Carer's Allowance calculator.
Carer's Allowance is paid to people who care for someone 35+ hours a week if that person receives a qualifying disability benefit. £83.30/week in 2025/26. You don't have to be related to the person you care for, and you don't need to live with them.
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Who can claim
To get Carer's Allowance, all of the following must apply:
- You care for someone for 35 hours or more each week.
- The person you care for receives a qualifying disability benefit: PIP daily living (standard or enhanced), DLA care component (middle or higher), Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, or Armed Forces Independence Payment.
- You're 16 or over.
- You're not in full-time education (defined as 21 hours or more of "supervised study" a week).
- Your net earnings (after tax, NI, and certain expenses) are £196/week or less. Above that, you cannot get Carer's Allowance even by £1.
- You're not subject to immigration control.
The earnings cliff-edge
Permitted deductions before applying the £196 test:
- Income tax and National Insurance.
- 50% of any pension contributions.
- Childcare costs (up to half your net pay) if you pay someone (not a relative) to look after a child under 16 while you work.
- Some equipment costs and travel-to-work costs for disabled workers.
If you're close to the limit, ask your employer about salary-sacrificing into a workplace pension — it reduces your assessable earnings and protects the Allowance.
Carer's Allowance vs the Carer Element of UC
These are two different things that confuse many people:
- Carer's Allowance is a stand-alone benefit, paid by DWP, worth £83.30/week. It counts as income for UC.
- The Carer Element of UC is an extra £201.68/month built into your UC award if you qualify as a carer (same 35-hour rule). You can get this even if you're over the £196 earnings limit for the standalone Carer's Allowance.
If you receive both, the Carer's Allowance is deducted £1-for-£1 from your UC, so it doesn't feel like extra money — but it counts towards your National Insurance record, which the Carer Element of UC alone doesn't.
Effect on the person you care for
Here's a trap to watch for: if the person you care for receives the Severe Disability Premium (an extra amount in their Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or income-related ESA), claiming Carer's Allowance for them cancels that premium. You gain £83.30/week; they lose £82.90/week. Result: the household is barely better off, sometimes worse off.
This trap is now rare because legacy benefits are being replaced by UC, but it still bites pensioner households. Check our worked example in the benefits overview guide before claiming Carer's Allowance if the person you care for is over State Pension age and on Pension Credit.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Weekly rate | £83.30 |
| Annual amount | £4,331.60 |
| Maximum net earnings (after tax & NI) | £196/week |
| Minimum hours of care per week | 35 |
| Carer element of UC (different benefit) | £201.68/month |
Frequently asked questions.
Do I have to be a relative to claim Carer's Allowance?
No. The person you care for can be a relative, neighbour, friend, partner or anyone else — what matters is that you provide 35+ hours of care a week and they receive a qualifying disability benefit.
Can I claim Carer's Allowance for two people?
No — Carer's Allowance is paid at a single flat rate regardless of how many people you care for. You also can't share one claim between two carers, so families with parallel carer roles often need to think about who claims.
What counts as 35 hours of care?
Time you spend physically caring (washing, dressing, feeding, mobility, medication), supervising, and being on call. Time spent doing shopping, housework or admin "for" the person can count if it's clearly tied to their needs.
Can I work and claim Carer's Allowance?
Yes, provided your net earnings stay at or below £196/week. Beyond that, you lose the entire allowance. You can also get the Carer Element of UC even above the £196 limit.
Does Carer's Allowance count as income?
Yes — for UC and most other means-tested benefits, Carer's Allowance counts as income. It is not tax-free in the strict sense — it counts towards your annual taxable income, though most carers don't pay tax on it because they fall under the Personal Allowance.