What Benefits and Financial Help Are Available for Carers?

Caring for somebody can affect your finances in ways you may not have expected.

You might reduce your working hours, give up work, spend more on travel or find that caring makes it difficult to increase your income.

There are benefits and other forms of financial support that may be worth checking.

The right support depends on your circumstances, how much care you provide and the benefits received by the person you care for.

What is Carer’s Allowance?

Carer’s Allowance is a benefit for some people who regularly care for somebody with substantial care needs.

Under the current rules, you could potentially qualify if you provide at least 35 hours of care each week and the person you care for receives a qualifying disability benefit.

You do not have to:

be related to the person
live with them
provide professional or paid care

Caring can include practical support such as helping with meals, household tasks, shopping, managing bills or attending medical appointments.

Does the person I care for need to receive a particular benefit?

Yes.

For Carer’s Allowance, the person you care for must normally receive a qualifying disability benefit.

These can include certain rates or components of benefits such as:

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Attendance Allowance
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
relevant Scottish disability benefits
Armed Forces Independence Payment

The particular component or rate can matter.

Check the current eligibility rules rather than assuming that receiving any disability benefit is enough.

Can I work and receive Carer’s Allowance?

Potentially.

You do not necessarily have to give up work to qualify.

However, there is an earnings limit.

For the 2026/27 tax year, you must normally earn £204 or less a week after tax, National Insurance and certain allowable expenses.

Some expenses can be deducted when calculating earnings for Carer’s Allowance, so your gross wage alone does not necessarily determine whether you qualify.

Because the earnings limit can change, check the current figure if you are considering a claim.

How much is Carer’s Allowance?

For 2026/27, Carer’s Allowance is £86.45 a week.

Receiving Carer’s Allowance can affect other benefits paid to you or the person you care for.

This is one reason it can be sensible to complete a benefits check before making a claim, particularly where the household already receives several benefits.

What is the Universal Credit carer element?

If you receive Universal Credit and provide substantial care for somebody who receives a qualifying disability benefit, you may be entitled to an additional amount called the carer element.

You do not necessarily need to receive Carer’s Allowance to qualify for the carer element.

Importantly, it is not automatically added simply because you start receiving Carer’s Allowance.

You should make sure your caring responsibilities are correctly recorded on your Universal Credit account.

If you receive both Carer’s Allowance and Universal Credit, your Universal Credit is normally reduced by an amount equal to your Carer’s Allowance payment.

However, you may still be entitled to the additional carer element as part of your Universal Credit calculation.

What if I cannot get Carer’s Allowance?

Not qualifying for Carer’s Allowance does not necessarily mean there is no support available.

For example, you might earn above the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit or provide fewer than 35 hours of care each week.

Depending on your circumstances, Carer’s Credit may be relevant.

What is Carer’s Credit?

Carer’s Credit is different from Carer’s Allowance.

It is a National Insurance credit, rather than a weekly payment.

It can help protect gaps in your National Insurance record, which can be important for your future State Pension.

Under current rules, Carer’s Credit may be available if you are under State Pension age and care for one or more people for at least 20 hours a week, subject to the other eligibility conditions.

Your income, savings and investments do not affect eligibility for Carer’s Credit.

This can make it particularly worth checking if caring has reduced the amount you work but you do not qualify for Carer’s Allowance.

What if I’ve reached State Pension age?

Carer’s Allowance and the State Pension have overlapping-benefit rules.

You cannot normally receive the full amount of both at the same time.

However, it may still be worth checking your position.

An underlying entitlement to Carer’s Allowance can sometimes affect means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit, even where Carer’s Allowance itself is not actually paid.

Do not assume that reaching State Pension age makes your caring responsibilities irrelevant to your benefits.

Could I qualify for other benefits as well?

Possibly.

Caring may reduce your household income, but Carer’s Allowance is only one part of the benefits system.

Depending on your circumstances, it may also be worth checking:

Universal Credit
Pension Credit
help with rent
Council Tax support
benefits connected with your own health or disability
other local or household financial support

A full benefits check is often more useful than checking Carer’s Allowance alone.

What about the person I care for?

It is also worth checking whether the person receiving care is getting the support they may be entitled to.

Depending on their age and circumstances, disability benefits such as PIP or Attendance Allowance may be relevant.

Their entitlement can sometimes affect what support is available to you as their carer.

However, changes to carers’ benefits can also interact with the benefits of the person being cared for.

If the household’s benefits are complicated, seek advice before making changes.

Is there financial help outside the benefits system?

Potentially.

Caring can create costs that are not solved simply by claiming a benefit.

If you provide unpaid care, you may also be entitled to ask your local authority for a Carer’s Assessment.

A Carer’s Assessment looks at how caring affects your life and what support you may need.

Depending on the assessment and local arrangements, practical support may be available.

The MH360 Caring, Care Costs & NHS Continuing Healthcare section explains Carer’s Assessments and wider care support separately.

Should I check again if my caring role changes?

Yes.

It is worth completing another benefits check if:

you start providing more care
you reduce your working hours
you stop working
your earnings change
the person you care for receives a new disability benefit
their care needs increase
you reach State Pension age
your household circumstances change

A benefits decision made before you became a carer may no longer reflect your situation.

Caring can affect more than your finances

Unpaid caring can affect work, relationships, sleep and mental wellbeing as well as money.

You may find yourself concentrating so much on the needs of the person you care for that you overlook your own support.

Financial help will not remove every pressure associated with caring.

But understanding what you may be entitled to can remove some uncertainty and help you plan.

MH360 Entitled can help people explore benefits and financial support they may be missing.

The MH360 Carers Mind resources also provide information focused on the wider experience of caring and looking after your own wellbeing.

7.9: What Benefits Might I Be Entitled To?

7.10: How Can I Check Whether I’m Missing Out on Benefits?

7.11: What Is Universal Credit?

7.14: What Financial Support Is Available if I Have a Disability or Long-Term Health Condition?

7.17: I’ve Had a Change in Circumstances, Do I Need to Report It?

7.18: What Is Personal Independence Payment (PIP)?

7.27: What Is Attendance Allowance?

7.30: What Financial Help Might Be Available in Later Life?

13.1: I’ve Become a Carer, Where Do I Start?

13.13: What Is a Carer’s Assessment and How Do I Ask for One?

Important information

This guide provides general information and is not intended to provide benefits, financial, legal, care or other professional advice. Benefit rules, rates and eligibility criteria can change, and individual circumstances can be different. Check current information from official sources or seek advice from an appropriately qualified benefits adviser before making important decisions.