§ Mr. IllsleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any proposals to remove the anomaly whereby people aged over 65 years are not entitled to carer's premium due to retirement benefit being counted as an overlapping benefit, but people who reach the age of 65 years with an underlying entitlement such as invalidity pension will be allowed to continue receiving carer's premium if they are already in receipt of it.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe carer premium was introduced in October 1990 in the relevant income-related benefits on top of all other premiums primarily to provide extra benefit to people of working age who are unable to work or whose employment is restricted because they care for a severely disabled person. As such it goes to carers who can establish entitlement to invalid care allowance. A person over the age of 65 years would not be able to establish entitlement to that benefit if caring starts after that age. But a carer who has established entitlement to invalid care allowance and the carer premium before reaching 65 years may retain those entitlements beyond that age to recognise the former limitations on employment through the caring role. We have no plans to change these arrangements.