Carers Allowance

Carer’s Allowance will help you look after someone with substantial caring needs. You don’t have to be related to, or live with, the person you care for.

You must be 16 or over and spend at least 35 hours a week caring for them.

Carer’s Allowance is taxable. It can also affect your other benefits.

You may also be able to claim other benefits, eg an income-related benefit and Pension Credit.

Use a benefits calculator to work out how much you can get and if your other benefits will be affected.

How you’re paid

You can choose to be paid either weekly in advance, or every 4 or 13 weeks.

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account, eg your bank account.

Effect on other benefits

If you get Universal Credit, it might affect how much you get from other benefits.

Any means-tested benefits you get will be reduced by the same amount you get from Carer’s Allowance. This includes:

  • Housing Benefit
  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Pension Credit
  • Universal Credit

An extra amount (called the ‘carer premium’) will be included in the calculation of your means-tested benefits.

You might also be eligible for a Council Tax Reduction.

The benefit cap limits the amount of benefit that most people aged 16 to 64 can get. Some individual benefits aren’t affected, but it may affect the total amount of benefit you get.

Effect on tax credits

Your Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit could be reduced if you get Carer’s Allowance. Contact the Tax Credits office for more information.

Effects on the benefits of the person you care for

Carer’s Allowance can affect the benefits of the person you care for, if they get a severe disability premium with with any of these benefits:

  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Employment and Support Allowance
  • Pension Credit
  • Housing Benefit

Their severe disability premium will stop if you get Carer’s Allowance for looking after them. It can also affect their Council Tax reduction. Contact your local council to find out if this affects them.

Underlying entitlement

You can’t normally get 2 income-replacement benefits (eg Carer’s Allowance and the State Pension) paid together.

This is called the ‘overlapping benefit rule’. If you can’t be paid Carer’s Allowance because of this rule, you have ‘underlying entitlement’ to Carer’s Allowance instead.

This might mean you could get:

  • the carer premiums in Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support
  • the extra amount for carers in Pension Credit
  • the carer element in Universal Credit

Your State Pension

Usually, for each week you get Carer’s Allowance or the underlying entitlement you also get:

Caring for more than one person

You can only get paid for Carer’s Allowance once each week. You won’t get paid more if you look after more than one person.

Who to contact

Telephone
Helpline 08007310297 Helpline 08007310297
Website
https://www.gov.uk/.../overview
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Notes

Helpline open:

Mon to Thurs: 8:30am - 5pm.

Friday: 8:30am - 4:30pm.

Closed at weekends and on public and bank holidays.

Who is it for?

Offering Services To
  • Carers
Eligibility Details

You might be able to get Carer’s Allowance if all of the following apply:

  • you’re 16 or over
  • you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone
  • have been in England, Scotland or Wales for at least 2 of the last 3 years
  • you normally live in England, Scotland or Wales, or you live abroad as a member of the armed forces
  • you’re not in full time education or studying for more than 21 hours a week
  • you earn less than £110 a week (after taxes, care costs while you’re at work and 50% of what you pay into your pension)

The person you care for must already get one of these benefits:

  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP) daily living component
  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - the middle or highest care rate
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, or basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)

Availability

Referral Details

Apply Online at the .Gov website

Before you apply, check you’re eligible and make sure you have:

  • your National Insurance number
  • the date of birth and address of the person you’re caring for
  • your bank or building society details

You may need to provide course details if you are studying, and any employment details including dates and how much you were paid.

There is a also a guide to help you claim

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