Everything about calling Carer's Allowance Unit from abroad
What the Carer's Allowance Unit is for
Carer's Allowance is for people who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who gets certain disability benefits, such as the daily living part of PIP, the middle or highest care rate of DLA, or Attendance Allowance. You do not have to be related to, or live with, the person you care for. You can claim online, and a claim can be backdated by up to 3 months. If you cannot apply online, GOV.UK says you can apply by post or call the Carer's Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297 to request a form. It is also the line GOV.UK gives for general enquiries, including from people who live abroad.
Carer's Allowance and time abroad: what GOV.UK says
GOV.UK says to tell the office that pays your benefit if you plan to go abroad for more than 4 weeks, and that you can carry on claiming Carer's Allowance if you take up to 4 weeks holiday out of a 26-week period. You must also tell DWP if you stop caring for more than 28 days for any reason other than a hospital, nursing home or respite stay. A change of address for you or for the person you care for is a change to report, and GOV.UK warns that you may have to repay money if you did not report a change straight away. The person you care for must keep getting their disability benefit, and that benefit has its own rules for time abroad.
Living in the EEA or Switzerland
To be eligible, GOV.UK says you must normally live in England or Wales, or live abroad as a member of the armed forces, and have been in England, Scotland or Wales for at least 2 of the last 3 years. It adds that you might still be eligible if you are moving to or already living in an EEA country or Switzerland. For a permanent move there, you may be able to claim if, for example, you work or pay National Insurance in the UK, get State Pension or certain other benefits, or are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement. If you already live there, you do not need to have claimed in the UK before you moved, but you must be habitually resident there, have a genuine link with the UK and be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement.
Calling a UK 0800 number from abroad
0800 731 0297 is a UK freephone number. GOV.UK lists 0800 calls as free from UK landlines and mobiles, and tells you to check the actual cost with your provider, particularly when calling from abroad. It publishes no international number for the Carer's Allowance Unit.
What Losali does with this line
Losali is an independent dialler that works in a web browser. Your call travels over the internet and Losali's telecom carrier connects it to 0800 731 0297 in the UK, so all you need is a data connection. There is no app to install and no UK SIM card to buy. Minutes are prepaid and there is no subscription.
- Your National Insurance number, and your partner's if you have one.
- The name, date of birth and address of the person you care for.
- The dates you will be away, if you are reporting time abroad.
- The opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Other ways in
GOV.UK says you can claim Carer's Allowance or report a change of circumstances online. From abroad, you can also write to the Carers Allowance Exportability Team at Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 2AE, United Kingdom. In the UK, post goes to Freepost DWP Carers Allowance Unit. Relay UK users dial 18001 then 0800 731 0297, and a British Sign Language video relay service is offered. Carers UK, Carers Trust and Citizens Advice give independent advice. In Scotland the benefit is Carer Support Payment.
What kind of number is this?
Freephone 0800 / 0808. Free to call from inside the UK. Losali shows the price before the call starts.