Can I get Carer's Allowance?

For people in England and Wales who care for someone for at least 35 hours a week.

Applies to: England, Wales Last checked against official sources: 6 October 2026

You may be eligible if you care for someone for at least 35 hours a week and they get a qualifying disability benefit, such as PIP daily living or Attendance Allowance. You must also:

be 16 or over
normally live in England or Wales
not be in full-time education
earn £204 or less a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses

In Scotland, apply for Carer Support Payment instead.

Different in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Rules may be different in:

Scotland: Check mygov.scot for Scotland
Northern Ireland: Check nidirect for Northern Ireland

Key facts

35 hours a week of care
Earnings of £204 a week or less
Scotland: Carer Support Payment

Carer's Allowance in 2026/27 at a glance

Item	Figure
Weekly payment	£86.45
Earnings limit (after allowable deductions)	£204 a week
Minimum caring time	35 hours a week
Minimum age	16

In 2025/26 the payment was £83.30 a week and the earnings limit was £196.

The main conditions

You can usually get Carer's Allowance if all of these apply:

you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone
the person you care for gets a qualifying disability benefit, such as the daily living part of PIP, Attendance Allowance, the middle or highest care rate of Disability Living Allowance, or the Scottish equivalents
you are 16 or over
you are not in full-time education
you earn £204 a week or less after allowable deductions

The 35 hours can include time spent on things like shopping, cooking, cleaning or taking someone to appointments, not just personal care. You do not need to be related to or live with the person you care for.

The earnings limit is a cliff edge

If your earnings go even £1 over £204 a week (after deductions), you lose the whole week's Carer's Allowance. It does not reduce gradually. Some costs can be taken off your earnings first, including some pension contributions and some care costs while you are at work. Tell the Carer's Allowance Unit straight away if your earnings change, so you are not overpaid.

Before you claim: check the person you care for

Claiming Carer's Allowance can reduce some benefits the person you care for gets, such as the severe disability amount in Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits. Talk to them before you apply.

If you cannot get Carer's Allowance

You may still be able to get Carer's Credit, which protects your National Insurance record if you care for someone for at least 20 hours a week. If you get Universal Credit, you may get a carer amount instead.