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If you care for someone who claims a disability benefit you may be entitled to Carer's Allowance (formerly called Invalid Care Allowance).
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):
- Attendance Allowance,
- Disability Living Allowance middle (or higher rate),
- Industrial Injuries Benefit,
- Constant Attendance Allowance, or
- War Pensions Constant Attendance Allowance.
You must be over 16 to claim Carer's Allowance but there is no upper age limit.
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 the same or a higher amount such as the state pension. However, you may instead be able to get extra money added to Income Support,
income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
If the person you are caring for gets a means-tested benefit they may lose their severe disability premium if you start claiming Carer's Allowance (this
does not apply if you are eligible but not receiving any money). For more
information see disability premiums in benefits.
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