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Carer's Allowance

A weekly payment for people caring 35 hours a week or more. Savings are ignored, but there is a hard earnings limit.

Carevo editorial team Updated 2 August 2026 Checked by Carevo editorial team, 2 August 2026

Figures on this page are 2026/27 tax year rates, checked 2 August 2026. UK benefit rates and care charging thresholds change every April.

Carer’s Allowance is the main benefit for unpaid carers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has replaced it with Carer Support Payment.

The basics

  • £86.45 a week, about £4,495 a year
  • You must care at least 35 hours a week
  • Your net earnings must be £204.00 a week or less
  • The person you care for must get a qualifying disability benefit
  • You must not be in full-time education of 21 hours a week or more

Savings are ignored, earnings are not

There is no capital limit at all. You could have substantial savings and still qualify.

Earnings are different, and the limit is a cliff edge rather than a taper. Earn £204.00 and you keep the full amount. Earn a pound more and you get nothing.

You can deduct tax, National Insurance, half of any pension contributions, and some care costs incurred so you can work. The pension deduction is the useful lever if you are just over.

Read the detail in is Carer’s Allowance means tested?

Qualifying benefits

The person you care for must receive one of:

  • PIP daily living component, either rate
  • Attendance Allowance, either rate
  • DLA care component at the middle or highest rate
  • Constant Attendance Allowance
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Adult Disability Payment or Child Disability Payment, in Scotland

If they are not claiming anything yet, start there. Helping them claim Attendance Allowance may unlock your claim too.

National Insurance credits

Carer’s Allowance gives you Class 1 National Insurance credits automatically, protecting your State Pension record. For many carers this is worth more over time than the weekly payment.

If you cannot be paid because of the State Pension overlap, look at Carer’s Credit instead, which protects your record if you care 20 hours a week or more.

Check before you claim

Our Carer’s Allowance calculator checks the hours rule, the earnings limit and your headroom, and flags the severe disability premium trap.

Common questions

How much is Carer's Allowance?

£86.45 a week for 2026/27, which is about £4,495 a year. It is taxable and counts as income for means-tested benefits.

What is the earnings limit?

£204.00 a week after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses. It is a cliff edge: one penny over and you lose the entire payment for that week.

Do savings affect Carer's Allowance?

No. Savings, investments and property are ignored completely, and your partner's income is irrelevant. Only your own earnings are tested.

Can claiming make the household worse off?

It can. If the person you care for gets a severe disability premium or the severe disability addition in Pension Credit, your claim can stop it. Check the combined position before you apply.

Sources

This page is general information about how care funding works in England. It is not financial, legal or medical advice, and it does not replace an assessment by your local council or the NHS. Carevo is not a care provider.