This is ‘Your guide to Carer’s Credit’.
It has been put together to help the unpaid carers of Solihull learn about and understand Carer’s Credit.
We have broken it into relevant sections to make it easier for you to navigate.
If you would still like advice on who you need to talk to regarding your Carer’s Credit, or any and all other benefits, then please get in touch with the Community Advice Hub by clicking here.
If you have reached this page and not sure if you are an unpaid carer, then we can help you.
Please follow the relevant link below for your age group, we are happy to help!
What is Carers Credit?
Carer’s Credit is a National Insurance credit designed to address deficiencies in your National Insurance history. Your State Pension eligibility is determined by your National Insurance contributions, and your income, savings, or investments do not impact your eligibility for Carer’s Credit.
So, Carers Credit is used to help protect State Pension by filling in the gaps in your National Insurance record.
Carer’s Credit is NOT means-tested.
Carer’s Credit is a National Insurance credit designed to address deficiencies in your National Insurance history. Your State Pension eligibility is determined by your National Insurance contributions, and your income, savings, or investments do not impact your eligibility for Carer’s Credit.
So, Carers Credit is used to help protect State Pension by filling in the gaps in your National Insurance record.
Carer’s Credit is NOT means-tested.
What is the difference between Carer's Credit and Carer's Allowance?
Carer’s Credit is not a payment you receive. It is a National Insurance Credit, to fill stop gaps in your National Insurance Contributions. You can apply for Carer’s Credits if you provide care for more than 20 hours per week but fewer than 35 hours. It is not means-tested.
Carer’s Allowance is the primary benefit for unpaid carers. You can apply for Carer’s Allowance if you spend at least 35 hours per week caring for someone. It is not means-tested. You can read more about Carer’s Allowance by reading Your Guide to Carer’s Allowance.
Am I eligible for Carer's Credit?
If you provide care for someone for a minimum of 20 hours per week, you may be eligible for Carer’s Credits.
If you provide a minimum of 35 hours of caring per week, then you may be eligible for Carer’s Allowance, which you can read more about here.
Carer’s Credits help fill gaps in your National Insurance record, which affects your access to benefits such as:
- State Pension
- Contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
To qualify for Carer’s Credit, you must:
- Be aged 16 or above
- Be below State Pension age
- Provide care for at least 20 hours per week to one or more individuals.
The individual you care for must receive one of the following benefits:
- Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or highest rate
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment daily living part
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Child Disability Payment (CDP) care component at the middle or highest rate
- Adult Disability Payment daily living component at the standard or enhanced rate.
If the person you care for does not receive any of the eligible benefits listed above, then you can apply for a Care Certificate, which you can then use to apply for Carer’s Credits. It will be used by a health or social care professional to confirm you are providing required care.
This can be particularly helpful to those carers who care for someone who is not eligible or does not wish to apply for any of the eligible benefits.
Care Certificate and resources can be found by clicking here.
If you are already receiving Carer’s Allowance, or are, for example, a foster carer or receiving Child Benefit for a child under 12 years of age, then you will already be receiving National Insurance Contributions.
However, it may be worth keeping Carer’s Credits in mind and applying in certain conditions. For example, if you are receiving Child Benefit for a child under the age of 12, your National Insurance Contributions will stop when the child reaches 12 years old. So, Carer’s Credits can be used to plug any potential gaps in your National Insurance Contributions.
Should I Claim Carer's Credit?
If you are eligible and can apply for Carer’s Credits, then you should.
However, there are some situations where you may not need to apply, and your National Insurance contributions may already be covered. For example:
- You’re a foster parent
- Receiving Child benefit for a child under 12 years old.
- Already receiving Carers’ Allowance.
In these examples, you will already be receiving National Insurance contributions, so there is no need to apply for Carer’s Credit.
Exceptions can arise however, based on your circumstances. For example, you are a parent of a disabled child under the age of 12, and you care for them 22 hours per week. You also work and earn £150 per week, while claiming child benefit for your child.
You should have National Insurance contributions being made for you, based on your employed earnings being above the Lower Earnings Limit. As well as being covered by your receiving of Child’s Benefit.
Although you will not need to apply for Carer’s Credits in the above example, it may still be worth claiming to avoid any potential gaps. For example, your child turning 12 years old, meaning you lose National Insurance Contributions related to Child Benefit. Or your earnings from employment fluctuate based on having to work more or fewer hours, which can change your level of earnings limit.
Read more about National Insurance Contributions by clicking here.
How to apply for Carer's Credit?
The date of which to apply for Carer’s Credit should ideally be before the end of the tax year, which is at the beginning of April. However, if you give a reasonable explanation of the late application, then the application of Carer’s Credit can be backdated.
You can continue to receive Carer’s Credit even if you take breaks from your caregiving duties (up to 12 consecutive weeks).
For instance, you will still be eligible for Carer’s Credit for 12 weeks in scenarios such as:
- Going on a short holiday
- The person you care for being hospitalised
- Your own hospitalisation
You can make your application by clicking here for the Carer’s Credit application form available from the Government website.
The form includes a Care Certificate – ask a health or social care professional to sign it for you.
Where to send your form:
Freepost DWP Carers Allowance Unit
Do not write anything except the freepost address on the envelope. You do not need a postcode or a stamp.
You can also get the form by calling the Carer’s Allowance Unit.
Telephone: 0800 731 0297
Textphone: 0800 731 0317
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 731 0297
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer – find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges
Alternative formats
Call the Carer’s Allowance Unit to ask for alternative formats, such as braille, large print or audio CD.If you disagree with a decision
You can challenge a decision about your claim by clicking here. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.Carers Essentials Guides
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