Carer's Allowance: who can get it, how much, and how to avoid overpayments

Urgent? If someone is in danger or very unwell, call 999. For urgent medical help, call NHS 111 or contact your GP. If you feel you cannot carry on caring, ask the council for a carer's assessment and say so clearly. This page gives general information, not personal advice.

Carer's Allowance is the main benefit for unpaid carers. It is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This page explains, in plain words, who can get it, how much it is, how it fits with other benefits, and the traps that catch people out. It is written for England first. The figures are for April 2026 to April 2027.

What you could get

• £86.45 a week in 2026/27 (DWP benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027).
• You do not have to be related to the person, or live with them.
• You do not get extra if you care for more than one person. If two people care for the same person, only one of them can claim.
• You can choose to be paid weekly in advance or every 4 weeks.
• Carer's Allowance counts as taxable income. You only pay tax if your total income is over your Personal Allowance.
• For each week you get it, you also get National Insurance credits automatically.

Source: GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance, how it works.

Who can get it

The person you care for

They must already get one of these benefits (GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance eligibility):

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP), daily living part
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA), middle or highest care rate
• Attendance Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate with Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, or at the basic (full day) rate with a War Disablement Pension
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• or one of the Scottish disability benefits, such as Adult Disability Payment (daily living part), Child Disability Payment (middle or highest care rate) or Pension Age Disability Payment

If they are still waiting for their disability benefit, you can still apply. See backdating below.

You

All of these must apply (GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance eligibility):

• you are 16 or over. There is no upper age limit, but see State Pension below
• you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for them
• you have been in England, Scotland or Wales for at least 2 of the last 3 years. This does not apply if you are a refugee or have humanitarian protection
• you normally live in England or Wales (there are some exceptions for the armed forces and people in the EEA or Switzerland)
• you are not in full-time education, and you are not studying for 21 hours a week or more
• you are not subject to immigration control
• your earnings are £204 a week or less, after tax, National Insurance and expenses

Caring can include help with washing and cooking, taking the person to a doctor's appointment, and household tasks like managing bills and shopping. If you are not sure about your immigration status, get free advice before you claim, because a claim could affect your right to stay (Carers UK: Carer's Allowance factsheet 2026/27, PDF).

Working: the £204 earnings limit

You can work and get Carer's Allowance, as long as your earnings are £204 a week or less in 2026/27 (DWP benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027). This is worked out after tax, National Insurance and some expenses. There is no sliding scale. If your earnings go over the limit, you cannot get Carer's Allowance for that time.

What you can take off your pay

According to GOV.UK, expenses can include:

• half (50%) of what you pay into a pension
• equipment you need to do your job, such as specialist clothing
• travel between different workplaces that your employer does not pay for
• business costs if you are self-employed, such as a computer you only use for work
• money you pay someone to look after the person you care for, or your children, while you work. You can take off up to half of your earnings for this. The person you pay must not be your husband, wife, partner, parent, child, brother or sister.

Money that does not count as earnings

• an occupational or private pension
• money towards living costs from someone you live with (not a tenant or lodger)
• the first £20 a week, and half of the rest, from someone boarding in your home
• a loan or advance from your employer

Source: GOV.UK: calculating your earnings.

If your pay goes up and down

If you are paid the same each month, your monthly pay is usually multiplied by 12 and divided by 52 to get a weekly figure. If your pay goes up and down, DWP can average it over a regular pattern of work, or over five weeks, or another period that gives a fairer figure. You cannot do the averaging yourself. Talk to the Carer's Allowance Unit about how your pay will be worked out (Carers UK factsheet 2026/27).

How it affects other benefits

Carer's Allowance can change the benefits of both you and the person you care for. Get a free benefits check before you claim. You can use a free benefits calculator on GOV.UK, or ask one of the charities listed at the end of this page.

The person you care for

When you get Carer's Allowance, they will usually stop getting any severe disability premium with their benefits, or the extra amount for severe disability in Pension Credit. They might also lose some Council Tax Reduction. Ask whoever pays their benefits, and their council, how it would affect them (GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance, effect on other benefits). This is one reason to talk it through together before you claim.

You

• Your total benefits will usually go up or stay the same. Carer's Allowance is not affected by the benefit cap.
• Universal Credit: your Universal Credit goes down by the amount of Carer's Allowance you get. But you may get an extra amount for caring, whether or not you get Carer's Allowance.
• Pension Credit: your Pension Credit goes up if you are eligible for Carer's Allowance.

Source: GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance, effect on other benefits.

The extra carer amount in means-tested benefits

Means-tested benefits can include an extra amount for carers. In 2026/27 it is (DWP benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027):

• Universal Credit carer amount (carer element): £209.34 a month
• Pension Credit additional amount for carers (carer addition): £48.15 a week
• Carer premium in older benefits such as Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support: £48.15 a week

When you are awarded Carer's Allowance, tell the office that pays your means-tested benefit, so it can add the carer amount. It can be backdated to the date your Carer's Allowance started. For Universal Credit, tell your work coach you are a carer as soon as you can. You can get the carer element even if your earnings are too high for Carer's Allowance (Carers UK factsheet 2026/27).

State Pension and "underlying entitlement"

You cannot be paid the full amount of both Carer's Allowance and State Pension at the same time (GOV.UK: if you get State Pension):

• If your State Pension is £86.45 a week or more, you will not get a Carer's Allowance payment.
• If it is less than £86.45, you will get Carer's Allowance to make up the difference.
• If you get Pension Credit and your State Pension is more than £86.45, your Pension Credit goes up instead.

The same "overlapping benefits" rule applies to some other benefits, such as contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance, contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Maternity Allowance, bereavement or widow's benefits and Severe Disablement Allowance (Carers UK factsheet 2026/27).

It can still be worth claiming. If you meet all the other rules, DWP can award you an "underlying entitlement". You get no Carer's Allowance payment, but you will get a decision letter. That letter can add the carer amount to Pension Credit or another means-tested benefit, or even mean you qualify for one for the first time (Carers UK factsheet 2026/27). Keep your decision letters safe.

If you put off claiming your State Pension, you cannot build up extra State Pension during any time you get Carer's Allowance (GOV.UK: effect on other benefits). Get advice before deciding to put off your pension.

Protecting your State Pension: National Insurance credits

• For each week you are paid Carer's Allowance, you get Class 1 National Insurance credits. These help with State Pension and some other benefits.
• If you get the carer element of Universal Credit, you get Class 3 credits, which count towards State Pension only (GOV.UK: effect on other benefits).
• If you cannot get Carer's Allowance but care for at least 20 hours a week, you might get Carer's Credit (GOV.UK). It pays no money, but fills gaps in your National Insurance record. Your income and savings do not affect it.

How to claim

1. Get a benefits check first, for you and the person you care for (see how it affects other benefits).
2. Get your details ready. You need your National Insurance number (and your partner's, if you have one), bank details, your latest payslip if you work, details of any course you are on, and any expenses such as pension payments or care costs. You also need the cared-for person's date of birth, address and National Insurance number (or their DLA reference if they are under 16).
3. Apply online through GOV.UK: make a Carer's Allowance claim. If you cannot apply online, call the Carer's Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297 (Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 731 0297), Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, to ask for a paper form (GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance Unit).
4. Ask for backdating if you need it. You can backdate a claim by up to 3 months (GOV.UK). If you claim within 3 months of the person you care for getting a decision on their disability benefit, it can go back to the date their benefit started, as long as you met the rules all that time. You can also claim up to 3 months in advance. Ask for this on the form (Carers UK factsheet 2026/27).
5. Tell your other benefit offices once you get a decision, so the carer amount can be added.

If you disagree with the decision, you can ask DWP to look at it again. This is called a mandatory reconsideration (GOV.UK). Our guide to challenging a PIP decision explains the same kind of steps.

If the person you care for goes into hospital or a care home

Tell the Carer's Allowance Unit if you, or the person you care for, go into hospital or a care home. Do this even if you arrange care while you are away (GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance, report changes).

• Hospital. If an adult goes into hospital, their disability benefit generally stops after 28 days, and may stop sooner if they were in hospital or a care home in the 28 days before. Your Carer's Allowance can carry on during a temporary break, for up to 12 weeks in any 26 weeks, if the conditions are met, but it stops if their disability benefit stops. For a child who was under 18 when they went into hospital, their disability benefit can carry on for the whole stay (Carers UK: Carer's Allowance and breaks in care).
• Care home. Carer's Allowance can only carry on if the person still gets their disability benefit and you still care for them for at least 35 hours a week. Attendance Allowance, PIP daily living and DLA care usually stop after four weeks in a care home. They can carry on in some cases, for example if the person pays all of their own fees (Carers UK factsheet 2026/27).
• After it stops. If your Carer's Allowance stops because of a hospital or care home stay, any carer premium or carer addition in your means-tested benefits can usually carry on for 8 weeks. In Universal Credit, the carer element stops from the start of the assessment period when their disability benefit stops (Carers UK factsheet 2026/27).
• Breaks and holidays. You can usually have up to 4 weeks off caring in any 26 weeks and still be paid, if you have cared for 35 hours a week for at least 22 of the last 26 weeks. You must tell DWP if you stop caring for more than 28 days for any reason other than a hospital, nursing home or respite stay, or if one of those stays will last more than 12 weeks (GOV.UK: report a change in circumstances; Carers UK factsheet 2026/27).

If the person you care for dies, you can usually keep getting Carer's Allowance for up to 8 weeks, if you still meet the other rules (Carers UK factsheet 2026/27). You must tell DWP. You can use the Tell Us Once service (GOV.UK).

Paying for a care home? See paying for care: the financial assessment and partner in a care home: will we lose the house?

Reporting changes and avoiding overpayments

You must report changes straight away. If you do not, you may have to pay money back, and you could face a penalty or court action (GOV.UK: report a change in circumstances). Changes to report include (GOV.UK: report changes; GOV.UK: report a change in circumstances):

• you start, change or leave a job, or your pay changes
• you start earning more than £204 a week
• you start or finish full-time education
• you or the person you care for move house
• you stop caring, or stop caring for at least 35 hours a week
• you take a holiday or go into hospital, even if you arrange care while you are away
• the person you care for goes into hospital or a care home, takes a holiday, or stops getting their disability benefit
• someone else starts claiming Carer's Allowance or the Universal Credit carer element for the same person

You can report a change online on GOV.UK, or by phone or post to the Carer's Allowance Unit.

Simple ways to stay safe

• Keep every payslip, and a note of any pension payments and care costs you take off.
• Check your take-home pay each week against the £204 limit, especially if you do overtime, get a pay rise or get holiday pay.
• If your pay goes up and down, ask the Carer's Allowance Unit how they will work it out, and keep a note of what they tell you, with the date.
• When the limit or your pay changes in April, check again.
• If you get a letter saying you have been overpaid, get free advice before you agree to pay. You can also ask for the decision to be looked at again.

The review of earnings overpayments

Many carers who work ended up with large debts because their earnings went over the limit. An independent review by Liz Sayce found this was mainly caused by problems in the system, not by carers making mistakes (GOV.UK: Independent Review of Carer's Allowance Overpayments). The review and the government's response were published on 25 November 2025. The government accepted, or partly accepted, 38 of the 40 recommendations (GOV.UK: government response to the review).

• DWP started a reassessment on 13 April 2026. It covers overpayments from April 2015 to September 2025 that came from unclear guidance on averaging pay that goes up and down.
• Over 200,000 cases will be reviewed. Around 25,000 carers could have debts reduced or cancelled, or get money back.
• You do not need to contact DWP. They will get in touch if they need anything.
• Overpayments for other reasons are not part of this exercise. The government has said allowable expenses are not part of it either.
• The government is also looking at replacing the current "cliff edge" earnings rule with a gradual taper. This has not happened yet.

Sources: GOV.UK news, 13 April 2026: unpaid carers to have debts cancelled; GOV.UK: government response to the review. DWP says the exercise is expected to finish by March 2029. By 13 September 2026 it had reviewed and cleared 2,400 cases (GOV.UK: reassessment figures to September 2026).

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

This page is about England, and Carer's Allowance works the same way in Wales. In Scotland, you apply for Carer Support Payment (mygov.scot) instead. Northern Ireland has its own office and way of reporting changes.

Free help

• Carers UK Helpline: 0808 808 7777, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm (Carers UK: helpline and other support). See also Carers UK: Carer's Allowance.
• Citizens Advice Adviceline: 0800 144 8848 (Citizens Advice: contact us). See also Citizens Advice: Carer's Allowance.
• Age UK Advice Line, if you or the person you care for are older: 0800 678 1602. See Age UK: Carer's Allowance.
• Carer's Allowance Unit (DWP): 0800 731 0297 (GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance Unit).
• Your council. Ask for a free carer's assessment, which is about your own needs and can lead to support such as a break. Use our find your council tool.
• Our money and benefits section and our self-check of what help you could get.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance guide, including how it works, eligibility, effect on other benefits, make a claim and report a change in circumstances
• DWP: benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027
• GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance, report changes
• GOV.UK: Carer's Credit
• GOV.UK: review of Carer's Allowance overpayments (review and government response)
• GOV.UK news: reassessment of overpayments (13 April 2026)
• Carers UK: Carer's Allowance factsheet 2026/27 (PDF)
• Carers UK: Carer's Allowance and breaks in care

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Information only. This page explains official guidance in plain English. It is not legal or medical advice. Rules can change. For advice about your own case, contact Citizens Advice or another free adviser.

Where this applies: England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different rules.

Written by Social Care Made Easy. Last checked: 1 November 2026.