Many people who look after someone else do not realise that they are a carer. To find out more, read our webpage Are you a carer?.

There are two main benefits available to carers: Carer’s Allowance (in England and Wales) and Carer Support Payment (in Scotland). 

You may qualify for Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment if you:

• regularly spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone. This can include physically looking after them, any tasks you complete for them, and any time you spend keeping an eye on them. If they do not live with you and they visit, it can also include any time you spend preparing for their visit, cleaning up after they leave, and taking them back home
• care for someone who receives one of these benefits:
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Pension Age Disability Payment – in Scotland only
  • Personal Independence Payment (the daily living component)
  • Disability Living Allowance (the middle or highest care component rate)
  • Adult Disability Payment (the daily living component) – in Scotland only
  • Constant Attendance Allowance (at or above the normal maximum rate, with an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit)
  • Constant Attendance Allowance (at or above the basic full day rate, with a War Disablement Pension)
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Child Disability Payment (the middle or highest care component rate) – in Scotland only
• earn less than £196 a week (after deductions). Money you get from personal or workplace pensions does not count as part of your earnings. If your income is different every week because you are self-employed or work on a zero or low hours contract, the DWP will look at your average earnings
• meet the requirements if you’re a student – for Carer’s Allowance, you should not be studying for 21 hours or more a week. For Carer Support Payment, you may be able to apply even if you are studying full time
• normally live in England or Wales (if you're applying for Carer's Allowance) or Scotland (if you're applying for Carer Support Payment). You can check the residency criteria on Gov.uk.

You can still claim Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment if you’re getting a State Pension, but the rules are slightly different.

Carer’s Allowance and Carer Support Payment are paid at up to £83.30 a week (2025/26 rate). 

If you live in Scotland, you may also get a Carer's Allowance Supplement twice a year. This is paid automatically.

Getting a carer’s benefit also means that you could receive more money with any means-tested benefits you currently get, such as Pension Credit or Housing Benefit. This extra money is called a Carer’s Premium, or a Carer’s Addition if it’s paid with Pension Credit. If you did not qualify for these benefits before, you may find you can now claim them. 

If your State Pension is less than £83.30, you can receive Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment to top it up to this amount.

When you apply for Carer’s Allowance – or Carer Support Payment in Scotland – you may be told that you qualify for it, but cannot be paid it because of the overlapping benefits rule. This is when you qualify for two or more benefits, but can only be paid one of these benefits at a time. 

If you’re already getting more than £83.30 a week from certain other benefits, such as State Pension, you might be told that you have an underlying entitlement to a carer’s benefit instead. 

This could mean that you: 

• get an increased amount of any other means-tested benefits you’re currently getting, or 

• now qualify for benefits that you couldn’t get before. 

Underlying entitlement is worth having. It can act as a passport to other benefits, such as Pension Credit, which can lead to other entitlements.

Call our free Helpline for a benefits check and to make sure you qualify. For more information, read our factsheet Underlying entitlement to carers' benefits.

To claim Carer’s Allowance, you’ll need to fill in a claim form. You can apply online or download a claim form to print out and post. If you get a State Pension, you’ll need to use the State Pension version of the form.

If you cannot apply online, call the Carer’s Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297 to ask for a form. 

You can backdate your claim by up to three months.

If you need help filling in the form, call our Helpline.

In Scotland, you can apply for Carer Support Payment by filling in a claim form. You can do this:

• through an online account
• by post
• by phone
• in person.

If you need help to apply, a client support adviser can visit you at home or somewhere in your community, or they can help you over the phone or on a video call. 

You can read more about how to apply for Carer Support Payment on mygov.scot.