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What is it?
If you care for someone who claims a disability benefit you may be entitled to Carer's Allowance (formerly called Invalid Care Allowance).
Can I get it?
To claim Carer's Allowance you must:
- spend at least 35 hours a week looking after the person in need of care
- have net earnings of less than £95 per week
- if you are in full-time education, spend less than 21 hours in 'supervised study'
In addition, the person for whom you care must be claiming (or waiting to hear about) one of the following:
- Attendance Allowance,
- Disability Living Allowance (middle or higher rate care component),
- Industrial Injuries Benefit with Constant Attendance Allowance
- War Pension with Constant Attendance Allowance.
The person you care for can be anyone, including a relative. It can be paid to more than one person in a household,
such as a couple caring for each other.
You may not be able to get Carer's Allowance paid to you if you have another benefit paid at a higher amount such as the state pension.
However, you may instead be able to get extra money added to a means-tested benefit.
The rules are complicated and if the person you are caring for gets a means-tested benefit they may lose out.
In these circumstances it is a good idea to get more advice. For more information see
disability premiums in benefits.
How do I claim?
The Department for Work and Pensions’ Benefit Enquiry Line can send you a claim form and provide advice on how to fill it in.
The phone number is 0800 88 22 00 (textphone 0800 24 33 55) and lines are open between 8.30am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday and
between 9am and 1pm on Saturdays. You can also claim online using the Department for Work and Pension's
eclaims service.
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