Quick summary
If you care 35 hours a week or more, Carer’s Allowance is £86.45 a week in 2026/27. The earnings limit is £204 a week after deductions, and it is a cliff edge: a pound over and you lose the whole week. If you are over State Pension age you may get an underlying entitlement instead, which is worth claiming for what it unlocks.
The basics
2026/27 | |
|---|---|
Weekly rate | £86.45, up from £83.30 |
Care required | 35 hours a week or more for one person |
Earnings limit | £204 a week after tax, National Insurance, half of pension contributions and some expenses |
Age | 16 or over |
Study | Not in full-time education of 21 hours a week or more |
The person you care for | Must receive a qualifying disability benefit |
Source: Carers UK. Rates change each April, so check before relying on them.
What counts as 35 hours
More than people assume. It is not only hands-on personal care.
Time spent helping with washing, dressing, meals, shopping, appointments, medication, paperwork and supervision all counts, and so does time spent keeping an eye out to prevent danger. Plenty of family carers pass 35 hours easily and have never counted.
The hours must be for one person. Caring 20 hours each for two parents does not add up to 35 under the current rules.
The qualifying benefit
The person you care for must receive one of these:
- Attendance Allowance, either rate.
- Personal Independence Payment, daily living component.
- Disability Living Allowance, middle or highest rate care component.
- Certain other benefits including Constant Attendance Allowance and Armed Forces Independence Payment.
If they receive none of these, start there. Attendance Allowance is not means-tested and is the usual route for older people. No qualifying benefit means no Carer’s Allowance, however many hours you do.
The earnings limit, and the trap in it
£204 a week net, and it is an absolute cliff edge. One pound over in a given week and the whole week’s Carer’s Allowance is lost.
This has caused real hardship, with people building up large overpayments they then have to repay, often because a pay rise or a few hours of overtime pushed them over without anyone noticing.
- Check every payday, not annually.
- Remember what is deductible: tax, National Insurance, half of any pension contributions, and some work expenses.
- Tell the DWP straight away about any change in earnings. Overpayments have to be repaid.
- Watch overtime, bonuses and holiday pay, which are the usual culprits.
If you are over State Pension age
This is the part that confuses everybody.
Carer’s Allowance and the State Pension are both classed as earnings-replacement benefits, so you cannot normally receive both in full. If your State Pension is more than £86.45 a week, you will not be paid Carer’s Allowance in cash.
You should still claim. What you get instead is an “underlying entitlement”, which can be worth considerably more than the benefit itself. It can qualify you for the extra amount for carers within Pension Credit, worth roughly £46 to £48 a week in 2026/27, and that in turn can bring someone into Pension Credit for the first time, which unlocks Council Tax help and the rest.
Our guide to assessments and the Pension Credit article explain the order to do things in.
One warning before you claim
Claiming Carer’s Allowance can reduce or stop a severe disability premium or the severe disability addition that the person you care for receives.
In some households the family is worse off overall. Get a benefits check before claiming, from Carers UK, Citizens Advice or Age UK. It takes one phone call and it is the single most useful thing on this page.
What else family carers can claim
- Carer’s Credit. National Insurance credits for people caring at least 20 hours a week who do not qualify for Carer’s Allowance. It protects your State Pension, and it is badly under-claimed.
- The Universal Credit carer element, if you are on Universal Credit. Notably, it does not carry the same weekly earnings cliff edge.
- Carer’s Premium or Carer Addition on means-tested benefits, including Pension Credit.
- Council Tax Reduction, and in some circumstances a live-in carer is disregarded for Council Tax entirely.
- A carer’s assessment from the council, in your own right. Free, not dependent on the person you care for being assessed, and it can lead to practical help or respite.
- Attendance Allowance for the person you care for, if not already claimed, which is often the thing that unlocks everything else.
Thinking about doing it professionally?
A fair number of people who have cared for a parent end up doing care work, and they are often very good at it, because the hard part of the job is temperament rather than technique.
The pay comparison is big. Carer’s Allowance is £86.45 a week for a minimum of 35 hours, which works out at under £2.50 an hour. Paid care work here starts at £14.70 an hour during probation and £15.70 after it, plus 35p a mile and paid travel time. Our piece on visit lengths explains why those terms matter more than the headline rate.
If you are caring and working, be careful about the £204 earnings limit before taking on paid hours.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Carer’s Allowance in 2026?
£86.45 a week for 2026/27, with an earnings limit of £204 a week after deductions.
Can I get it if I receive the State Pension?
Usually not as a cash payment, because of the overlapping benefits rule. Claim anyway for the underlying entitlement, which can unlock the carer addition within Pension Credit.
Can two people claim for the same person?
No. Only one person can receive Carer’s Allowance for caring for a given individual.
Does it affect the benefits of the person I care for?
It can. It may reduce or stop their severe disability premium or addition. Get a benefits check before claiming.
Can I claim while working?
Yes, provided net earnings stay at or below £204 a week and you are genuinely caring 35 hours or more.
What happens if they go into hospital?
Payments can be affected after a period, because the qualifying benefit may stop. Tell the DWP promptly to avoid an overpayment.
About Visiting Angels Cheshire East
Visiting Angels Cheshire East provides care at home across Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Congleton, Alsager and the surrounding villages of East Cheshire, along with Buxton, Whaley Bridge and the Staffordshire Moorlands towns.
- Respite for family carers, from a few hours a week to a fortnight, so you can sleep, work or go away.
- You choose your caregiver, and meet them before care starts.
- No visit is ever shorter than an hour.
- You see the same faces. Our carer turnover is 12 per cent, against a sector figure of 23.7 per cent (Skills for Care, 2025).
- Carers trained in dementia, Parkinson’s, stroke recovery and complex care.
Alan’s wife is supported at home, and this is what he wrote:
“Excellent in every respect. Staff are caring, friendly and helpful. [Our carers] do everything they can to make my wife’s life easier. Management and staff are flexible in their approach and do the unpleasant jobs with a smile and willingness which is commendable. They are always willing to ‘go the extra mile.'”
Alan Hallett, Google review\
Not sure what you need yet? Start with a free assessment
Our free home care assessment is a visit at a time that suits you, with no obligation afterwards. In it we will:
- Ask how you are, not only how the person you care for is.
- Talk through a realistic package, including respite, and what it would cost.
- Look at the money with you, and point you towards a proper benefits check before you claim anything.
- Tell you honestly if a carer’s assessment from the council should come first.
If you are doing 35 hours a week and running out, call us on 01625 720157. You can also send an enquiry, and you can see what our services cover.
Authored by Kim Blissett, Registered Manager, Visiting Angels Cheshire East.
Published 27 September 2026. Last updated 27 September 2026.
This article is general information about benefits, not financial advice, and no substitute for a personal benefits check. Claiming Carer’s Allowance can reduce other benefits in the household, so take advice from Carers UK, Citizens Advice or Age UK first. Rates and rules change each April and the figures were correct at the date of publication; check GOV.UK. To the fullest extent permitted by law, GB Care at Home Ltd accepts no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this article.
