Carer’s Allowance 2026/27: Get £86.45 a Week If You Care for Someone
Carer’s Allowance could provide £86.45 a week if you regularly care for someone who receives certain disability or care-related benefits. You do not have to be related to the person you care for, and you do not have to live with them.
For 2026/27, the weekly Carer’s Allowance rate is £86.45. To qualify, you generally need to provide at least 35 hours of care each week and meet the other eligibility conditions.
This guide explains who can claim, how much you can receive, the earnings limit, which benefits the person you care for must receive, how Carer’s Allowance affects other benefits, how to apply and what happens if your circumstances change.
Carer’s Allowance 2026/27 at a Glance
▫️ Weekly payment: £86.45
▫️ Minimum care: 35 hours per week
▫️ Maximum earnings: £204 a week after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses
▫️ Minimum age: 16
▫️ Payment frequency: Weekly in advance or every 4 weeks
▫️ National Insurance: You automatically receive National Insurance credits for each week you qualify
▫️ Backdating: Claims can generally be backdated by up to 3 months
▫️ Scotland: Carer Support Payment applies instead of Carer’s Allowance
The 2026/27 rate increased from £83.30 in 2025/26 to £86.45 a week. The earnings limit also increased from £196 to £204 a week.
What Is Carer’s Allowance?
Carer’s Allowance is a UK benefit designed to support people who provide substantial unpaid care to someone with a disability or health condition.
You can qualify even if you are not a professional carer. The person you care for could be a relative, partner, friend or another person you support.
You do not have to live in the same household as the person you care for.
The care you provide can include everyday activities such as:
▫️ Helping with washing or personal care
▫️ Preparing meals
▫️ Shopping
▫️ Managing household bills
▫️ Taking the person to medical appointments
▫️ Providing supervision or support
▫️ Helping with household tasks
▫️ Providing other regular assistance because of their disability or care needs
You must normally provide at least 35 hours of care each week.
How Much Is Carer’s Allowance?
For the 2026/27 benefit year, Carer’s Allowance is £86.45 per week.
That works out at approximately:
£345.80 every four weeks
or approximately:
£4,495.40 over 52 weeks
The actual payment schedule can vary because you can choose to receive the benefit weekly in advance or every four weeks.
Carer’s Allowance is taxable. This means the payment may count towards your taxable income if your total income is above your Personal Allowance.
Who Can Qualify for Carer’s Allowance?
You normally need to meet all of the main eligibility conditions.
You must:
▫️ Be aged 16 or over
▫️ Care for someone for at least 35 hours a week
▫️ Have been in England, Scotland or Wales for at least 2 of the last 3 years, subject to exceptions
▫️ Normally live in England or Wales, unless special rules apply
▫️ Not be in full-time education
▫️ Not be studying for 21 hours or more a week
▫️ Not be subject to immigration control
▫️ Have earnings of no more than £204 a week after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses
▫️ Care for someone who receives a qualifying disability or care benefit
If you live in Scotland, you normally need to apply for Carer Support Payment instead.
What Benefits Must the Person You Care For Receive?
The person you care for must normally already receive one of the qualifying benefits.
These include:
▫️ Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – daily living component
▫️ Disability Living Allowance (DLA) – middle or highest care rate
▫️ Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance – middle or highest care rate
▫️ Attendance Allowance
▫️ Pension Age Disability Payment
▫️ Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate with Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
▫️ Constant Attendance Allowance at the basic full-day rate with a War Disablement Pension
▫️ Armed Forces Independence Payment
▫️ Child Disability Payment – middle or highest care rate
▫️ Adult Disability Payment – daily living component at the standard or enhanced rate
Simply caring for someone who is disabled does not automatically qualify you for Carer’s Allowance. The person you care for must normally be receiving one of the specified qualifying benefits.
What Counts as Caring for 35 Hours a Week?
The 35-hour requirement does not necessarily mean you must provide 35 hours of physical assistance.
Care can involve different types of support depending on the person’s circumstances.
For example, you could spend time:
▫️ Preparing food
▫️ Helping someone wash or dress
▫️ Taking them to appointments
▫️ Shopping for them
▫️ Managing bills and paperwork
▫️ Helping with household activities
▫️ Providing supervision
▫️ Supporting them with daily activities
The important point is that the care you provide must amount to at least 35 hours each week.
Can You Work and Claim Carer’s Allowance?
Yes. You can work and potentially receive Carer’s Allowance.
However, your earnings must normally be £204 or less per week after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses for 2026/27.
This is an important distinction: the earnings test is not simply based on your gross salary.
Certain expenses can be deducted when calculating earnings.
These may include:
▫️ Some pension contributions
▫️ Necessary equipment used for your work
▫️ Certain work-related travel costs
▫️ Business expenses if you are self-employed
▫️ Certain care costs for the disabled person or your children while you work
For example, if you earn money from employment but have allowable expenses, those expenses can potentially reduce the earnings figure used for the Carer’s Allowance test.
If your earnings are close to the £204 limit, carefully check how your earnings and allowable expenses are calculated before assuming that you are not eligible.
What Income Does Not Usually Count as Earnings?
Some types of income are treated differently from employment or self-employment earnings.
GOV.UK states that payments such as:
▫️ Occupational or private pensions
▫️ Certain contributions towards living or accommodation costs
▫️ Some boarding income
▫️ Certain employer loans or advance payments
may not count as earnings for the Carer’s Allowance earnings test.
Because individual circumstances can be complicated, check the official rules before making a claim.
What If You Receive State Pension?
You cannot normally receive the full amount of both your State Pension and Carer’s Allowance at the same time.
If your State Pension is £86.45 a week or more, you will not receive a Carer’s Allowance payment.
If your State Pension is less than £86.45 a week, your Carer’s Allowance can potentially make up the difference.
You may still have an underlying entitlement to Carer’s Allowance even when no Carer’s Allowance payment is made because of another benefit.
This can be important because an underlying entitlement can affect eligibility for or the amount of other benefits.
What About Pension Credit?
If your State Pension is more than £86.45 a week, you will not receive a Carer’s Allowance payment, but your Pension Credit could increase instead if you qualify.
This means reaching State Pension age does not necessarily mean that caring for someone provides no financial benefit.
Your overall benefit position should be checked rather than looking only at the Carer’s Allowance payment.
National Insurance Credits
One of the important advantages of Carer’s Allowance is that you automatically receive National Insurance credits for each week you receive the benefit.
National Insurance credits can help protect your State Pension record.
This can be particularly important for people who reduce their working hours, stop work or take time away from employment because of caring responsibilities.
Can More Than One Person Claim for the Same Person?
Only one person can normally receive Carer’s Allowance for caring for the same person.
If another person is already receiving Carer’s Allowance, Carer Support Payment or the relevant carer element of Universal Credit for caring for that person, this can affect whether you can claim.
If several people provide care, they should understand the potential effect on everyone’s benefits before deciding who should make the claim.
How Does Carer’s Allowance Affect Other Benefits?
Carer’s Allowance can affect other benefits that you receive.
It can also affect certain benefits received by the person you care for.
For example, claiming Carer’s Allowance can affect certain additional disability-related amounts included in the other person’s benefits.
This is why it is important not to look at the £86.45 weekly payment in isolation.
Before making a claim, consider how it could change the overall household benefit position.
You may also be able to receive or apply for other forms of support, including:
▫️ Universal Credit if you are on a low income or out of work
▫️ Pension Credit if you qualify
▫️ Council Tax Reduction
▫️ Support from your local council
▫️ Grants and bursaries for education or training
Can You Claim Universal Credit Too?
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to receive Universal Credit while also being entitled to Carer’s Allowance.
However, receiving Carer’s Allowance can affect the amount of Universal Credit you receive.
Universal Credit also has a specific additional amount for people who provide care for someone who receives a qualifying disability-related benefit.
Because benefits interact with each other, you should check your complete circumstances rather than assuming that receiving both benefits means receiving the full amount of both.
What If Someone Else Also Cares for the Same Person?
You can share caring responsibilities with another person, but there are restrictions on who can receive the relevant carer benefit for the same person.
If another person is already claiming Carer’s Allowance, Carer Support Payment or the relevant Universal Credit carer amount for that person, you may not be able to receive Carer’s Allowance at the same time.
If you disagree about who should claim, you can still apply and the relevant authority can decide who is entitled.
Can Carer’s Allowance Be Backdated?
Yes.
A Carer’s Allowance claim can generally be backdated by up to 3 months.
You should make your claim as soon as possible if you believe you qualify, because delaying a claim could mean losing payments for an earlier period that cannot be backdated.
There are also circumstances involving the award of the qualifying disability benefit where special backdating rules can apply.
How Do You Apply for Carer’s Allowance?
You can apply online through GOV.UK.
Before starting your claim, you should have information such as:
▫️ Your National Insurance number
▫️ Your partner’s National Insurance number, if applicable
▫️ Your bank or building society details
▫️ Employment details
▫️ Your latest payslip if you are working
▫️ Your P45 if you recently stopped working
▫️ Course details if you are studying
▫️ Details of relevant expenses
You will also need information about the person you care for, including their:
▫️ Date of birth
▫️ Address
▫️ National Insurance number if they are aged 16 or over
▫️ Disability Living Allowance reference if they are under 16
You can apply online or, if you cannot apply online, request or use the appropriate paper claim form.
What Happens If Your Circumstances Change?
You must report relevant changes to the Department for Work and Pensions.
Examples include:
▫️ Starting a new job
▫️ Leaving a job
▫️ Changes to your income
▫️ Earning more than £204 a week
▫️ Starting or ending full-time education
▫️ Moving house
▫️ The person you care for moving house
▫️ Stopping being a carer
▫️ Providing less than 35 hours of care a week
▫️ The person you care for no longer receiving their qualifying disability benefit
▫️ Another person claiming Carer’s Allowance for the same person
▫️ Changes to your immigration status
You should report changes promptly to avoid being overpaid.
What Happens If You Are Overpaid?
If you receive more Carer’s Allowance than you are entitled to, you may have to repay the money.
Overpayments can happen if you:
▫️ Do not report a change in circumstances
▫️ Give incorrect information
▫️ Earn above the permitted limit
▫️ Stop providing the required level of care
▫️ Continue receiving the benefit when your circumstances have changed
The government is also reassessing certain historic Carer’s Allowance overpayments occurring between 10 April 2015 and 2 September 2025.
If you are affected by this reassessment, the DWP says you do not need to contact the Carer’s Allowance Unit. The department will contact you if it needs further information or has a decision.
What Happens If You Temporarily Stop Caring?
There are circumstances where you can continue receiving Carer’s Allowance during a temporary break from caring.
For example, a temporary break may happen because you or the person you care for goes into hospital or receives respite care.
However, there are rules about how long the break can last.
You should tell the DWP if you temporarily stop providing care, particularly where the break is extended or involves hospital, nursing-home or respite care.
Carer’s Allowance in Scotland
If you live in Scotland, you generally need to apply for Carer Support Payment instead of Carer’s Allowance.
If you move from England or Wales to Scotland while receiving Carer’s Allowance, you need to tell the DWP and apply for Carer Support Payment.
If you move from Scotland to England or Wales while receiving Carer Support Payment, you need to report the move to Social Security Scotland and make a new claim for Carer’s Allowance.
Do not assume that your existing payment will automatically continue after moving between the different benefit systems.
Carer’s Allowance and Immigration Status
There are immigration and residence rules that can affect eligibility.
You must normally not be subject to immigration control.
There are also specific rules for people from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Depending on your circumstances, you and your family may need settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
If your immigration status changes, you should report the change where required.
What If You Do Not Qualify for Carer’s Allowance?
If you do not qualify for Carer’s Allowance, you may still qualify for other support.
One option is Carer’s Credit, which is a National Insurance credit for people who provide care but do not qualify for Carer’s Allowance.
Other support could include:
▫️ Universal Credit
▫️ Pension Credit
▫️ Council Tax Reduction
▫️ Local authority support
▫️ Carer support services
▫️ Grants and training support
Your eligibility depends on your personal circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Carer’s Allowance in 2026/27?
Carer’s Allowance is £86.45 a week for 2026/27.
How many hours do I need to care for someone?
You normally need to provide at least 35 hours of care each week.
Can I claim Carer’s Allowance if I work?
Yes. You can work and claim, provided your earnings are £204 or less a week after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses.
Do I have to live with the person I care for?
No. You do not have to live with the person you care for, and you do not have to be related to them.
Can I claim for caring for more than one person?
You do not receive additional Carer’s Allowance for caring for more than one person.
Can two people claim Carer’s Allowance for the same person?
Normally, only one person can receive Carer’s Allowance for caring for the same person.
Does Carer’s Allowance count as taxable income?
Yes. Carer’s Allowance is taxable.
Does Carer’s Allowance give me National Insurance credits?
Yes. You automatically receive National Insurance credits for each week you receive Carer’s Allowance.
Can I receive Carer’s Allowance and State Pension?
You cannot normally receive the full amount of both. If your State Pension is £86.45 or more per week, you will not receive a Carer’s Allowance payment, although you may have an underlying entitlement.
Can I backdate Carer’s Allowance?
Claims can generally be backdated by up to 3 months, subject to the relevant rules.
What happens if I move to Scotland?
If you move to Scotland, you normally need to apply for Carer Support Payment instead of Carer’s Allowance.
How to Apply
If you believe you qualify, you can make a Carer’s Allowance claim through the official GOV.UK service.
Important: Check your eligibility and the effect on your other benefits before submitting a claim, particularly if the person you care for receives means-tested benefits.
Official Source
Information in this article is based on current GOV.UK guidance and benefit rates for 2026/27.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. Benefit rules and individual circumstances can affect eligibility and payment amounts. Always check the latest GOV.UK guidance before making a claim.