A PENSIONER, who has cared for her disabled husband for more than a year, had her income increased by £150 a week as part of a campaign highlighted in a national report.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's welfare rights unit has helped older carers to claim more than £350,000 in extra benefits since 2002.

The benefit scheme will be highlighted in a national report released today by the council to help other authorities to highlight problems.

The council's cabinet member for social services, Coun Valerie Halton, said: "There are hundreds of carers who enhance the lives of the relatives they support.

"This initiative has helped many of them claim their entitlement to benefits and so improved their quality of life."

Successful requests were made by the couple for attendance allowance, carer's allowance, housing and council tax benefit.

In another example, a couple in poor health, who both had retirement pensions and savings of more than £12,000, were paying all their rent and council tax.

After the welfare unit checked their entitlement, they were awarded pension credit, full housing and council tax benefit. Their benefits increased by almost £173 a week.

The council's campaign officer, Sarah Andrews, said: "We found that many older people did not identify themselves as being a carer and were not aware they were entitled to extra benefits..

"The introduction of pension credit in October last year also meant that many of these carers saw an increase in their weekly income as well as help paying their rent and council tax."

The campaign was devised to publicise a change in the rules to carer's allowance, which allowed carers over 65 to claim the benefit for the first time. However, the rules are complex and few older carers are paid the allowance, but are entitled to additional housing, council tax and pension credit.