Carer’s Allowance explained

What is Carer's Allowance?

Carer's Allowance is a government benefit to help you out financially if you care for someone close to you. 

In this article, we help you work out whether you qualify for it, how much you could get and how to apply, as well as explain further support that might be available after a carer's assessment.

Am I eligible for Carer's Allowance?

You will be eligible for Carer's Allowance if you:

• spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who is receiving a qualifying disability benefit (see below). But you don't have to live with them or be related to them
• be 16 years old or over
• not be in full-time education
• earn £151 or less per week after tax (2024-25). The £151 is 'earned' income only, so doesn't take into account other state benefits you receive.

In the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced that the £151 weekly earnings limit will increase to £196 from April 2025, allowing carers to earn more without jeopardising their eligibility for government support.  

In addition, the person you care for must receive one of the following benefits:

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - daily living component
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - the higher or middle rate care component
• Attendance Allowance
• Child Disability Payment - the middle or highest care rate
• Adult Disability Payment - daily living component at the standard or enhanced rate
• Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP).

You may also be eligible for Carer's Allowance if your loved one gets Constant Attendance Allowance (CAA).

How much is Carer's Allowance in 2024?

The rate of the Carer's Allowance for 2024-25 is £81.90 per week.

How to claim for Carer's Allowance

In England, Scotland and Wales, you can apply for Carer's Allowance online on the Gov.uk website or by filling in and posting a DS700 form (or DS700/SP if you receive state pension). If you would prefer to apply by post, download the DS700 form and print a copy to send by post.

For any other queries, contact the Carer's Allowance Unit (Tel: 0800 731 0297).

In Scotland, an additional Carer's Allowance Supplement is available. This is paid twice a year to eligible recipients, usually in June and December. The payment each time is £288.60 in 2024.

In Northern Ireland, visit the nidirect website for more information on how to apply.

How to fill in the Carer's Allowance form

Talk to the person you're caring for and get their permission to apply. Ensure you have your National Insurance number, bank details, latest payslip or P45 (if you recently stopped working), and the National Insurance number or Disability Living Allowance reference of the person you care for to hand when you apply. This could come alongside details of any educational courses in the past few months.

If you've been working recently, including if you're self-employed, you'll need information about your employer and earnings, as well as any pension contributions and childcare payments. You'll also need details of any statutory sick pay, maternity pay, paternity pay or adoption pay you've received during the time period you're claiming for.

For more details about the kinds of financial information you may be asked for, see the full list of eligibility criteria on Gov.uk.

Can I claim Carer's Allowance if I get the state pension?

You cannot receive the full state pension and full Carer's Allowance at the same time, but you may be able to claim some Carer's Allowance if you're on a lower level of state pension.

If your state pension payment is worth more than Carer's Allowance - i.e. you get more than £81.90 a week in state pension - you will not be eligible for Carer's Allowance payments.

If your state pension is lower than the Carer's Allowance, you may be able to claim a portion of the Carer's Allowance. For example, if your state pension was £40 a week, you could claim £41.90 in Carer's Allowance to make up the difference.

However, even if your state pension payment is more than the Carer's Allowance, it can be worth making a claim to establish your 'underlying entitlement' to the benefit. In some cases, this can increase the amount you're entitled to receive for other means-tested benefits. It can also entitle you to additional payments if you receive other benefits, such as a carer addition or carer premium (for Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and other income-based benefits), or the carers element of Universal Credit.

If you're about to get your state pension or are already receiving it, you can contact the Carers UK telephone helpline for a benefits check - call 0808 808 777 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm).

It's best to seek advice before making any decisions relating to overlapping benefits as this is a complex area.

Can I claim Carer's Allowance if I get other state benefits?

Although you may qualify for two or more earnings-replacements benefits, you normally can't receive the full amount for more than one benefit at the same time. This is called the 'overlapping benefits' rule.

You may not be able to get Carer's Allowance if you receive one or more of the following benefits:

• State pension
• Contributory Employment and Support Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Maternity Allowance
• Bereavement or Widow's Benefits
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Universal Credit - carer element.

By claiming Carer's Allowance, any of these other benefits may be reduced or stopped. But the total amount you get in benefits should not decrease overall - it will usually increase or at least stay the same.

If you meet all the conditions for Carer's Allowance, you may be eligible to receive Carer's Credit too. This is to help fill in gaps in your national insurance record, or the carer addition of Pension Credit.

What else do I need to know about Carer's Allowance?

• If a number of people care for the same person, only one of them can claim Carer's Allowance.
• If you care for more than one person, you can only claim Carer's Allowance for one of them.
• Claiming Carer's Allowance may affect the benefits that the person you care for is entitled to. If you get Carer's Allowance, they will stop receiving any severe disability payments that are paid with their benefits. It may also impact their eligibility for council tax support.
• If you were entitled to Carer's Allowance before making a claim, you can ask for it to be backdated for up to three months.
• If you have received Carer's Allowance for at least 22 weeks, you can take up to four weeks' break from caring and still receive it. 
• If you, or the person you're caring for, goes into residential care or hospital, you can continue to get Carer's Allowance for up to 12 weeks.
• If your income changes while you're receiving Carer's Allowance, inform the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as soon as possible or you may risk collecting overpayments, which will eventually be recovered. You can report a change to your circumstances here.

Is it worth getting a carer's assessment?

A carer’s assessment could help you get access to further help and support.   

It doesn't matter how much care you provide or what your financial situation is. If your life is affected by your caring responsibilities, and you need support, you should be offered an assessment.

How to get a carer's assessment

If you're 18 years of age or over and you provide care for someone who is also over 18, you can ask your local council to carry out an assessment of your needs to find out if you're eligible for support. Use the gov.uk website to find the website for your local council

If appropriate, you can ask the council to combine your carer's assessment with a needs assessment for the person you're looking after, if they haven't already been assessed. This is optional though - you are also entitled to request a separate assessment.

The carer's assessment differs slightly across the UK. If you live in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales, find out more by downloading the relevant Carers UK factsheet.

What support could a carer's assessment lead to?

When the assessment is complete, the local authority will decide whether your needs are 'eligible' for support. 

If you do have eligible needs, the local authority should offer support to meet these needs. Details of your eligible needs and how these will be met should be written up in a support plan. Check that you're happy with the support plan and that it identifies your needs correctly.

The local authority might offer practical or financial support directly to you to reduce any negative impacts of your caring role. Or they might provide support for the person you're caring for, so that you can take a break.

Examples of practical support that you could be offered as a carer

• Training in caring skills, such as lifting and handling techniques.
• Courses to help you change job or get back into work.
• Gym membership or leisure classes to help relieve stress.
• Help with travel expenses.
• Help with domestic routines, such as gardening and housework.

Support that might be offered to the person you're looking after

• A sitting service, where someone can sit with the person you're looking after to supervise them for a while.
• Meals on wheels delivered to their home.
• Respite care for the person you're looking after, such as visits to a day care centre or a short period in a care home, so that you can take breaks or have a holiday.

Even though alternative care is provided to benefit you as a carer, it's technically a service for the person you're caring for. This means that the person you're looking after will be financially assessed (if they haven't already been as part of a needs assessment) to see whether they need to contribute towards the cost of the alternative care.

Services can be provided by the local council itself or through a third party, or alternatively you can request direct payments, which allow you to buy the services.

Will I have to pay for council support?

If you are assessed as having eligible needs, your local authority has a legal duty to meet those needs. Some local authorities offer support to carers free of charge following a carer's assessment, but some will carry out a financial assessment to see whether you'll need to pay anything towards any help that is offered to you.

If a financial assessment is carried out, it will be similar to the type of means test used by the council to work out if someone is eligible for care funding - see our information about the financial assessment for home care for guidance.

How to challenge a local authority's decision

If you're unhappy with the outcome of an assessment or you feel the process was inaccurate or unfair, you can make a formal complaint. Your local authority should give you a copy of the relevant complaints procedure if you ask for it.

For more information, see our guidance on challenging a local authority decision on social care.