Financial support for carers

If you spend at least 35 hours per week caring for someone you may be able to claim Carer’s Allowance. You do not need to be related to or live with the person you care for.

To be eligible, you must:

• be 16 or over
• care for someone receiving a qualifying disability benefit, such as attendance allowance, disability living allowance (dla), or personal independence payment (pip)
• not be in full-time education or studying for 21 hours or more per week
• earn less than a specified amount after tax, national insurance and certain expenses
• meet residency and immigration requirements.

You can apply online or by post. Visit the GOV.UK Carer’s Allowance page to check your eligibility and apply.

If you receive Universal Credit and care for someone who gets a health or disability-related benefit, you may be eligible for the ‘carer element’. This is an additional amount added to your monthly Universal Credit payment.

You do not need to claim Carer’s Allowance, but you must meet the same eligibility criteria. Even if your earnings are too high to receive Carer’s Allowance, you may still qualify for the carer element.

If you receive Carer’s Allowance or have an underlying entitlement to it, you may qualify for extra payments known as a carer premium or carer addition. These can be included in other means-tested benefits such as:

• Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Carer’s Credit is a National Insurance credit that helps to fill gaps in your National Insurance record, which can protect your future entitlement to the State Pension.

You may be eligible if you care for someone for at least 20 hours a week, even if you are not receiving Carer’s Allowance.

In certain situations, carers may be eligible for a discount on their Council Tax bill. For example, you may qualify if you:

• are a live-in unpaid carer looking after someone who is not your partner or a child under 18
• care for someone receiving a qualifying disability benefit
• meet minimum care hours per week (usually 35 hours)
• are a paid carer employed by a charity or public body, working at least 24 hours per week, and earning under a certain threshold.

Find out more about eligibility and how to apply.

Carers who look after an older or disabled person may be entitled to a free NHS flu jab. This helps protect both you and the person you care for from seasonal flu. Vaccines are available through GP practices and participating pharmacies.