# carers allowance: Dad looking after daughter, offically she lives with her mother.



## pauly1 (6 Oct 2010)

hi everyone
does anyone know if i can get carers allowance if i look after my daughter was has spina bifida,offically she lives with her mother but since i became unemployed i look after her for six days and five nights for the last two years.
can anyone advise please


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## Darthvadar (6 Oct 2010)

Hi Paul....

You don't have to be living with the person you're caring for, just so long as there's a way of contact between you and the person you're caring for...

Take a look at this....

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/IllnessDisabilityAndCaring/Carers/CarersAllowance/Pages/ca.aspx 

If in doubt, apply....

Very best of luck....

Darth...


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## pauly1 (6 Oct 2010)

hi thanks for the advice
i am in doubt so i,m gonna apply
my daughter is ten and the only contact is mobile phone if that counts
her mother has  been getting domcillary allowance for years and i,ve been told i,ll get nothing by local welfare but i,ll go for it


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## Guest110 (6 Oct 2010)

You should be entitled to Carers Allowance, 

There is also Mobility Allowance
Heating Allowance
Telephone Allowance
TV Licence Payment
Free Travel Pass
Respite Care Grant that you can get once a year for about 1,500

You need to take into account that if you make the claims - it might effect what entitlements the mother will receive if she is not working, as she might already be claiming for those things.


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## Guest110 (6 Oct 2010)

Does anyone actually have any information on Mobility Allowance ?


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## pauly1 (6 Oct 2010)

thanks for the reply
the mum is just getting the domicallary allowance and she is working and getting a single parents tax credit so i dont know what that effects, oh and the childrens allowance


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## Darthvadar (6 Oct 2010)

Go for it, Paul.....

You've nothing to lose, and everything to gain.....

Alexandra, here's some (very) basic information on Mobility Allowance... Hope it helps... 

[broken link removed]

Darth....


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## sunrock (19 Oct 2010)

If you`re unemployed. are you on the dole or what? I don`t think you can get the two of them


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## maureen (19 Oct 2010)

If the child's mother is still working , is she claiming for incapacitated child allowance ?  I also have a child with some problems and didn't know about this allowance until recently, found out from revenue. It might be a nice amount .


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## giles (22 Oct 2010)

Pauly1 You can't get a careers allowance if your on the dole. However if she lives with you for 6 days and 5 nights then officially you should be getting the childrens allowance and then you could apply for the lone parents payment which would enable you to get a half-rate careers allowance. Your ex should also be giving you maintenance. It sounds like your ex is taking the p**** here. If I was you I'd get this legally sorted because she's having her cake and eating it.

Marietta what cuts are they making?? I also have a disabled child so Im really worried about this.


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## Welfarite (23 Oct 2010)

Regarding One Parent Tax credits; both parents can claim this. 
Is child full-time with you? That is the key question. If so, you dshould claim OFP also. The otehr aprent should n ot be getting it if the childrena re not with her. 
Carer's allowance is paid if youa re giving full-time care and attention to person being cared for, although you can work up to 15 hours a week. Thre is also a respite grant payable AFAIK.


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## Black Sheep (23 Oct 2010)

From your original post it appears to me that you are the main carer of your daughter. Six days and five nights seems more like she lives with you and goes to her mother at the weekends.

In order to get a carers allowance for a child the Domicillary Care Allowance needs to be in place (which I see has already been done). However this may need to be transferred to you so that you can become the carer.

Maybe you should have a good discussion with the mother and daughter to decide which parent your daughter is going to live with and therefore who should be receiving OPFP and Carers. Since you are unemployed at present it seems more logical that you are the carer, but of course it's not all about logic


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