Carer's Allowance

If you’re aged 16 or over and spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who is ill or has a disability, you may be eligible for Carer’s Allowance.

Eligibility

To get Carer’s Allowance there are certain criteria you and the person you care for must meet.

The person you care for

The person you care for must get one of the following benefits:

Personal Independence Payment - daily living part
Disability Living Allowance - the middle or highest rate for personal care
Attendance Allowance
Constant Attendance Allowance - at no less than the full day rate
Armed Forces Independence Payment

Your eligibility

You must earn no more than £196 a week after the following expenses have been taken off:

some of your National Insurance contributions
Income Tax
half of any money you pay towards personal or occupational pension schemes
other expenses you must pay as part of your job, for example, equipment

You are allowed up to half of the rest of your earnings to pay someone, except a close relative, to look after children or the person you care for, while you are at work.

You must also:

be aged over 16
spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who is ill or has a disability
have lived in Northern Ireland for at least two of the last three years before your claim
live permanently in Northern Ireland, or live abroad as a member of the armed forces or with someone in the armed forces
be living (or treated as living) in Northern Ireland when you claim
not be under immigration control
not be in full time education (21 hours or more a week)

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you and your family usually also need settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get Carers Allowance. The deadline to apply to the scheme was 30 June 2021 for most people, but you might still be able to apply.

Check if you can still apply to the EU Settlement Scheme

If someone else also cares for the same person, only one of you can get Carer's Allowance.

If you care for more than one person, you cannot add together the hours you do to make 35 hours.

More than one person in the same household can claim Carer's Allowance. For example, a couple caring for each other can make separate claims.

How much you’ll get

The weekly rate is £83.30 but you’ll get less if you get certain benefits or State Pension.

Your savings don't affect how much you get.

How you’re paid

Carer's Allowance is paid into your bank or building society account. For information on other ways you can be paid, contact the Disability and Carers Service.

You can choose to be paid weekly in advance or every four weeks.

Effect on other benefits

Carer's Allowance can affect other benefits that you, or the person you care for, receive.

Your benefits

Carer's Allowance is taken into account when calculating certain benefits and Pension Credit.

If you get State Pension or certain benefits paid at a rate that is the same or more than Carer's Allowance, you may not receive payment of Carer's Allowance but may have 'underlying entitlement' to it.

If you receive Carer's Allowance or have an underlying entitlement to it, you will qualify for the ‘carer premium’ in any of the following benefits you get:

Income Support
Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Universal Credit
Housing Benefit
Rate Relief

Benefits of the person you care for

When you receive Carer's Allowance, the person you care for may stop getting:

the severe disability premium in their income-related benefit
the extra amount for severe disability in their Pension Credit

If you have an underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance and are not actually paid it, this will not affect the benefits of the person you care for.

How to claim

To claim Carer’s Allowance, apply online.

If you can’t apply online, you can download an application form below or ask the Disability and Carers Service to send you one. If you are:

under State Pension age, use application form DS700
over State Pension age, use application form DS700(SP)
Calculate your State Pension age

If you use sign language, you might be able to use the video relay service to contact the Disability and Carers Service using British Sign Language (BSL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL). To access the service go to:

Disability and Carers Service

Backdating a claim

Most claims can be backdated three months. You may be able to backdate it further if the person you care for was awarded their qualifying benefit in the last three months.

If you think the decision is wrong

If you disagree with a decision about your claim, you must first ask the Disability and Carers Service to formally look again at it. This is known as mandatory reconsideration.

For more information, see appeal a benefits decision.

Claiming other benefits

If you qualify for Carer's Allowance, you may also be entitled to:

Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
Income Support
Pension Credit
Housing Benefit and Rates Relief
Universal Credit

SMS messages

When claiming Carer's Allowance you may receive text messages (SMS) from the Department for Communities (DfC). They will always be clearly marked as DfC and will never ask you to give, or click a link to give, personal information or financial details by message or email.

If you’re concerned or unsure about any text messages (SMS) you receive from about Carer's Allowance you should contact Disability and Carers Service directly. If you suspect you have received a fraudulent message as a scam, contact Disability and Carers Service immediately.

Further information is available at: scamwiseni

Change in circumstances

You must report any change in your circumstances or those of the person you care for. You can do this online or by contacting the Disability and Carers Service.

Information on changes you need to report is at the following page:

Benefits: report a change in your circumstances

To report the death of the person you’re caring for, contact the Bereavement Service instead.

Temporary breaks in caring

You can still get Carer's Allowance if you temporarily stop providing care for someone. For example, you may get Carer’s Allowance for up to:

12 weeks if either of you go into hospital
four weeks if either of you go on holiday
four weeks if the person you care for has a stay in a care home

Benefit over-payments

There are circumstances when you may be paid too much benefit and you will be asked to repay this. To make a repayment contact Debt Management.

If you require further support contact Debt Management as soon as possible to discuss an affordable repayment plan and other potential options.

Help and advice

For more information or advice about Carer’s Allowance, contact the Disability and Carers Service.

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit. Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

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