Carer's Allowance and Carer's Credit

If you look after a husband, wife, relative or friend who could not manage without you, then you are a carer, even if you have never thought of yourself that way. Caring is a huge, and often quiet, contribution, and there is some financial help and support that goes with it. The rules can be a little fiddly, especially once you are drawing your pension, but they are well worth understanding, because a great many carers miss out on money they are entitled to. This page explains Carer's Allowance, Carer's Credit, and where to get help.

Carer's Allowance: the basics

Carer's Allowance is the main benefit for carers. In 2026/27 it is worth £86.45 a week. To qualify, you need to spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit, such as Attendance Allowance or the daily living part of PIP. You must be 16 or over and not in full-time education, and if you do paid work alongside caring, you cannot earn more than £204 a week after tax, National Insurance and certain expenses. It is not means-tested, so your savings and most of your income do not affect it, although it does count as taxable income.

If you are over State Pension age, please read this

Here is something a great many carers miss. If you receive the State Pension, you usually cannot be paid Carer's Allowance on top of it, because the rules do not allow both to be paid in full. It would be easy to conclude there is no point in applying. But there very often is. Even when Carer's Allowance cannot actually be paid, claiming it can give you what is called an "underlying entitlement", and that can unlock or increase your Pension Credit through an extra amount for carers worth around £48 a week, which adds up to more than £2,500 a year.

So if you are over State Pension age and you care for someone, it is well worth applying anyway, and then telling the Pension Credit office about your underlying entitlement. The very same thing can also boost Housing Benefit and Council Tax help. Our guides on Pension Credit and help with your Council Tax explain more.

One important thing to check first

Before you claim, there is one thing worth checking, as it occasionally catches people out. If the person you care for receives a "severe disability" addition with their Pension Credit or another means-tested benefit, your Carer's Allowance claim, even just the underlying entitlement, can stop that extra amount. In some households that loss is larger than what you would gain, so it is wise to work it out together first, ideally with a free benefits check, before deciding.

How to claim Carer's Allowance

You can claim online at gov.uk/carers-allowance, or by calling the Carer's Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297 to ask for a form. A claim can be backdated by up to three months, so it is worth applying sooner rather than later. And if your claim is turned down because of your pension, do keep the letter, as it is the proof of your underlying entitlement that you will need when you contact the Pension Credit office.

Carer's Credit: protecting your pension

If you are not yet at State Pension age and you care for someone for at least 20 hours a week, Carer's Credit is worth knowing about. It is not a payment, but a National Insurance credit that helps protect your own State Pension by filling any gaps in your record for the years you are caring rather than working. It is free, and you apply through the same Carer's Allowance Unit, or at gov.uk/carers-credit. If you already receive Carer's Allowance, these credits come to you automatically.

Other help for carers

Money is only part of it. As a carer, you are entitled to a carer's assessment from the council, which looks at your own needs and at what might make life easier, from a regular break to practical support. You can arrange one through Call Derbyshire on 01629 533190. You may also qualify for a reduction in your Council Tax as a carer, and it is always worth a full benefits check to make sure you are receiving everything you are entitled to. Our guide on getting a care needs assessment has more.

Looking after yourself, too

Caring for someone you love can be deeply rewarding, but it can also be tiring and, at times, lonely, and your own health and wellbeing matter every bit as much as those of the person you care for. Please do not feel you have to manage everything alone. Locally, Derbyshire Carers Association offers advice, support and a friendly ear to carers across the area, and our guide on looking after your mental health may help too.

A friendly voice for you, or for them

Caring can leave very little time for company, whether for you or for the person you look after. A regular, friendly phone call can be a real comfort to both, and our befriending service here at BrightLife is always glad to help.

Where to get help, locally and nationally

Close to home, across Chesterfield, Bolsover and North East Derbyshire:

• Call Derbyshire, on 01629 533190, for a carer's assessment.
• Derbyshire Carers Association, for local advice and support for carers.
• Citizens Advice, for a free benefits check. For Bolsover and North East Derbyshire, call 0808 250 5702.

Across the country:

• The Carer's Allowance Unit, on 0800 731 0297, to claim Carer's Allowance or Carer's Credit, and gov.uk/carers-allowance.
• Carers UK, on 0808 808 7777, for free advice and support for carers.
• MoneyHelper, on 0800 138 7777, for free help with money matters.