How much is Carer's Allowance in 2025/26?

Carer's Allowance is £83.30 per week in 2025/26 (from 7 April 2025), equivalent to £4,331.60 per year. It is paid weekly or every four weeks directly into your bank account. The rate will rise to £86.45 per week from 6 April 2026.

Does Carer's Allowance affect Universal Credit?

Yes. Carer's Allowance is classed as unearned income under Universal Credit rules and is deducted pound for pound from your UC award. However, being entitled to Carer's Allowance (or meeting the CA conditions) triggers the UC Carer Element of £201.68 per month (2025/26), which is a genuine net gain. So even though CA itself is offset against UC, claiming CA can be worthwhile because it unlocks the Carer Element and generates NI Class 1 credits towards your State Pension.

How many hours do you need to care to get Carer's Allowance?

You must care for someone for at least 35 hours per week. This includes all caring activities — personal care (washing, dressing), preparing meals, giving medication, accompanying to medical appointments, and supervising for safety. You do not need to be physically present for every single hour. The person you care for must also receive a qualifying disability benefit such as PIP (daily living component), Attendance Allowance, or DLA at the middle or highest care rate.

Do you get NI credits with Carer's Allowance?

Yes. For each week you receive Carer's Allowance, you automatically receive a Class 1 National Insurance credit. These credits protect your NI record towards the State Pension (you need 35 qualifying years for a full new State Pension of £221.20 per week in 2025/26) and towards contribution-based benefits such as new-style Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, and Maternity Allowance.

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Q: What is the earnings limit for Carer's Allowance in 2025?

From 7 April 2025, the earnings limit for Carer's Allowance is £196 per week net. This is your weekly earnings after deducting income tax, National Insurance contributions, 50% of pension contributions, and qualifying care or childcare costs. This was raised from £151 per week — the largest single increase since the benefit was introduced in 1976. The limit is a hard cliff-edge: earning even £1 above it means you receive no Carer's Allowance at all.

Check your eligibility, calculate your weekly Carer's Allowance for 2025/26, understand the £196 earnings limit cliff-edge, and see how CA interacts with Universal Credit.

Check whether you qualify for Carer's Allowance 2025/26

Hours spent caring per week

hrs

Include all caring activities — personal care, meals, supervision, appointments

Does the person you care for receive a qualifying benefit?

Qualifying benefits include PIP daily living, Attendance Allowance, DLA middle/highest care rate

Your weekly earnings after deductions (£)

Net earnings after tax, NI, pension and care costs. Use the Earnings Impact tab for the full calculation.

Are you in full-time education?

Full-time education (21+ supervised hours/week) disqualifies you from CA

Your age

You must be 16 or over to claim Carer's Allowance

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How to Use This Calculator

Am I Eligible? tab

The starting tab. Enter your weekly caring hours (40 is a typical full-time carer), whether the person you care for receives a qualifying disability benefit, your weekly net earnings after deductions, and whether you are in full-time education. The calculator instantly shows whether you are eligible and your weekly and annual Carer's Allowance entitlement, plus your NI credit position.

Earnings Impact tab

The earnings limit is a hard cliff-edge — there is no taper. Enter your gross weekly earnings, income tax, National Insurance, pension contributions, and any qualifying care or childcare costs. The calculator applies DWP's exact deductions method to give you the net earnings figure that DWP uses to assess your claim. Crucially it shows your headroom before the £196 limit and the full annual value of CA you would lose by exceeding it.

UC Interaction tab

Select whether you are on Universal Credit and whether your UC award already includes the Carer Element. The calculator explains the pound-for-pound offset, the net gain from the UC Carer Element (£201.68/month), and the ongoing NI credit value even when CA is fully offset. This tab helps you decide whether claiming CA is worth the admin.

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Every input is encoded in the URL. Click Share to send your exact scenario to a partner, social worker, carer support charity, or benefits adviser.

The Formula

Carer's Allowance rates and thresholds for 2025/26 (from 7 April 2025):

Carer's Allowance = £83.30 per week (£4,331.60 per year)

Eligibility requires ALL of the following:
  1. Care provided ≥ 35 hours/week
  2. Cared-for person receives a qualifying disability benefit
  3. Net weekly earnings ≤ £196 (from 7 April 2025)
  4. Not in full-time education (21+ supervised hours/week)
  5. Age 16 or over

Net earnings (DWP method):
Net = Gross − Income Tax − NI − (50% × Pension) − Care Costs (capped at 50% of net)

UC Carer Element: £201.68/month (2025/26)
CA on UC: CA monthly (£361.30) deducted £-for-£ from UC
Net gain on UC from CA = UC Carer Element (£201.68/month) if not already receiving it

The cliff-edge is the defining feature of the earnings limit. Unlike Universal Credit (which has a taper), Carer's Allowance is all-or-nothing: £1 over the limit means no allowance at all. The annual cost of crossing the limit is £4,331.60 plus the NI credits. This makes careful earnings management essential for working carers.

Qualifying disability benefits include: PIP (daily living component, either rate), Attendance Allowance (either rate), Disability Living Allowance (middle or highest care rate), Child Disability Payment (middle or highest care rate), Adult Disability Payment (daily living component), Pension Age Disability Payment, Armed Forces Independence Payment, and Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate.

Example

Sarah — part-time care worker, caring for her mother 40 hours/week

Sarah works part-time as a retail assistant earning £220 gross per week. She also cares for her elderly mother, who receives the higher rate of Attendance Allowance (£108.55/week). Sarah pays £18/week in income tax and £12/week in NI. She makes no pension contributions. She does not pay for substitute care.

Am I Eligible? tab

Caring hours per week40 hrs (passes 35-hr test)

Qualifying benefit received?Yes — Attendance Allowance

Full-time education?No

Age 16+?Yes

Earnings Impact tab

Gross weekly earnings£220.00

Less income tax−£18.00

Less National Insurance−£12.00

Net weekly earnings (DWP)£190.00

Earnings limit£196.00

Headroom£6.00/week

Sarah's net earnings of £190 are £6 below the limit. She is eligible for Carer's Allowance of £83.30/week (£4,331.60/year). However, she is very close to the cliff-edge — any overtime or pay rise could push her over. She should notify DWP promptly if her earnings increase.

Key takeaway

If Sarah's employer offers a small pay rise taking her gross to £230/week (net £198 after tax and NI), she would lose her entire Carer's Allowance of £4,331.60 per year — far more than the pay rise is worth. She should discuss with her employer whether the rise could be structured as pension contributions instead.

FAQ

How much is Carer's Allowance per week in 2025/26? ▼

Carer's Allowance is £83.30 per week in 2025/26 (from 7 April 2025), worth £4,331.60 per year. The rate is usually uprated in April each year in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). The rate for 2026/27 is expected to rise to £86.45 per week from 6 April 2026. Payments are made directly into your bank account, either weekly or every four weeks.

What is the earnings limit for Carer's Allowance in 2025? ▼

From 7 April 2025, the earnings limit is £196 per week net after deductions. This was raised from £151/week — the largest single increase since the benefit was introduced in 1976. Allowable deductions include income tax, National Insurance, 50% of pension contributions (occupational or personal), and costs of paying someone to care for the person you care for or a child under 16 in your care (capped at 50% of net earnings). Self-employed carers have their weekly profit averaged over a year. The limit is a hard cliff-edge with no taper.

Can I get Carer's Allowance if I am on Universal Credit? ▼

Yes, but the interaction is important to understand. Carer's Allowance is treated as unearned income by Universal Credit and reduces your UC award pound for pound. However, claiming CA (or meeting the CA conditions) triggers the UC Carer Element of £201.68/month (2025/26) — a genuine net gain of £2,420.16/year. Even if CA itself is fully offset, the Carer Element is additive. You also earn NI Class 1 credits with each week of CA, protecting your State Pension. In most cases, it is worth claiming CA even on UC.

What happens to Carer's Allowance when the person I care for goes into hospital? ▼

Carer's Allowance usually continues for up to 12 weeks if the person you care for goes into hospital or a care home temporarily, provided you continue to satisfy the other conditions. After 28 days in hospital, the qualifying disability benefit of the person you care for (e.g. Attendance Allowance, PIP) is usually suspended — and if their qualifying benefit stops, your Carer's Allowance will also stop. You must notify the DWP of any changes. If Carer's Allowance stops, NI credits also stop.

Can two people claim Carer's Allowance for the same person? ▼

No. Only one person can receive Carer's Allowance for caring for the same individual. If two people each care for the same person, they must agree between themselves who will claim. The other person may still be able to claim Carer's Credit (which gives NI credits but no payment) if they provide at least 20 hours of care per week and the cared-for person receives a qualifying benefit. Carer's Credit does not require 35 hours of care.

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