Carer’s Allowance
What it is:
Carer’s Allowance is money for people who spend a significant amount of time looking after someone with a disability or health condition. It helps cover the costs or provide support for carers.
Who can get it?
To get Carer’s Allowance, you must:
- Be aged 16 or over.
- Spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who gets a disability benefit (like Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), or Child Disability Payment (CDP)).
- Earn £139 a week or less after tax and certain deductions (like pension contributions).
- Be living in the UK.
What it covers:
It helps people who provide unpaid care for someone with a disability. The person you’re caring for must be receiving a qualifying disability benefit, and it doesn’t matter if you’re related to them or live with them.
How much do you get?
In Scotland, Carer’s Allowance Supplement is added to the regular Carer’s Allowance (which is paid by the UK government). This supplement is paid twice a year and is designed to bring Carer’s Allowance closer to the national minimum wage.
Regular Carer’s Allowance is £76.75 per week (2024 rate). The Carer’s Allowance Supplement adds around £270 every six months, paid automatically if you’re eligible.