Many young people in the UK act as unpaid carers and may not realise what support they are eligible to receive. Let’s take a look…
What is a carer?
A carer is anyone who looks after another person who would not manage without their support. These people could need support for a range of reasons such as a disability, health conditions, age or addiction.
Carers can be children, young adults, or adults, and the person they care for could be a family member, partner or friend. You don’t have to be related or living together.
A carer is different to a care worker because the care they provide is unpaid and usually informal because of the personal relationship between them. Tasks you might carry out are to help the person you care for, which could include helping someone wash and dress, household tasks, shopping, cooking, organising medication or taking them to appointments.
Many people will have caring responsibilities at some point in their life, and the help you give can be short or long term.
What is the carer’s allowance?
The carer’s allowance is a payment from the government to support people who are carers (described above). Many carers are unable to work, or are limited to how much work they can do, because of their responsibilities. This allowance is here to help support you financially, however you need to use it.
Am I eligible for the carer’s allowance?
You and the person you care for need to meet the required criteria. You can find out if you are eligible for carer’s allowance on the Government website.
You need to be:
- Aged 16+
- Spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone
- Lived in England, Scotland or Wales for at least 2 of the last 3 years
- Not in full-time education, or not studying for 21+ hours a week
- Earn £139 or less a week after tax, National Insurance and expenses
What if I’m already claiming benefits?
Claiming the carer’s allowance can affect other benefits you receive, as well as the benefits the person you care for receives.
For example, if they were getting a reduction in council tax, a Severe Disability Premium, or any extra disability payments in their pension credit, these will stop if you claim Carer’s Allowance.
It’s important to have a conversation with the person you care for, if possible, and decide together what makes the most sense for you to do.
Getting the Carer’s Allowance shouldn’t make you worse off overall, so seek some advice if this has happened. You can use the government’s benefits calculator to work out what you’ll be able to get.
The Carer’s Allowance does not count towards the benefits cap (the maximum amount of money any individual is allowed to receive in total benefits).
How can the Jobcentre Plus help?
If you’re already claiming benefits like Universal Credit or JSA, you’re likely to have a work coach or advisor. They will be able to help you find out your eligibility for the carer’s allowance and how it will affect any other benefits you or the person you care for receives.
How do I get the Carer’s allowance?
You can apply online and read all about it here. On this page, you can also find numbers you can ring to apply in an alternate way, including an address to apply by post.
Is there any other support for carers?
Caring for another person can be difficult and lonely at times, especially if you have sole or primary caregiving responsibility. Don’t beat yourself up if you’re struggling – you’re not alone.
Carers UK is a charity which can offer practical advice, support, and even just someone to talk to. You can give them a call or send an email. They also have an online forum where you can talk to other carers and get help and advice from them.
For young people under the age of 18, caring can be particularly tough. The Children’s Society offers a range of resources, and the charity Kids runs a support service for young carers.
Once you’re in employment, you have the right to request flexible working from your employer and can request up to a week of unpaid leave each year to fulfill your caring responsibilities (A ‘week’ means the length of time they usually work over 7 days. For example, if someone usually works 3 days a week, they can take 3 days of carer’s leave).
Finally, don’t forget to reach out to your family and friends for support.
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See how the Jobcentre can help young people get jobs, training, work experience and other opportunities, and explore Frequently Asked Questions to understand what support you could receive.
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