Can you claim Carer's Allowance if you work? Earnings rules explained

Many people wrongly think you can't claim Carer's Allowance if you have a job.

In reality, you can do both if you're looking after someone for at least 35 hours a week and stay within the earnings limits.

This allows you to get support from the government while also earning an income from a job.

You will also need to be aged 16 or over and care for someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit.

You can't be in full-time education which counts as 21 hours a week or more.

Here we explain what else you need to know...

Can you claim Carer's Allowance if you work?

You can work and still receive Carer's Allowance, but there is a limit on how much you can earn.

For the 2026/27 tax year, you can earn up to £204 a week after certain deductions and still qualify for Carer's Allowance

The benefit is worth £86.45 a week in 2026/27.

You don't have to live with, or be related to, the person you care for.

And you can only receive one Carer's Allowance payment, even if you care for more than one person.

What counts towards the earnings limit for the carers allowance?

The £204 weekly limit isn't just based on your take-home pay.

The DWP looks at your earnings after deducting:

• Income Tax

• National Insurance

• 50% of any pension contributions

• certain work expenses, such as specialist equipment

• some travel costs between workplaces

• eligible business expenses if you're self-employed.

This means some people who earn more than £204 before deductions could still qualify.

What happens if you earn more than £204 a week?

If your earnings pass the weekly limit, you will normally lose your entitlement to Carer's Allowance for that period.

If your income varies from week to week, the DWP may average them over a period, depending on your working pattern.

It's important to tell the DWP if your earnings change.

Following concerns over large overpayments in recent years, the DWP has been reviewing how it administers Carer's Allowance.

Some carers were left with big repayment bills when they unknowingly exceeded the earnings limit.

Tens of thousands of unpaid carers are set to have their debts reduced, cancelled, or refunded, in a reassessment of cases by the government based on the advice given at the time.

The DWP is also asking for views on how the system could be modernised, including through an earnings taper, the role of the earnings rules and how they work for those claiming.

You can submit views until 18 August online.

Who can you claim Carer's Allowance for?

The person you care for must receive a qualifying disability benefit, such as:

• Personal Independence Payment (daily living component)

• Attendance Allowance

• Disability Living Allowance (middle or highest care rate)

• Adult Disability Payment

• Child Disability Payment

• Armed Forces Independence Payment, or certain other qualifying benefits.

Can you claim Carer's Allowance if you're self-employed?

Self-employed carers can qualify provided their earnings, after allowable deductions and business expenses, are within the weekly earnings limit.

Business costs that are exclusively for your work can normally be deducted when calculating your earnings.

Can you get Carer's Allowance if you receive the State Pension?

You can't usually receive the full amount of both your State Pension and Carer's Allowance because of the overlapping benefits rules.

However, even if you don't receive a Carer's Allowance payment, you may still have what's known as an underlying entitlement, which could increase other benefits such as Pension Credit.

Check what you could claim using a benefits calculator such as turn2us.