Carer's Allowance 2026/27: Rate, Earnings Limit and Who Qualifies

Carer's Allowance is the main benefit for people who look after someone with a disability or long-term illness. In 2026/27 it is worth £86.45 a week - about £4,495 a year - but the rules on hours, earnings and other benefits catch a lot of people out.

This guide covers England and Wales. Scotland has replaced Carer's Allowance with Carer Support Payment, and Northern Ireland runs its own version; the amounts are broadly aligned but the claim process differs.

Who qualifies

You can claim Carer's Allowance if all of the following apply:

• you care for someone for at least 35 hours a week;
• the person you care for gets a qualifying disability benefit;
• you are 16 or over;
• you are not in full-time education or studying for 21 hours a week or more;
• you have been in England, Scotland or Wales for at least 2 of the last 3 years and normally live in Great Britain;
• your earnings are £204 a week or less after deductions.

Qualifying disability benefits

The person you care for must receive one of these:

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - daily living component
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - middle or highest care rate
• Attendance Allowance
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Adult Disability Payment or Child Disability Payment (Scotland) at the relevant rate
• certain Constant Attendance Allowance rates

The £204 earnings limit

The earnings test is the biggest trap. You can earn up to £204 a week and still qualify, but this is your pay after Income Tax, National Insurance and allowable expenses - and you can deduct half of any pension contributions before the test.

It is a cliff edge, not a taper: earn £204 you keep the full £86.45; earn £205 and you get nothing that week. If your pay varies, a single good week can cost you the whole payment, so many carers manage hours or use pension contributions to stay under the limit.

Tax and other benefits

• Carer's Allowance is taxable and counts as income, though on its own it is well below the £12,570 Personal Allowance, so tax only bites if you have other income.
• It overlaps with the State Pension: if your State Pension is £86.45 a week or more, you generally cannot be paid Carer's Allowance as well. You may still get an underlying entitlement, which does not pay cash but can unlock the carer element or carer premium in means-tested benefits like Pension Credit or Universal Credit.
• Claiming Carer's Allowance can affect the benefits of the person you care for (for example a severe disability premium), so check the household position before you claim.
• Each week on Carer's Allowance gives you a National Insurance credit, which helps protect your own State Pension record.

Related guides

Carer's Allowance sits within the wider benefits and pensions system. See the UK State Pension guide for how the overlap and NI credits affect your pension, and the Child Benefit tax charge calculator if you also claim Child Benefit.