Carer's Allowance

You may be able to claim Carer's Allowance if you regularly spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone.

What is Carer's Allowance? 

Carer's Allowance is a benefit for people who regularly spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone with substantial care needs.

You don't have to be related to the person you're caring for or be living with them. The person you're caring for must be getting a qualifying benefit (see the 'Do I qualify?' section below for a list).

You can qualify for Carer's Allowance even if you've never been employed or paid National Insurance contributions.

Carer's Allowance isn't affected by how much you have in savings. However, if you (the carer) receive a weekly income of £139 net or more, you won't qualify for Carer's Allowance. The benefit is also taxable.

You can get Carer's Allowance even if you, the carer, are disabled and getting Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal
Independence Payment (PIP)
 or the new Scottish Adult Disability Payment (ADP).

Carer's Allowance is not intended to be a wage for caring, or a payment for the services of caring.

If you claim Carer's Allowance, it can sometimes reduce the amount of means-tested benefits that the person you care for can claim. To find out more, contact Citizens Advice or another organisation that gives benefits advice, such as your local welfare rights group.

You can contact the Parkinson's UK helpline for information about organisations that can help.

Do I qualify for Carer's Allowance? 

You must be 16 or over and spending 35 hours or more a week caring for someone who receives a 'qualifying benefit'. The qualifying benefits are:

  • Attendance Allowance
  • Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or highest rate
  • Personal Independence Payment daily living component (either rate)
  • Adult Disability Payment (only in Scotland)
  • Child Disability Payment (only in Scotland)  the middle or highest care rate
  • Constant Attendance Allowance from either maximum Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or full day rate of War Pension Disablement Benefit
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment

You must also:

  • be aged 16 or over at the time of your claim
  • have been living in England, Scotland or Wales for 2 of the last 3 years (and your immigration status doesn't prevent you claiming)
  • be 'habitually resident' in the UK (unless you are exempt. If you are unsure, you can contact our helpline for advice)
  • not be in full-time education (which means you're not on an educational course of 21 hours or more supervised study a week)
  • not earn more than £139 a week (after tax), if you're in paid employment

The rules are different in Northern Ireland – find out more.

In Scotland, young carers can claim the new yearly Young Carer's Grant of £359.65.

This is for carers who are aged 16-18, provide care for 16 hours a week or more, and don't receive Carer's Allowance. You can receive it if you're still in education, in work or unemployed. 

How much is Carer's Allowance? 

The weekly rate is £76.75.

Yes. You can't be paid Carer’s Allowance if you're getting the same amount or more from any of the following benefits:

  • Contributory/new-style Employment and Support Allowance
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Maternity Allowance
  • State Pension
  • Bereavement Allowance, Widow's Benefits or Widowed Parent's Allowance
  • Contribution-based/new-style Jobseeker's Allowance

These benefits 'overlap', so you can only get the higher of the 2 benefits. If you can't be paid Carer's Allowance due to the overlapping benefits rule, you should still make a claim if you're eligible, because this will help with other benefits (see 'Why should I claim Carer's Allowance?' below).

Claiming Carer's Allowance may allow you to get extra on other benefits you receive.

For example, if you qualify for Carer's Allowance, you can get a £42.75-a-week 'carer premium' included in any income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit you receive and £185.86 per month included for Universal Credit. The Universal Credit amount is paid if the care is provided even if you don't claim Carer's Allowance.

You may also qualify for a carer premium if you're entitled to Carer's Allowance, but cannot be paid it because of another 'overlapping' benefit (see 'Do other benefits affect Carer's Allowance?' above).

For each week that you're entitled to Carer's Allowance, you get a Class 1 National Insurance credit. This will help towards your entitlement to a State Pension.

In Scotland, if you're entitled to Carer's Allowance, you get a 'Carer's Allowance Supplement' of £270.50 every 6 months (in June and December) from the Scottish government.

The Scottish government intends to replace Carer's Allowance with the Scottish Carer Support Payment by the end of 2023, with a full roll-out in 2024. The Carer's Allowance Supplement will continue. Existing claimants will be transferred from Carer's Allowance to the new payment.

Carer's Allowance can be paid in advance on a weekly basis or in arrears every 4 weeks.

Carer's Allowance can be paid from the date of the award of the qualifying benefit, such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Attendance Allowance, as long as you apply within 3 months of the date of the awarding letter.

Your money will be paid into your bank or building society account.

You can claim Carer's Allowance online.

To apply by post, use form DS700 (or form DS700(SP) if you claim a State Pension). Contact the Carer’s Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297 (textphone 0800 731 0317) to ask for a paper claim form.

In Northern Ireland, call 0800 587 0912 (textphone 0800 012 1574) or claim online.

If the person you're caring for dies, you'll get Carer's Allowance payments for up to 8 weeks afterwards.

This is to give carers who have recently been bereaved time to adjust and make plans for their own future.

The carer premium will also be paid during this 8 weeks. So if, as a carer, you're on an income-related benefit, you'll still be able to get this.

Carer's Credit is intended to protect the State Pension rights of carers who are not able to pay National Insurance contributions and are not entitled to Carer's Allowance.

You will not directly receive any money for Carer's Credit. But by filling any gaps in your National Insurance record (for example, because you're unable to work while caring for someone) it will help to protect your State Pension entitlement and other benefits that depend on National Insurance contributions.

You could get Carer's Credit if you're caring for someone for at least 20 hours a week and are not entitled to Carer's Allowance.

Find out how to claim Carer's Credit 

Download this information

Carer's Allowance (PDF, 265KB)

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If you're worried about money or the current cost of living, we can help you understand what financial support is available and make sure you’re claiming what you’re entitled to.

Last updated July 2023. If you'd like to find out more about how we put our information together, including references and the sources of evidence we use, please contact us at [email protected]