What is Carers Allowance? 

Carers Allowance is a benefit which can be paid to a person if they provide substantial care for a person who is ‘severely disabled’. 

Severely disabled in this instance means that the individual concerned qualifies for Personal Independence Payment Daily Living, Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance for Care at least the Middle rate. 

The person providing the care must be providing care for a minimum of 35 hours a week and if they are working, must not have an income of more than £196 per week. You do not have to be living with the person that you provide care for. 

How much will Carers Allowance be? 

If you qualify this will be £83.30 per week and it is classed as a taxable benefit and will partially count as income against other means tested benefits. You will also be credited with National Insurance Credits on the grounds of Caring responsibilities which can be counted towards future state pension entitlement.  

If I work and earn over £196 per week, could I still qualify for some Carers Allowance? 

Whilst you would not be able to qualify for Carers Allowance in its own right, if you have a low income you might be able to claim Universal Credit which would include a Carer Element in acknowledgement of your caring duties. The only requirement for this is that a person provides care for 35 hours a week. 

Carers Allowance is what is termed ‘an overlapping benefit’ this means that certain benefits cannot be claimed together at the same time. Examples of this include Retirement Pension. However, just because there is no actual entitlement you could be awarded the ‘underlying entitlement’ which could provide access to other benefits. 

Are there any other entitlements I could claim as a Carer? 

If you live with the person that you provide care for, depending on your household composition you maybe eligible for a 25% discount on your council tax as carers are disregarded for the purposes of council tax. You should speak to your local authority for more information. 

Claims can be made here – https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance  

What is Carers Credit?   

Carers Credit is a scheme which you can apply for National Insurance Credits on the grounds of Caring responsibilities for people that may not qualify for Carers Allowance. These credits can be counted towards future state pension entitlement. The person that you care for does not have to be in receipt of a Disability Benefit providing that you provide at least 20 hours a week of care and this can be supported by a clinician.  

This can be claimed here – https://www.gov.uk/carers-credit

This advice is provided by our Benefits Advisor, Robert Mandelstam. The information provided above is up to date for the financial year ending 5th April 2026.

Return to the benefits page

Free benefits consultation Are you struggling to take all this in? Not sure how it applies to you? If you or your family are living with a rare bone marrow related condition and you are in the UK, The Aplastic Anaemia Trust can arrange a free confidential session to discuss your options one-to-one with a financial expert, via our partnership with Maggie's. Just fill in the form: Request a free consultation now