Carer's Allowance

The figures in this article are correct as of April 2026. Benefit rates are usually updated each April.

It is estimated that nearly 3 million people across the UK are juggling paid employment alongside unpaid caring responsibilities. For most of them, balancing a job with looking after a loved one at the end of each working day is a constant struggle. Although many carers value the stimulation and social contact that comes with working outside the home, the primary reason they continue in paid employment is often financial necessity. They are only too aware of the hardships faced by carers who have no other source of income.

However, if you have been working and become aware that your loved one's condition is deteriorating, you may find yourself with little choice but to reconsider your situation. If the time has come where it is no longer safe for them to be left alone and you feel that the community care available is inadequate, you may decide to give up work or at least reduce your hours. This is a difficult decision, made even harder when you discover how little financial support is available for full-time carers. If you continue to do a small amount of paid work alongside looking after your loved one, you should still be eligible to receive Carer's Allowance. It is the main state benefit for carers and is currently worth £86.45 a week (from April 2026).

Who Qualifies for Carer's Allowance?

To qualify you need to meet all of the following conditions. Please check each of them carefully as they are quite specific.

• You must be at least 16 years of age
• You must look after someone for at least 35 hours a week
• The person you look after must be receiving a qualifying disability benefit such as the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the middle or highest rate of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, or Armed Forces Independence Payment
• If you do other paid work, you must not earn more than £204 a week after deductions for tax, National Insurance and certain allowable expenses. This threshold is now linked to 16 hours at the National Living Wage and will rise each year in line with it
• You must not be in full-time education, which is generally defined as 21 or more hours of supervised study per week
• You cannot already be receiving certain other benefits that overlap with Carer's Allowance, such as State Pension or contributory Employment and Support Allowance. However, even if you cannot be paid Carer's Allowance because of an overlapping benefit, you may still have what is called an "underlying entitlement" which can increase other benefits you receive
• You must be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom when you claim

It is important to be aware that claiming Carer's Allowance may affect the benefits received by the person you care for. For example, if they currently receive a Severe Disability Premium as part of their means-tested benefits, this could be removed when you are awarded Carer's Allowance. You should always check the potential impact before making a claim.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Carer Premium and Other Additional Support

If you qualify for Carer's Allowance, you may also be entitled to additional financial support through what is known as the Carer Premium, the Carer Addition, or the Carer Element, depending on which benefits you receive. These are not separate benefits in their own right but are extra amounts added to the calculation of your other means-tested benefits.

For those still receiving legacy benefits such as Income Support, income-related Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or Housing Benefit, a Carer Premium of £48.15 a week can be included in your benefit calculation. For those on Pension Credit, a Carer Addition of £48.15 a week may be added. If you receive Universal Credit, a Carer Element of £209.34 per month can be included in your award.

You do not need to apply separately for the Carer Premium or Carer Addition. Once your Carer's Allowance claim is decided, the additional amount should be added to your other benefits automatically. If it has not been added within a couple of weeks of receiving your Carer's Allowance decision, contact the relevant benefit office. Take with you the letter confirming your Carer's Allowance award.

If you have already been receiving Housing Benefit when you are awarded Carer's Allowance, notify your local council so that they can recalculate your entitlement to take this into account.