Carer's Allowance is a taxable benefit to help people who look after someone who is disabled.

To Receive Carer's Allowance you do not have to be related to, or live with, the person that you care for.

Who can get Carer's Allowance?

  • You may be able to get Carer's Allowance if you are aged 16 or over and spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a person who gets either:
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate for care
  • Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
  • Constant Attendance Allowance at the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension

If someone else is also looking after the same person, only one of you can get Carer's Allowance;

  • Carer’s Allowance can only be paid for caring for one person.
  • Carer's Allowance can be claimed by more than one person in a household, such as a couple caring for each other.
  • Carer's Allowance is not affected by any savings you may have.

If you have come from, or live, abroad

To be eligible, the following must apply: 

  • you must have been present in the UK or the Isle of Man for at least 26 weeks in the 12 months prior to your date of claim
  • you must be in the UK when you make your claim
  • you are not subject to immigration control
  • Certain people can be treated as being present in the UK. For example, if you are a member of the Armed Forces, or living with a member of the Armed Forces, and you are based abroad, you are regarded as living in the UK.
  • If you leave the UK to live elsewhere in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, your Carer's Allowance may continue to be paid to you under certain conditions.
  • Under certain conditions you may also be able to make a claim for Carer's Allowance if you already live in another EEA country or Switzerland.

 Who cannot get Carer's Allowance?

  • You cannot get Carer's Allowance if you are in full-time education with 21 hours or more a week of supervised study or earn more than £100 a week after certain deductions have been made - for example Income Tax.

Work and earnings

You cannot get Carer's Allowance if you earn more than £100 a week after money has been taken off to allow for your expenses.

Expenses that are allowed are for things like:

  • some National Insurance (NI) contributions
  • Income Tax
  • half of any money you pay towards personal or occupational pension schemes
  • other expenses you have to pay because they are a necessary part of your job

After allowing for these things, you are allowed up to half the rest of the money you earn to help meet the cost of paying someone else (but not a close relative) to look after a child or children, or the person you look after, while you are at work.

Residing or remaining in the UK

You cannot get Carer's Allowance if your right to reside or remain in the United Kingdom is subject to limitation or restriction by the Home Office.

Click here to find out more information about Carer's Allowance on the Government Official website.