Carer's Allowance - how to claim
This page gives you information on how you can claim Carer's Allowance if you are eligible.
Get a claim form
To get a claim form, you can:
- phone the Disability and Carers Service
- phone the Benefit Enquiry Line
- contact your local Jobs & Benefits office/Social Security office
- download a form below
- Contact the Disability and Carers Service
- Social Security/Jobs and Benefits offices (contacts section)
Call the Benefit Enquiry Line
This is a confidential freephone service for people with disabilities and carers. You can call the Benefit Enquiry Line and ask them to send you a claim form.
Telephone: 0800 22 06 74
Textphone: 0800 24 37 87
The Benefit Enquiry Line is open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. There is also a voicemail service where you can leave your details.
Claim form if you receive State Pension
If you get any amount of State Pension, you can make a claim for Carer's Allowance using a shortened claim form. It contains help notes. If you want to claim extra money for a dependent adult, you should contact the Department for Social Development (DSD).
Download a claim form
There are two forms - a shortened version (DS700 SP) if you are getting any amount of State Pension, and a DS700 for all other customers. The forms and help notes can be downloaded from the links below:
- DS700 claim form – Help for carers (PDF 91KB)
- DS700 claim form Notes (PDF 54KB)
- DS700 (SP) claim form – Help for carers who are getting State Pension (PDF 54KB)
- DS700 claim form (SP) Notes (PDF 62KB)
- Help with PDF files
When to claim Carer's Allowance
Claim now if you look after someone who is getting or has recently been awarded:
- Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance (at the middle or highest rate of the care component)
- Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate as an addition to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the basic (full day) rate as an addition to a War Disablement Pension
Do not delay or you could lose benefit.
Claiming other benefits and entitlements at the same time
If you qualify for Carer's Allowance, you may also be entitled to:
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit
So you may wish to claim some of these benefits or entitlements at the same time as you claim Carer's Allowance.

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