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Carer's Allowance Calculator

Free tool · UK•Free · no sign-up•Updated 2 August 2026

If you spend 35 hours or more a week looking after someone, you could be owed £86.45 a week — plus National Insurance credits that protect your own State Pension. Many carers never claim it. Check in four quick taps; nothing is saved.

Could you claim Carer's Allowance?

Four quick questions. It's worth £86.45 a week if you look after someone.

Do you spend 35 hours or more a week caring for someone?

Does the person you care for get a qualifying benefit? Such as Attendance Allowance, PIP daily-living, DLA middle/highest care rate, or Adult Disability Payment.

Do you earn £204 a week or less from work? After tax, National Insurance and some expenses. Pensions don't count as earnings here.

Are you 16 or over and not in full-time education (21+ hours a week)?

Carer's Allowance is taxable and can affect other benefits — both yours and those of the person you care for. Always check the full picture before claiming.

What you get

Carer's Allowance is £86.45 a week (about £4,495 a year) if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week. On top of the cash, you get National Insurance credits that count towards your own State Pension — valuable in their own right.

Watch the earnings cliff-edge. You can earn up to £204 a week (after tax, NI and some expenses like pension contributions and certain care costs). Go a single pound over and you lose the whole allowance — so work the figure out carefully.

Who can claim

You care for someone 35+ hours a week.
They get a qualifying benefit — Attendance Allowance, PIP daily-living, DLA middle/highest care, or Adult Disability Payment.
You earn £204 a week or less and aren't in full-time education.

The catch worth understanding

Carer's Allowance overlaps with some other benefits. If you already get the State Pension or certain payments, you may not be paid Carer's Allowance on top — but you can still have an "underlying entitlement" that increases a means-tested benefit like Pension Credit or Universal Credit through the carer's addition. Claiming can also, in rare cases, reduce the benefits of the person you care for (their severe disability premium), so it's worth checking the whole picture first.

Common questions

Can I get Carer's Allowance and the State Pension?

Not usually both in full — they "overlap". But it's still often worth claiming, because an "underlying entitlement" to Carer's Allowance can increase Pension Credit through the carer's addition.

What counts towards the 35 hours?

Practical care and supervision — helping with washing, dressing, medication, cooking, getting around, and keeping the person safe. It doesn't have to be one household or one stretch.

What is the earnings limit?

£204 a week after tax, National Insurance and some allowable expenses. It's a hard cliff-edge — a pound over and you lose all of it — so check the exact figure carefully.

Does claiming affect the person I care for?

Sometimes. If they get a severe disability premium, your claim could reduce it. Check the combined effect before you claim so nobody's worse off overall.

Check the official sources

This is a free estimate to help you decide whether to make a claim — not an offer or a guarantee, and not financial advice. Rules, rates and thresholds change. Always confirm your exact entitlement with the official source before acting.

See what else you and the person you care for are owed

Carers and the people they look after often miss several payments. Our free checker lists the other benefits, grants and credits you may be entitled to — in about a minute.

Check everything you're owed →