Carer's Allowance gets all the attention and has a hard earnings limit, so a great many carers are refused it and conclude there is nothing for them. This is the thing they should claim instead, and it is free, quick, and worth real money in thirty years' time.
Quick facts
- What it is
- A National Insurance credit, not a payment
- Hours needed
- At least 20 a week, caring for one or more people
- Means tested
- No — income and savings are ignored
- Age
- 16 or over, and under State Pension age
- Breaks allowed
- Up to 12 weeks in a row
What it actually does
"Carer's Credit is a National Insurance credit that helps with gaps in your National Insurance record. Your State Pension is based on your National Insurance record."
So nothing lands in your bank account. What happens instead is that the years you spend caring stop counting against you: "This means you can take on caring responsibilities without affecting your ability to qualify for the State Pension."
Someone who gives up work at 50 to care for a parent, and never claims this, can arrive at State Pension age with a decade of gaps and a permanently reduced pension. It is invisible until it is far too late to fix.
Who can get it
Three conditions: "aged 16 or over", "under State Pension age", and "looking after one or more people for at least 20 hours a week".
Note the plural. Twenty hours across two or three people counts, which matters for anyone caring for both parents, or a parent and a child.
And the line that makes this page worth reading: "Your income, savings or investments will not affect eligibility for Carer's Credit." There is no earnings limit, no capital limit and no test on a partner's income.
- The person you care for usually needs to be getting a qualifying benefit — Attendance Allowance, the daily living part of PIP, the middle or highest care rate of DLA or Child Disability Payment, Constant Attendance Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment, the standard or enhanced rate of Adult Disability Payment, or Pension Age Disability Payment.
- But not always. "If the person you're caring for does not get one of these benefits, you may still be able to get Carer's Credit. When you apply, fill in the 'Care Certificate' part of the application form and get a health or social care professional to sign it."
If you were turned down for Carer's Allowance, read this bit
GOV.UK says it plainly: "Carers who do not qualify for Carer's Allowance or Carer Support Payment may qualify for Carer's Credit."
Carer's Allowance has a weekly earnings limit and a 35-hour test. Carer's Credit has neither an earnings limit nor a 35-hour test, and works from 20 hours.
So a refusal for one is not a refusal for the other. If you have been told you earn too much to be a carer, this is the box you should still be ticking.
Holidays, hospital stays and the 12-week rule
Caring is not continuous and the rules allow for that: "You can still get Carer's Credit even if you have breaks from caring (up to 12 weeks in a row)."
That covers a short holiday, the person you look after going into hospital, or you going into hospital yourself.
Longer than twelve weeks in a row and you need to tell the Carer's Allowance Unit: "Telephone: 0800 731 0297", Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Common questions
Does Carer's Credit pay me any money?
No. It is a National Insurance credit, not a payment. It fills gaps in your National Insurance record so that time spent caring does not reduce the State Pension you eventually get. The value shows up decades later, which is exactly why so few people claim it.
Can I get Carer's Credit if I earn too much for Carer's Allowance?
Yes. GOV.UK states that carers who do not qualify for Carer's Allowance may qualify for Carer's Credit. Your income, savings and investments do not affect eligibility at all, and the hours threshold is 20 a week rather than 35.
What if the person I care for does not get a disability benefit?
You may still qualify. Fill in the Care Certificate part of the application form and get a health or social care professional to sign it, confirming the level of care you provide.
Can I count caring for more than one person?
Yes. The rule is looking after one or more people for at least 20 hours a week in total, so caring split across two people can add up to a qualifying claim.
What happens if I go on holiday?
Nothing, as long as the break is not more than 12 weeks in a row. That also covers the person you care for going into hospital, or you going into hospital. Tell the Carer's Allowance Unit if a break runs longer than that.
Is there an age limit?
You must be 16 or over and under State Pension age. Once you reach State Pension age the credit no longer applies, because you are no longer building a record.