Carer's Allowance 2026/27 — £86.45 a Week

Carer's Allowance is paid at £86.45 a week in 2026/27. That works out to £345.80 every 4 weeks, around £374.62 a month, or £4,495.40 a year (52 weeks at £86.45). It is paid by the DWP in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and by Social Security Scotland as Carer Support Payment in Scotland.

You can claim Carer's Allowance if you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone, your earnings after deductions are £204 a week or less, and the person you look after receives a qualifying disability benefit, such as PIP daily living component, Attendance Allowance, or the middle or highest rate of DLA care. You do not have to be related to, or live with, the person you care for.

The earnings limit is £204 a week in 2026/27. This is your earnings after deductions — that is, after income tax, National Insurance, half of any pension contributions, and certain approved care costs are taken off. If your earnings after those deductions go over £204 a week, you are not eligible for that week.

Yes. Carer's Allowance counts as taxable income. It does not have tax deducted at source, but it is added to your other taxable income for the year, so it can affect your overall Income Tax position if your total income is above your Personal Allowance. This is different from Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, and Disability Living Allowance, which are all tax-free.

Carer's Allowance and the State Pension are "overlapping benefits". If your State Pension is £86.45 a week or more, you will usually not receive Carer's Allowance payments on top — but you may keep an "underlying entitlement" to Carer's Allowance, which can increase other means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit even though no Carer's Allowance is actually paid.

Not for new claims. Carer's Allowance has been replaced in Scotland by Carer Support Payment, administered by Social Security Scotland, which pays the same weekly rate. Existing Carer's Allowance claims made before the rollout are being moved across automatically. See our Carer Support Payment (Scotland) guide for the Scottish Carer Supplement and Carer Additional Person Payment on top of the weekly rate.