain limit)
  • paying someone who is not a close relative to look after children aged under 16 while you are at work (up to a certain limit)
  • some other expenses.
• You may be able to get extra money for your family.
• ICA may carry on when you become 65 if you were entitled to ICA immediately before your 65th birthday.
• You may be able to get extra money added to Income Support, income- based Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. You can sometimes get this even if you do not get ICA, check with your social security office.
• If the person you are caring for gets Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, they may lose their severe disability premium. Check with their social security office.
• If you have a short break from looking after the person you care for, your ICA may be able to continue.
• You will earn extra pension through State Second Pension for every complete tax year you are entitled to ICA.
• If you want more information about what help is available to carers, get leaflet SD4 Caring for someone? from your social security office.