How much is Carer's Allowance?
If you get Carer's Allowance, you could receive £67.60 weekly.
How much is Carer’s Allowance? What is it? If you are caring for the health of an individual, you may be eligible. More specifically, you could get £67.60 weekly. For this, you must care for someone for a minimum of 35 hours every week. Indeed, you This Your Benefits article will tell you all you need to know about Carer’s Allowance.
How much is Carer’s Allowance?
You could receive £67.60 every week. Indeed, this is if you care for a person for a minimum of 35 hours weekly. Additionally, said person must also receive one of certain qualifying benefits. Then, you will also get National Insurance credits.
You may choose how you are paid. More specifically, you can choose to be paid either every 4 weeks or in advance every week. Like most other benefits, the money will be put into your account directly. This can be a building society or bank account.
Important
It is possible that you care for more than one person. If this is the case, you may not earn more than £67.60 weekly. Furthermore, another carer might take care of the same person as you. If this is the case, then only one of you is able to receive a Carer’s Allowance unit.
What else can I get with Carer’s Allowance?
If you receive Carer’s Allowance, you will also automatically receive National Insurance credits. However, there are also a number of other benefits you could claim. Indeed, you may be able to receive one of the following:
- Help from your local council;
- Universal Credit (if you are not working, or low on income);
- Bursaries and grants (to pay for any trainings or courses);
- Council Tax Reduction;
- Pension Credit (if you are older than working age);
- Income-based Employment and Support Allowance (if you are unable to work and receive the severe disability premium);
- Income Support (if you are both on a low income and get the severe disability premium);
- Carer’s Allowance Supplement (if you receive Carer’s Allowance and also live in Scotland).
Carer’s Allowance might impact your other benefits. Indeed, this may be true for both the ones that you and the person you care for receives. Additionally, your income may be more than the Personal Allowance. If this is the case, you may have to pay tax on the payments you receive for this benefit.
Lastly, if you are caring for someone who is disabled, there’s more things they could receive. In fact, you first may be entitled to a carers premium. Furthermore, the person you care for may be eligible for tested benefits like housing benefit.
Who can claim Carer’s Allowance?
You may qualify for Carer’s Allowance, you must care for a person for a minimum of 35 hours a week. Furthermore, this person must earn certain qualifying benefits.
Disclaimer
You are not required to be related to the person you care for. Additionally, you do not need to live with them.
Additionally, more things need to be true for you. Indeed, this is the case for the all of the following. You must be:
- 16 years or older;
- Lived in Wales, Scotland or England for a minimum of 2 out of the 3 past years. You may have a humanitarian protection status or be a refugee. If this is the case, this does not apply to you;
- You typically live in Wales, Scotland or England, or as a member of the armed forces abroad. You may be living in or moving to Switzerland or an EEA country. If this is the case, you may still be eligible;
- You are not in full-time education;
- You are not studying for longer than 21 hours weekly or more;
- Immigration control is not affecting you;
- You earn £128 weekly or less after tax. This includes National Insurance contributions and expenses.
Important
Your weekly income might be superior to £128. However, you may still be able to receive Carer’s Allowance. Indeed, you may then calculate your average earnings.
You or your family may also be from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the EU or Switzerland. If this is the case, both you and your family need the pre-settled status. This is under the EU Settlement Scheme. Although the deadline was 30 June 2021, you may still be eligible to apply on the Gov.UK website.
How can I calculate my earnings?
You may be unsure what your earnings consist of. Indeed, your earnings are any money you receive through your employment, self-employment. These amounts are after tax. Furthermore, earnings include expenses and National Insurance.
What qualifies as an expense? They can be one of the following:
- If you are self-employed: business costs (his can include costs for equipment that you need for work, like the cost of a work computer);
- Travel costs not covered by your employer, and to travel to your different places of work (for example, this can include fuel costs and train fares);
- Half of your pension contributions;
- Equipment costs for items needed for your job (for example, this can include specialist clothing).
You may pay a carer to care for your children or a disabled individual while you are at your workplace. If this is the case, costs that are equal to half of your earnings or less can be treated as an expense. However, in this case, the carer cannot be your sibling, child, spouse, partner or parent.
| Carer's Allowance earnings example in 2022 | |
|---|---|
| Earnings and expenses | Amount (weekly) |
| Earnings | £110 |
| Expenses on care | £70 |
| Amount treatable as expenses | £55 |
Some payments are not considered earnings. This is the case for the following:
- An advance or loan provided by your employer;
- If someone is boarding in your home: the first £20 you get weekly, and half of the rest of the income you receive from them;
- The contributions that someone living with you makes for accommodation or living costs (this person cannot be a boarder or tenant);
- Money received for a private or occupational pension.
How to claim Carer’s Allowance?
You may claim this benefit online or by post. If you wish to apply by post, the address to send your application is located at the very end of your claim form. To apply online, you may do so on the Gov.UK website.
You will need the following information. Your:
- Expense details (this can include cost of care while you are at work (for your children or a disabled individual) or pension contributions;
- If you are currently studying: details about the course you are taking;
- A P45 (this is if you finished work recently);
- If you currently work: your latest payslips and employment details;
- Building society or bank details (this is unless you receive State Pension);
- National Insurance number (you will need your partner’s if you have one).
Information about the person you care for is also required. Have their:
- National Insurance number (if they are 16 or over);
- Address and date of birth;
- Disability Living Allowance reference (if they are under 16 years old).
Important
Your claim can be backdated up to 3 months.
What if I already receive another benefit?
If you already receive the full amount of State Pension, you cannot receive the full amount of Carer’s Allowance, and vice versa.
More specifically, if you get £67.60 weekly or over with State Pension. Then, you cannot get Carer’s Allowance. However, you may get less than £67.60 weekly with your pension. In this case, Carer’s Allowance will make up the difference.
For example, you may get £50 through your State Pension. Then, you may get £17.60 weekly with this benefit. You may also get Pension Credit. Indeed, your State Pension is £67.60 weekly or more, you will not get Carer’s Allowance. However, the payments you receive for Pension Credit will increase.
Disclaimer
Are you not eligible for Carer’s Allowance? You may be able to get Carer’s Credit instead.
Note that typically, your other benefit payments will change. However, the total number of benefits you earn will typically either stay the same or increase. Furthermore, Carer’s Allowance will not impact your benefit cap.
Will Carer’s Allowance affect the benefits of the person I care for?
Yes, this benefit may affect certain benefits that the person you care for receives. More specifically, they will typically stop receiving the following:
- Extra amounts of Pension Credit received for a severe disability;
- Their severe disability premium;
Severe disability premium is paid through certain of their benefits. In fact, You may verify if this payment will stop with the office that pays it. This can be either of the following:
- Universal Credit Helpline;
- Pension Service Helpline;
- Local council;
- Jobcentre Plus.
What is considered a qualifying benefit?
The person for whom you provide care must receive at least one qualifying benefit. Indeed, they are as follows:
- Attendance Allowance;
- Armed Forces Independence Payment;
- Mobility or care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) if you receive the middle or highest care rate;
- Child Disability Payment if you receive the highest or middle rate;
- Adult Disability Payment if you receive the daily living component;
- Constant Attendance Allowance at the basic rate, also known as the full-day rate. You must also receive a War Disablement Pension;
- Constant Attendance Allowance at the normal maximum rate or above, you must also receive an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit;
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you must receive the daily living component.
What if the other carer already earns a benefit?
You may not be able to receive Carer’s Allowance. Indeed, this is the case if you are not the only person taking caring for one individual, and they earn one of the following two benefits:
- Universal Credit (more specifically, they must receive the ‘caring for a severely disabled person’ extra amount. Indeed, this must be for the person you are also caring for);
- Carer’s Allowance (this must be for the person you are also caring for).
You may want to receive Carer’s Allowance. If this is the case, talk about it with the other carer. Indeed, see if you can change who receives the benefit.
The other carer may not want to change who gets what benefit. Then, you are still able to apply for Carer’s Allowance. Indeed, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will then determine who should be receiving the benefit.
