Carer's Allowance

Christmas and New Year public holidays - benefit payment dates

If your payment is due on Wednesday 24, Thursday 25, Friday 26 or Monday 29 December 2025, or Thursday 1 January 2026, you will still be paid by that date.

All benefits operate on different payment systems, but you will not receive your payment later than the day it would normally be due.

Eligibility

To get Carer’s Allowance there are certain criteria you and the person you care for must meet.

The person you care for

The person you care for must get one of the following benefits:

• Personal Independence Payment - daily living part
• Disability Living Allowance - the middle or highest rate for personal care
• Attendance Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance  - at no less than the full day rate
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

If you care for someone along with others

You cannot get Carer’s Allowance if you share the care of someone and the other carer is already claiming Carer’s Allowance.

If you want to get Carer’s Allowance, speak to the other carer about changing their benefits.

If the other carer does not want to do that, you can still apply for Carer’s Allowance. The Department for Communities will investigate and decide who should get the benefit.

The type of care you provide

You need to spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone. This can include:

• helping with washing and cooking
• taking the person you care for to a doctor’s appointment
• helping with household tasks, like managing bills and shopping

Your eligibility

All of the following must apply:

• you’re 16 or over
• you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone
• you’ve been in Northern Ireland for at least two of the last three years (this does not apply if you’re a refugee or have humanitarian protection status)
• you permanently live in Northern Ireland, or you live abroad as a member of the armed forces
• you’re not in full-time education
• you’re not studying for 21 hours a week or more
• you're not under immigration control
• your earnings are £196 or less a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses

If you’re from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, to get Carer’s Allowance you and your family usually also need settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

The deadline to apply to the scheme was 30 June 2021 for most people, but you might still be able to apply. 

Check if you can still apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Calculating your earnings

Your earnings are any income from employment and self-employment after tax, National Insurance and expenses.

Expenses can include:

• 50 per cent of your pension contributions
• equipment you need to do your job, for example specialist clothing
• travel costs between different workplaces that are not paid for by your employer, for example fuel or train fares
• business costs if you’re self-employed, for example a computer you only use for work

If you pay someone else to look after the person with disabilities or your children while you work, you can treat care costs that are less than or equal to 50 per cent of your earnings as an  expense.

The person providing this care must not be your spouse or the person with disabilities spouse, partner, parent, child or sibling. 

If you get help with your childcare costs from Universal Credit, only the amount that you pay after the Universal Credit contribution is taken off can be considered.

Earnings example

You earn £100 a week (after tax, National Insurance and other expenses) and spend £60.00 a week on care while you work. You can treat £50.00 of this as an expense.

Payments that do not count as earnings include:

• money you get from an occupational or private pension
• contributions towards your living or accommodation costs from someone you live with (they cannot be a tenant or boarder)
• the first £20.00 a week and 50 per cent of the rest of any income you make from someone boarding in your home
• a loan or advance payment from your employer

How much you’ll get

The weekly rate is £83.30 but you’ll get less if you get certain benefits or State Pension.

Your savings don't affect how much you get.

How you’re paid

Carer's Allowance is paid into your bank or building society account. For information on other ways you can be paid, contact the Disability and Carers Service.

You can choose to be paid weekly or every four weeks.

Effect on other benefits

Carer's Allowance can affect other benefits that you, or the person you care for, receive.

Your benefits

Carer's Allowance is taken into account when calculating certain benefits and Pension Credit.

If you get State Pension or certain benefits paid at a rate that is the same or more than Carer's Allowance, you may not receive payment of Carer's Allowance but may have underlying entitlement to it.

If you receive Carer's Allowance or have an underlying entitlement to it, you will qualify for the carer premium in any of the following benefits you get:

• Income Support
• Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Universal Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Rate Relief

Benefits of the person you care for

When you receive Carer's Allowance, the person you care for may stop getting:

• the severe disability premium in their income-related benefit
• the extra amount for severe disability in their Pension Credit

If you have an underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance and are not actually paid it, this will not affect the benefits of the person you care for.

How to claim

To claim Carer’s Allowance, apply online.

If you can’t apply online, you can download an application form below or ask the Disability and Carers Service to send you one. If you are:

• under State Pension age, use application form DS700
• over State Pension age, use application form DS700(SP)
• Calculate your State Pension age

If you use sign language, you might be able to use the video relay service to contact the Disability and Carers Service using British Sign Language (BSL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL). To access the service go to:

• Disability and Carers Service

Backdating a claim

Most claims can be backdated three months. You may be able to backdate it further if the person you care for was awarded their qualifying benefit in the last three months.

If you think the decision is wrong

If you disagree with a decision about your claim, you must first ask the Disability and Carers Service to formally look again at it. This is known as mandatory reconsideration.

For more information, see appeal a benefits decision.

Claiming other benefits

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 and Rates Relief
• Universal Credit

SMS messages

When claiming Carer's Allowance you may receive text messages (SMS) from the Department for Communities (DfC). They will always be clearly marked as DfC and will never ask you to give, or click a link to give, personal information or financial details by message or email.

If you’re concerned or unsure about any text messages (SMS) you receive about Carer's Allowance you should contact Disability and Carers Service directly. If you suspect you have received a fraudulent message as a scam, contact Disability and Carers Service immediately.

• Further information is available at: scamwiseni

Change in circumstances

You must report any change in your circumstances or those of the person you care for. You can do this online or by contacting the Disability and Carers Service.

Changes you may need to report include:

• starting a job
• starting or ending full-time education
• changes to your income
• you or the person you care for changing address
• stopping being a carer
• the person you care for no longer getting their disability benefit
• someone else who cares for the same person claiming Carer’s Allowance instead of you
• changes to your immigration status, if you’re not a British citizen

If you temporarily stop providing care for someone

You can still get Carer’s Allowance if you temporarily stop providing care. This means any period when you spend less than 35 hours a week caring for the other person.

The person you care for must still get their disability benefit.

You must tell Disability and Carers Service if you temporarily stop providing care and:

• you or the person you care for will be in hospital, a nursing home, or respite care for more than 12 weeks
• you stop providing care for more than 28 days for any other reason

To report the death of the person you’re caring for, contact the Bereavement Service instead. 

Benefit over-payments

There are circumstances when you may be paid too much benefit and you will be asked to repay this. To make a repayment contact Debt Management.

If you require further support contact Debt Management as soon as possible to discuss an affordable repayment plan and other potential options.

Help and advice

For more information or advice about Carer’s Allowance, contact the Disability and Carers Service.

More useful links

• Support services for carers