Benefits for carers

If you look after someone with a lot of care needs, you may get:

• Carer’s Allowance in England, Wales or Northern Ireland
• Carer Support Payment in Scotland.

Carer’s Allowance in Scotland

In Scotland, Carer Support Payment has replaced Carer’s Allowance. Carer Support Payment is paid by Social Security Scotland.

If you live in Scotland and currently get Carer’s Allowance, you do not need to apply for Carer Support Payment. Social Security Scotland will move you to the new benefit without you having to do anything. The amount of benefit you get will stay the same.

To find out more about this change, visit mygov.scot

You may be able to get Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment if you are:

• aged 16 or over
• caring for someone for at least 35 hours a week.

The person you care for must be getting certain benefits (qualifying benefits). These are usually 1 of the following:

• the daily living part of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or the Adult Disability Payment (ADP) at either rate
• the care part of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) at the middle or higher rate
• the care part of the Child Disability Payment at the middle or higher rate
• Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment.

It is important to know the following about Carer’s Allowance and Carer Support Payment:

• You do not need to be related to, or living with, the person you care for to claim.
• You can be working, but there is a weekly earnings limit – after certain deductions.
• State Pension overlaps with these benefits. You will get whichever one pays the highest. If your State Pension is less than Carers Allowance or Carer Support Payment, you will get a payment to make up the difference.
• You cannot usually claim if you are studying for 21 hours a week or more.
• If you receive Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment, or the carer element in Universal Credit, the person you care for will stop getting a severe disability premium included in their benefits. This is an extra amount for severe disability paid with Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or reduced council tax. It is also paid with certain other benefits.
• You can usually backdate your claim by up to 3 months. But this can be longer if the person you care for has a delayed decision about their qualifying benefit. For example, this could be due to a long processing time or an appeal.
• If there is more than 1 carer looking after the person you care for, the main carer should apply. Only 1 carer can get Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment.

If you are entitled to, or get Carer’s Allowance and certain other benefits, you may also be able to get the Carer Premium. This extra payment can be added to:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Reduction.

Extra payments for being a carer can also be added to:

• Pension Credit – the extra payment is called the carer addition
• Universal Credit – the extra payment is called the carer element.

To claim any of these extra payments for carers, contact the service that pays you the benefit. You should tell them you are getting or are entitled to Carer’s Allowance. The payment should then be added to any benefit you are getting.

To get Carer’s Credit, you must look after at least 1 person for 20 hours or more a week.

Normally, each person you look after must be getting 1 of these disability benefits:

• the daily living part of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or the Adult Disability Payment (ADP) at either rate
• the care part of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) at the middle or higher rate
• the care part of the Child Disability Payment at the middle or higher rate
• Attendance Allowance
• Pension Age Disability Payment
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Armed Forces Independence Payment.

If the person you look after does not get any of these benefits, you may still be able to get Carer’s Credit. You must fill in the care certificate part of the application form. It is important to get a health or social care professional to sign it.

If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, call the Carer’s Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297 or use textphone 0800 731 0317 to request a claim form. You can also visit GOV.UK to download the form and apply by post.

If you live in Northern Ireland, call the Disability and Carers Service on 0800 587 0912 or use textphone 0800 012 1574 to request a claim form. Or contact your local Social Security or Jobs and Benefits office. You can also download a form from NI Direct.