Carers Allowance 2026/27: Eligibility, Earnings Limit and Pitfalls

Carers Allowance is a weekly benefit of £86.45 (2026/27) for people who spend at least 35 hours a week looking after someone who gets a qualifying disability benefit, such as Attendance Allowance or the daily living part of PIP. You can work and still claim, as long as you earn no more than £204 a week after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses.

It sounds simple, but carers across England regularly get caught out: by the earnings limit, by the overlap with State Pension, or by an effect on the benefits of the person they care for. This guide explains the rules, the traps and what to claim alongside it.

In short: £86.45 a week, 35+ hours of care, the person you care for must get a qualifying benefit, and your earnings must stay at or below £204 a week. Check the knock-on effects before you claim.

Carers allowance eligibility

You can get Carer’s Allowance if all of these apply:

• you are 16 or over
• you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone
• you normally live in England or Wales and have been in Great Britain for at least two of the last three years (with some exceptions)
• you are not in full-time education or studying 21 hours a week or more
• your earnings are £204 a week or less after tax, National Insurance and expenses

The person you care for must get one of the qualifying benefits:

• Attendance Allowance (either rate)
• Personal Independence Payment daily living component (either rate)
• Disability Living Allowance middle or highest care rate
• Armed Forces Independence Payment, Constant Attendance Allowance at the qualifying rates, or certain Scottish disability benefits

You do not have to be related to the person or live with them. Caring counts broadly: helping with washing, dressing and meals, doing their shopping and laundry, managing medication, taking them to appointments and keeping them company or safe. Only one person can claim for the same person, even if several of you share the caring.

If your parent does not yet get Attendance Allowance, that is usually the first step. See our Attendance Allowance guide and how to fill in the Attendance Allowance form.

Carers allowance earnings limit 2026

For 2026/27 the earnings limit is £204 a week. This is net earnings: after Income Tax, National Insurance and certain allowable expenses. The government says this lets carers earn roughly £10,000 a year.

Some expenses can be deducted before your earnings are compared with the limit, including half of what you pay into a pension and some costs of paying for care for the person you look after while you are at work. The Carer’s Allowance Unit can confirm what counts.

The key thing to understand is that there is currently no taper. If your earnings go over £204 in a week, even by £1, you are not entitled to Carer’s Allowance for that week at all.

Overpayment risk with earnings

This cliff edge has caused serious problems. In April 2026 the government announced it was reviewing more than 200,000 cases affected by unclear guidance on averaging earnings between 2015 and 2025, with around 25,000 carers expected to have debts reduced, cancelled or refunded. It is also considering replacing the cliff edge with a taper, but that has not yet happened.

To avoid building up an overpayment:

• tell the Carer’s Allowance Unit straight away about any pay rise, extra shifts, bonus or new job
• if your hours vary, ask how your earnings will be averaged, and keep that answer in writing
• keep payslips and a note of expenses you are deducting
• be careful around the limit: holiday pay, overtime or a backdated pay rise can tip a week over

If you are told you have been overpaid, do not ignore it. Ask for the calculation and get advice from Citizens Advice or Carers UK before agreeing to repay.

How much is carers allowance?

You can claim online, by post on form DS700, or through the Carer’s Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297. Claims can be backdated by up to three months if you met the conditions during that time.

Carer’s Allowance and State Pension: underlying entitlement

Many carers looking after a spouse or parent are already over State Pension age themselves. Carer’s Allowance and State Pension are “overlapping benefits”, so you cannot be paid both in full. If your State Pension is more than £86.45 a week, which it is for most people, Carer’s Allowance is not paid at all.

It is still worth claiming. You will get a letter confirming an underlying entitlement to Carer’s Allowance. That entitlement is what adds the carer amount of £48.15 a week to Pension Credit, and can increase Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction. If you are not on any means-tested benefit, the underlying entitlement will not bring you extra money on its own, but it can matter later if your circumstances change.

If your State Pension is lower than £86.45, you are paid the difference as Carer’s Allowance. You cannot build up extra State Pension through deferral during any period you get Carer’s Allowance.

The effect on the person you care for: severe disability premium

This is the trap families most often miss. If Carer’s Allowance is actually paid to you, the person you care for will usually lose:

• the severe disability premium paid with some older benefits, or
• the severe disability amount paid with Pension Credit, which is £86.05 a week in 2026/27

That extra is normally only available when the disabled person lives alone and nobody is paid Carer’s Allowance for looking after them. So if your mum lives alone, gets Pension Credit with the severe disability amount, and you then claim Carer’s Allowance, she could lose £86.05 a week while you gain £86.45. The household is barely better off and her income falls.

An underlying entitlement, where Carer’s Allowance is not paid because of your State Pension, does not affect the severe disability amount. The issue arises only when Carer’s Allowance is paid.

Before claiming, ask Citizens Advice, your local Age UK or your local carers’ centre to run a benefits check for both of you. GOV.UK says total household benefits usually go up or stay the same, but the effect on each person can differ.

Carer’s Credit if you cannot get Carer’s Allowance

If you do not qualify for Carer’s Allowance, perhaps because you earn over £204 a week, you may still get Carer’s Credit. It is a National Insurance credit that fills gaps in your record so your State Pension is protected.

• you must be 16 or over and under State Pension age
• you must care for one or more people for at least 20 hours a week
• the person you care for should get a qualifying benefit such as Attendance Allowance or PIP daily living; if not, a health or social care professional can sign a care certificate
• your income and savings do not matter

A carer’s assessment from your council

Separate from benefits, every unpaid carer has a right to a carer’s assessment under the Care Act 2014. Your council’s adult social care team is responsible for it, though many councils ask a local carers’ organisation to carry it out on their behalf. It looks at how caring affects your health and wellbeing, work, relationships and plans for emergencies, and what could help.

You can contact your council’s adult social care team, ask a social care professional to refer you, or, in many areas, fill in a self-assessment online. (For example, in West Sussex, Carers Support West Sussex carries out assessments for the county council.) The conversation often happens by phone, with face-to-face options if needed. It can lead to practical support, breaks and advice, and it is a good moment to have your benefits checked. Our guides to carer support in Worthing and carer burnout show the kind of help on offer.

When caring becomes too much for one person

Thirty-five hours a week is a lot of care on top of work, a home and your own health. Many carers use Carer’s Allowance alongside a few hours of paid help, or arrange respite care so they can have a break. The person you care for can use their Attendance Allowance towards that help. If you are looking at care at home, our free funding checker shows what support could apply.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get Carer’s Allowance if I work?

Yes, as long as your earnings are £204 a week or less after tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses in 2026/27, and you still care for at least 35 hours a week. There is no limit on the hours you work, only on what you earn. Report any change in pay straight away.

Can I get Carer’s Allowance if I am on State Pension?

Usually not as a payment, because State Pension overlaps with it. But you should still claim, because the underlying entitlement can add £48.15 a week to Pension Credit and increase other means-tested help.

Does Carer’s Allowance affect the person I care for?

It can. If Carer’s Allowance is paid to you, they may lose a severe disability premium or the £86.05 severe disability amount in Pension Credit. Get a benefits check for both of you before claiming.

Can two people claim Carer’s Allowance for the same person?

No. Only one person can get Carer’s Allowance for looking after a particular person, even if care is shared. Another family member may be able to get Carer’s Credit instead.

Is Carer’s Allowance means-tested?

No. Your savings and your partner’s income do not count. Only your own earnings matter, through the £204 weekly limit.

The Care Panel is an independent publication. We are not a care provider and are not regulated by the Care Quality Commission, because we do not deliver care. Always check a provider’s own CQC registration and inspection report before you commit.

Written and fact-checked by The Care Panel. Last updated September 2026. Sources: GOV.UK Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Credit guidance, GOV.UK Pension Credit guidance, DWP announcement on Carer’s Allowance overpayments (April 2026), Carers UK, Carers Support West Sussex. General information, not financial, legal or medical advice — figures are indicative and subject to change.

More help for carers: carers’ grants, one-off payments and funded breaks.

Related: the £204 earnings limit explained · Carer’s Credit

New guides: Carers Allowance Contact Number: Official DWP Phone Line · Carers Allowance Rates 2026/27: Weekly Rate and Limits

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 9 November 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.