Reduce Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment by overlapping benefits

changelog.d/carers-overlapping-benefits.added.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add `carers_allowance_pre_overlap`, `carer_support_payment_pre_overlap`, their `*_overlapping_benefits` totals, `overlapping_state_pension` and `is_entitled_to_carer_benefit`. `carers_allowance` and `carer_support_payment` are now the amounts payable after the overlapping-benefit reduction.

changelog.d/carers-overlapping-benefits.fixed.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Reduced Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment by overlapping benefits, required claimant or partner entitlement for Pension Credit carer additions and carer premiums, and required payment for the Universal Credit non-dependant carer exemption.

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/dfe/extended_childcare_entitlement/disability_criteria.yaml

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ metadata:
   label: Extended childcare entitlement disability criteria
 values:
   2015-09-01:
-    - carers_allowance  # 11A(1)(a): Carer's allowance under Section 70 of Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992
+    - is_entitled_to_carer_benefit  # 11A(1)(a)-(b): Carer's allowance under Section 70 of Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, or Scottish carer's assistance; regs 14(4) and 15 ask whether a person is entitled to it, so an allowance reduced to nil by an overlapping benefit still counts
     - uc_carer_element  # 11A(1)(c): Universal Credit carer element under Regulation 29 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013
     - esa_contrib  # 11A(1)(e): Employment and support allowance under Welfare Reform Act 2007
     - incapacity_benefit  # 11A(1)(g): Long-term or short-term incapacity benefit under Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/dwp/carers_allowance/overlapping_benefits.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+description: The Department for Work and Pensions reduces Carer's Allowance by these overlapping personal benefits.
+metadata:
+  economy: false
+  label: Carer's Allowance overlapping benefits
+  period: year
+  unit: list
+  propagate_metadata_to_children: true
+  reference:
+    - title: The Social Security (Overlapping Benefits) Regulations 1979 reg. 4
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1979/597/regulation/4
+    - title: The Social Security (Overlapping Benefits) Regulations 1979 reg. 12
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1979/597/regulation/12
+    - title: The Employment and Support Allowance (Consequential Provisions) (No. 2) Regulations 2008 reg. 51(3)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2008/1554/regulation/51
+    - title: The Pensions Act 2014 (Consequential, Supplementary and Incidental Amendments) Order 2015 art. 4(3)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/1985/article/4/made
+values:
+  # Reg. 4(1)(a) covers personal benefits under SSCBA 1992 Parts II and III,
+  # the Welfare Reform Act 2007 Part 1 (from 27 October 2008), the Pensions
+  # Act 2014 Part 1 (from 6 April 2016) and the Jobseekers Act 1995. Reg. 12
+  # reduces Carer's Allowance by any of them except additional pension and
+  # graduated retirement benefit. Industrial injuries benefits are outside
+  # reg. 4(1)(a), and Schedule 1 adjusts Carer's Allowance only by
+  # unemployability supplement, death benefits paid to a surviving spouse and
+  # training allowance, so war disablement pensions and AFCS payments do not
+  # reduce it. Benefits the model does not hold (widow's benefits,
+  # bereavement allowance, unemployability supplement, training allowance)
+  # are not listed.
+  2008-10-27:
+    - overlapping_state_pension
+    - incapacity_benefit
+    - sda
+    - maternity_allowance
+    - jsa_contrib
+    - esa_contrib

policyengine_uk/parameters/gov/social_security_scotland/carer_support_payment/overlapping_benefits.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+description: Social Security Scotland reduces Carer Support Payment by these overlapping benefits.
+metadata:
+  economy: false
+  label: Carer Support Payment overlapping benefits
+  period: year
+  unit: list
+  propagate_metadata_to_children: true
+  reference:
+    - title: The Carer's Assistance (Carer Support Payment) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 reg. 16(2), (3) and (6)
+      href: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2023/302/regulation/16
+values:
+  # Reg. 16(3) lists State Pension (all of a Pensions Act 2014 Part 1
+  # pension) and Retirement Pension (excluding additional pension and
+  # graduated retirement benefit), incapacity benefit, severe disablement
+  # allowance, maternity allowance, contribution-based JSA and contributory
+  # ESA. Its other overlapping benefits (unemployability supplement, widow's
+  # and bereavement benefits, war widow's pension, industrial death benefit,
+  # training allowance) are not held by the model.
+  2023-11-19:
+    - overlapping_state_pension
+    - incapacity_benefit
+    - sda
+    - maternity_allowance
+    - jsa_contrib
+    - esa_contrib

policyengine_uk/programs.yaml

@@ -285,6 +285,7 @@ programs:
     variable: carers_allowance
     parameter_prefix: gov.dwp.carers_allowance
     verified_start_year: 2022
+    notes: Reduced by overlapping benefits such as State Pension and contributory ESA
 
   - id: dla
     name: DLA

policyengine_uk/tests/policy/baseline/finance/benefit/care.yaml

@@ -9,18 +9,54 @@
     carer_premium: 37.5 * 52
 
 - name: Two carers in a benefit unit receive the couple rate
+  # The couple rate equals the single rate here because the couple parameter
+  # holds the single rate; #2001 pays the premium per qualifying person.
   period: 2020
   absolute_error_margin: 0
   input:
-    num_carers: 2
+    people:
+      claimant:
+        age: 40
+        is_claimant_or_partner: true
+        is_entitled_to_carer_benefit: true
+      partner:
+        age: 40
+        is_claimant_or_partner: true
+        is_entitled_to_carer_benefit: true
+    benunits:
+      benunit:
+        members: [claimant, partner]
+    households:
+      household:
+        members: [claimant, partner]
   output:
     carer_premium: 37.5 * 52
 
 - name: Three carers in a benefit unit stay at the couple rate (regression for #420)
+  # Only the claimant and partner count, so a third carer in the unit adds
+  # nothing.
   period: 2020
   absolute_error_margin: 0
   input:
-    num_carers: 3
+    people:
+      claimant:
+        age: 40
+        is_claimant_or_partner: true
+        is_entitled_to_carer_benefit: true
+      partner:
+        age: 40
+        is_claimant_or_partner: true
+        is_entitled_to_carer_benefit: true
+      adult_child:
+        age: 20
+        is_claimant_or_partner: false
+        is_entitled_to_carer_benefit: true
+    benunits:
+      benunit:
+        members: [claimant, partner, adult_child]
+    households:
+      household:
+        members: [claimant, partner, adult_child]
   output:
     carer_premium: 37.5 * 52
 

policyengine_uk/tests/policy/baseline/finance/benefit/family/universal_credit/housing_costs_element/non_dep_deduction/uc_non_dep_deduction_exempt.yaml

@@ -24,17 +24,17 @@
 
 - name: Exempt - carers
   period: 2025
-  absolute_error_margin: 1
+  absolute_error_margin: 0
   input:
-    pension_credit: 1
+    pension_credit: 0
     dla_sc_middle_plus: false
     pip_dl: 0
     attendance_allowance: 0
     receives_carers_allowance: true
   output:
     uc_non_dep_deduction_exempt: true
 
-- name: Exempt - carer by hours with underlying entitlement, no award
+- name: Caring hours without a claim do not give the carer receipt exemption
   period: 2025
   absolute_error_margin: 0
   input:
@@ -48,4 +48,6 @@
     would_claim_carers_allowance: false
   output:
     receives_carers_allowance: false
-    uc_non_dep_deduction_exempt: true
+    is_entitled_to_carer_benefit: false
+    is_carer_for_benefits: true
+    uc_non_dep_deduction_exempt: false