Carer's Allowance: who can claim £86.45 a week in 2026
Carer's Allowance supports people who provide at least 35 hours of care each week to someone receiving a qualifying disability benefit. Earnings and study rules also apply.
Key facts before you decide
- The weekly rate is £86.45 for 2026–27.
- The carer must provide at least 35 hours of care each week.
- The person cared for must receive a qualifying disability benefit.
- Earnings after allowable expenses must stay within the official weekly limit; full-time education can prevent entitlement.
Rules, amounts and dates can change. Confirm your situation through the official links before submitting documents.
What Carer’s Allowance pays
Carer’s Allowance is a taxable benefit for someone who regularly provides substantial unpaid care. The 2026–27 rate is £86.45 a week. It can be paid weekly in advance or every four weeks into an account.
The amount does not increase for caring for more than one person. If two people care for the same disabled person, only one can receive Carer’s Allowance for that person at a time.
The 35-hour care rule
The claimant must spend at least 35 hours a week caring. Care can include practical help, supervision, taking the person to appointments, managing bills or spending time monitoring them. The hours do not have to be provided under a formal employment arrangement.
Keep a realistic weekly record where the total is not obvious. Short breaks, hospital stays or temporary changes can affect entitlement, and DWP should be told when the 35-hour condition is no longer met.
Qualifying benefits for the person cared for
The person receiving care must be paid a qualifying disability benefit at the required rate. Examples include the daily living component of PIP, the middle or highest care rate of Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and certain Armed Forces payments.
A pending disability claim is not enough for payment, although a later award can sometimes allow the carer’s claim to be reconsidered or backdated. Check the exact qualifying component before applying.
Earnings and allowable expenses
A carer can work, but weekly earnings after tax, National Insurance and certain allowable expenses must not exceed the official limit. Deductions can include some pension contributions and, in specific circumstances, part of the cost of replacement care while working.
Earnings can fluctuate, so DWP may average them over an appropriate period. Report changes promptly and keep payslips, expense evidence and pension records. Gross pay alone may not be the final figure used, but informal deductions cannot be assumed.
Education and residence conditions
People in full-time education of 21 hours or more a week are generally not eligible. The course calculation can include supervised study as well as classroom time. Residence and presence conditions also apply, with special arrangements for some temporary absences.
In Scotland, new support is delivered through Carer Support Payment instead of a new Carer’s Allowance claim. Northern Ireland has its own claim route.
How to make a claim
A claim can be made online or using form DS700. The applicant needs National Insurance details, bank information, employment and expense records, course details if studying, and information about the person cared for and their qualifying benefit.
Claims can normally be backdated for up to three months when all conditions were met. Asking for backdating in the application is important; DWP will not necessarily assume the earliest possible date.
Effect on other benefits
Carer’s Allowance can affect both the claimant’s benefits and those of the person cared for. The cared-for person may lose a severe disability premium or addition when someone becomes entitled to Carer’s Allowance, even if the carer is not actually paid because of an overlapping benefit.
A claimant receiving State Pension or another overlapping benefit may have “underlying entitlement” rather than a separate Carer’s Allowance payment. That underlying entitlement can increase Pension Credit or another means-tested benefit. Seek an official calculation before changing claims.
National Insurance credits and tax
Each week of entitlement normally provides Class 1 National Insurance credits, which can help protect the claimant’s record. Carer’s Allowance itself is taxable, although tax is not always deducted directly from each payment.
Claimants should include it when required by HMRC and check the effect on tax codes or Self Assessment. The benefit is separate from Carer’s Credit, which may help people who do not qualify for payment.
Changes that must be reported
- Stopping or reducing care below 35 hours.
- The cared-for person’s qualifying benefit ending.
- Starting work or a significant earnings change.
- Beginning full-time education.
- Hospital, care-home, prison or travel changes.
Grantalia cannot decide how overlapping benefits will interact.
This guide was checked against the responsible agency’s pages. Use these links to verify the process and any later updates.
Read the official Carer's Allowance guideCheck eligibility
Make a claim
Review 2026–27 rates