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What The Carer's Allowance Calculator Works Out
- Result: checks the two headline conditions, at least 35 hours of care a week for someone on a qualifying disability benefit (PIP daily living, Attendance Allowance, or DLA at the middle or higher care rate) and earnings within the weekly limit. Only one person can claim for each cared-for person, and each week's hours stand alone with no averaging.
- Weekly, monthly and yearly: GBP 86.45 a week in 2026/27, about GBP 374.62 a month and GBP 4,495.40 a year. The 35 hours can include practical help, supervision and time preparing for or clearing up after caring, not just hands-on care.
- Earnings limit: earn over GBP 204 a week after tax, National Insurance and allowable deductions and the entire allowance stops. It is a cliff edge rather than a taper, the mechanism behind the overpayment scandal that led to a government review and repayment write-offs.
- Pension contributions (advanced): half of what you pay into a pension is deducted from earnings before the limit is tested, so GBP 20 a week of extra contributions brings counted earnings down by GBP 10, a standard way to stay just under the line.
- Care costs paid so you can work (advanced): payments to someone other than a close relative to look after the disabled person or your child while you work are deductible up to half of your remaining earnings.
- Room under the earnings limit (advanced): how much more you could earn each week before losing the whole allowance, or how far over you are and what it would take to get back under.
- State Pension or other overlapping benefit (advanced): Carer's Allowance cannot usually be paid on top of the State Pension, contributory ESA or similar benefits. If the other benefit is lower you get a top-up to GBP 86.45; if it is higher you get nothing but keep an "underlying entitlement" that unlocks the carer addition in Pension Credit and extra Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction.
- Hours in education (advanced): 21 or more supervised hours a week counts as full-time education and rules out Carer's Allowance.
- Income tax on the allowance (advanced): Carer's Allowance is taxable, so the card estimates 20% tax on any part that, together with your earnings and other income, exceeds the GBP 12,570 personal allowance. A claim can also reduce the cared-for person's own benefits if they receive a Severe Disability Premium, so a benefits check with Carers UK or Citizens Advice before claiming is standard advice. Claiming earns National Insurance credits towards your own State Pension.
Source and further reading: GOV.UK: Carer's Allowance.