Carer’s Allowance is a taxable benefit for people who provide substantial care to someone receiving a qualifying disability benefit. Eligibility also depends on earnings, residence, study and other conditions; this guide explains the main checks and how a claim can affect other support.
This guide covers the Department for Work and Pensions scheme in England and Wales. Scotland uses Carer Support Payment, and Northern Ireland has a separate Carer’s Allowance service. Use the Carer’s Allowance Earnings Checker to compare weekly earnings and care hours with two conditions; it does not check full eligibility or decide whether your expenses qualify.
Who may qualify
The main conditions include:
- you are aged 16 or over;
- you provide at least 35 hours of care a week;
- the person you care for receives a qualifying disability benefit;
- your weekly earnings are no more than £204 after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses;
- you meet the residence and immigration conditions; and
- you are not in full-time education or studying for 21 hours or more a week.
Qualifying benefits for the person receiving care include the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, middle or highest-rate care component of Disability Living Allowance, and certain corresponding Scottish disability benefits. The full list includes other circumstances, so check the current GOV.UK eligibility rules rather than relying on this summary.
You do not have to be related to, or live with, the person you care for. Only one person can receive Carer’s Allowance for caring for the same person. If another carer already receives Carer’s Allowance, Carer Support Payment or the relevant Universal Credit carer amount for them, speak with that person before applying; if carers cannot agree, DWP decides who receives the allowance.
How the weekly earnings limit works
For 2026/27, the earnings ceiling is £204 a week. DWP assesses employment and self-employment earnings after Income Tax, National Insurance and certain expenses. Earnings above the limit can mean you do not qualify for a payment for the relevant period. Report changes in work or earnings promptly and check the official rules again when your pay changes.
Expenses that may be deducted include:
- 50% of pension contributions;
- equipment you need to do your job;
- unpaid travel between different workplaces; and
- relevant business costs if you are self-employed.
If you pay someone to care for the disabled person or your children while you work, care costs may count up to 50% of your earnings. The person you pay cannot be your spouse, partner, parent, child or sibling. The rules apply to the facts and evidence for each expense; do not subtract every work or household cost automatically.
Other payments may not count as earnings. GOV.UK lists occupational or private pension income, some household contributions, a limited amount of boarder income, and employer loans or advances among examples. Check the complete list with DWP, especially if you receive several types of income.
How much Carer’s Allowance pays
The confirmed 2026/27 rate is £86.45 a week. You can choose weekly payment in advance or payment every four weeks. Carer’s Allowance is taxable, so it may affect tax if your total taxable income exceeds your Personal Allowance.
If you receive State Pension, you cannot usually receive the full amount of both payments at once. If your weekly State Pension is at least the Carer’s Allowance rate, no Carer’s Allowance payment is made, although you may qualify for an increase in Pension Credit or another benefit. If it is lower, the allowance may make up the difference. Check your whole benefit position before applying or changing a claim.
Universal Credit and other benefits
Carer’s Allowance is deducted from Universal Credit pound for pound. You may also qualify for the Universal Credit carer element if you provide at least 35 hours of care for someone receiving a qualifying disability benefit. That element can be available whether or not you receive Carer’s Allowance, but it is not added automatically: report the caring responsibility in your UC account.
The Universal Credit carer element is £209.34 per monthly assessment period in 2026/27. It is a separate monthly amount from the weekly Carer’s Allowance payment, and other parts of a UC award can change too. Do not compare the two figures alone as a prediction of your total benefit entitlement; use a benefits calculator or speak with an adviser about the full household award.
The person you care for may lose a severe disability premium or an extra severe-disability amount in Pension Credit when someone receives Carer’s Allowance for them. Council Tax Reduction could also change. Ask the benefit office or local council that administers the affected support before a claim begins.
National Insurance credits
For each week you receive a Carer’s Allowance payment, you automatically receive Class 1 National Insurance credits. Universal Credit provides Class 3 credits, which count towards State Pension only. The difference can matter for future State Pension and some contribution-based benefits, so include NI credits when comparing your options.
If the person you care for receives PIP, see the separate PIP claim, assessment and appeal guide. PIP may be one qualifying disability benefit for the cared-for person, but a carer must still meet Carer’s Allowance’s own conditions.
A practical check before claiming
- Confirm that the person you care for receives one of the qualifying disability benefits.
- Record your typical weekly caring hours and the dates they change.
- Work out weekly earnings after tax and National Insurance for the relevant period.
- List only expenses that DWP permits and keep evidence for each one.
- Check how a claim could affect your Universal Credit, State Pension, Pension Credit, and the cared-for person’s severe-disability support or Council Tax Reduction.
- Use the official application or change-reporting service, and tell DWP promptly about changes to work, earnings, caring hours or the cared-for person’s circumstances.
Keep pay records, expense evidence and a dated care-hours note. The person dealing with a later review may need to understand how the weekly figures were reached. The calculator can help organise a screen, but DWP decides eligibility and any award.
If you received a historic earnings-related overpayment decision, read the separate Sayce review reassessment guide. That guide covers the defined historic case exercise and how it differs from the current earnings test described here.