Check your eligibility for Carer's Allowance and see the 2026-27 weekly and annual payment rates.
This calculator provides estimates based on 2026-27 rates. Actual eligibility depends on your full circumstances. Contact the Carer's Allowance Unit or Citizens Advice for an official assessment.
Carer's Allowance is the main benefit for people who provide regular and substantial care to someone with a disability. It is currently GBP 86.45 per week (2026-27 rate) and is available to carers who spend at least 35 hours per week looking after someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit. Despite being one of the lowest weekly benefits in the UK, Carer's Allowance provides important financial recognition for the work carers do. It also creates an "underlying entitlement" that can boost your income from other means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit and Universal Credit through a carer premium. This calculator checks whether you meet the basic eligibility criteria and shows you the weekly and annual payment, along with how much headroom you have against the earnings limit. It is important to note that the earnings limit is a cliff edge: earning even GBP 1 over the limit means losing the entire payment.
To check your eligibility: 1. Enter the number of hours per week you provide care. You must care for the person for at least 35 hours per week to qualify. 2. Enter your weekly earnings after tax, National Insurance, and approved expenses (such as childcare costs incurred while caring). The earnings limit for 2026-27 is GBP 151 per week. 3. Confirm whether the person you care for receives a qualifying disability benefit. They must receive PIP daily living component, DLA middle or highest rate care component, Attendance Allowance, or Armed Forces Independence Payment. 4. Confirm you are aged 16 or over. 5. Indicate whether you are in full-time education (21 or more hours of supervised study per week). Students in full-time education are not eligible. 6. Review your results showing your eligibility, the weekly and annual allowance, and your earnings headroom (how much more you could earn before hitting the limit).
Carer's Allowance eligibility is based on five criteria that must all be met: 1. Hours: You must spend at least 35 hours per week caring for the disabled person. This does not need to be consecutive and can include time spent supervising, not just hands-on care. 2. Earnings: Your weekly earnings (after income tax, National Insurance, and approved deductions) must not exceed GBP 151. Approved deductions include pension contributions, childcare costs for children under the age of the person cared for, and certain work-related expenses. 3. Qualifying benefit: The person you care for must receive a qualifying disability benefit (PIP daily living, DLA middle/higher care, Attendance Allowance, or Armed Forces Independence Payment). 4. Age: You must be 16 or over. 5. Education: You must not be in full-time education (21+ hours supervised study per week). If all criteria are met, the payment is a flat rate of GBP 86.45 per week, which gives GBP 86.45 x 52 = GBP 4,495.40 per year. There is no partial payment; you either receive the full amount or nothing.
Inputs: Hours: 40/week, Earnings: GBP 100/week, Qualifying benefit: Yes, Age: 45, Education: No
Inputs: Hours: 30/week, Earnings: GBP 80/week, Qualifying benefit: Yes, Age: 50, Education: No
Inputs: Hours: 40/week, Earnings: GBP 160/week, Qualifying benefit: Yes, Age: 35, Education: No
Carer's Allowance interacts with several other benefits in important ways. If you also receive the State Pension and it is higher than GBP 86.45/week, you cannot receive Carer's Allowance on top. However, having an "underlying entitlement" to Carer's Allowance means you can still receive a carer premium in Pension Credit (an extra GBP 45.60/week in 2026-27). The earnings limit of GBP 151/week operates as a strict cliff edge. Earning GBP 151 means you keep the full allowance; earning GBP 151.01 means you lose the entire GBP 86.45. For this reason, it is critical to track your earnings carefully. Approved deductions that reduce your assessed earnings include income tax and National Insurance on your wages, half of any pension contributions, and care costs for a child under a certain age if incurred because of your work. If you are caring for someone and also working, consider whether adjusting your hours slightly could keep you below the earnings limit. The combined value of Carer's Allowance plus any carer premium in other benefits can significantly exceed the extra earnings from working a few more hours. To apply for Carer's Allowance, visit gov.uk/carers-allowance or call the Carer's Allowance Unit on 0800 731 0297. Claims can be backdated by up to three months.