What disability benefit does my child need to get for me to claim Carer’s Allowance?

Your child needs to receive DLA middle rate or higher rate care component, or PIP daily living component (either rate). DLA lower rate care component doesn’t qualify. If your child receives DLA mobility component only, that also doesn’t qualify. You can still claim if the award is for a fixed term, as long as it covers the period you’re claiming for.

Can I claim Carer’s Allowance if I work?

Yes, as long as your net earnings stay below the weekly earnings limit after allowable deductions. The limit changes each April - check the current figure at gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility before you claim. The deductions that help most for parent carers are childcare costs (up to 50% of your remaining earnings) and pension contributions (50% deductible). Even if your gross pay looks close to the limit, the deductions can bring you under it.

What is the difference between DS700 and DS700(SP)?

DS700 is the standard 22-page Carer’s Allowance claim form. DS700(SP) is a shorter 14-page version for people who already receive a State Pension. If your State Pension is higher than the Carer’s Allowance weekly rate, you won’t receive a payment, but you should still claim for the underlying entitlement benefits (NI credits, Carer Premium in means-tested benefits, and benefit cap exemption).

How far back can Carer’s Allowance be backdated?

Carer’s Allowance can normally be backdated for up to 3 months before the date of your claim, provided you met all the eligibility conditions during that period (including the disabled person having the qualifying benefit). This is why it’s worth claiming promptly rather than waiting.

I already get Universal Credit. Is there any point claiming Carer’s Allowance?

Yes, for most people. Carer’s Allowance is deducted from Universal Credit pound-for-pound, so you usually don’t receive it as extra money. However, claiming CA means your UC award should include the UC Carer Element. More importantly, CA gives you Class 1 National Insurance credits (better for your State Pension than the Class 3 credits UC provides), and it can exempt your household from the benefit cap. Always tell your UC work coach about your caring role - the Carer Element isn’t added automatically.

How to fill in the Carer’s Allowance form (DS700)

The DS700 is the paper claim form for Carer’s Allowance. Most people now claim online, and the questions are the same either way. Before you start, check the three things that decide every claim: are you caring for 35 or more hours a week, does the person you care for get a qualifying disability benefit, and are your earnings below the weekly limit? These notes walk you through the questions that matter most.

DS700DS700 - Carer’s Allowance claim form (2025)

Deadline: No fixed deadline, but Carer’s Allowance can normally only be backdated up to 3 months, so claim as soon as you can
Time to complete: Allow about 1 hour
Who it’s for: Parents and carers who look after a disabled child for 35 or more hours a week, where the child receives a qualifying disability benefit such as DLA (middle or higher rate care) or PIP (daily living component).
Where it applies: England and Wales

Scotland and Northern Ireland run these benefits themselves, so the form and the office are different there. In Scotland, check Social Security Scotland. In Northern Ireland, check nidirect.

Get free help with this form The official form on GOV.UK

Download the form: DS700 (PDF)

GOV.UK is the official source and is always the most up to date. These copies are provided for convenience.

We’ve put the parts that decide the claim first. The question numbers tell you where each one sits on the form.

The three things that decide whether you qualify

Almost every eligibility question on the DS700 comes back to three tests: do you care for 35 or more hours a week, does the person you care for receive a qualifying disability benefit, and are your earnings below the weekly limit? If all three are met, you’re very likely to qualify. You don’t need to live with the person you care for.

Does the child receive a qualifying disability benefit?

What they’re really asking: Whether the person you care for gets a benefit that triggers Carer’s Allowance eligibility.
How to answer it well: The qualifying benefits are: DLA middle rate or higher rate care component; PIP daily living component (either standard or enhanced); Attendance Allowance (either rate); or Armed Forces Independence Payment. For most parents of disabled children, the key benefit is DLA (middle or higher care) or PIP daily living. You can’t qualify on DLA lower rate care alone. If your child’s DLA or PIP award is under review or has recently changed, report that to the Carer’s Allowance Unit promptly - your entitlement is linked to their award.
Common mistake: Assuming DLA lower rate care component qualifies. It doesn’t. Only middle or higher rate care component counts.

The 35-hours-a-week caring rule (Q35)

What they’re really asking: Whether you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for the person, including all the types of help described below.
How to answer it well: 35 hours a week is the legal minimum. Count any care you give in person, including: helping with washing, dressing and meals; household tasks done as part of caring; shopping and collecting prescriptions; travelling to appointments; and supervision to keep the person safe. You don’t have to be doing something every minute - time spent nearby in a supervisory capacity can count. You can care for only one person to meet the 35-hour rule for one claim, though you can claim once if you split your caring between two people and together they equal 35 hours a week.
Common mistake: Leaving out supervision and safety-watching time, and only counting hands-on physical help. Supervisory time counts and is often what pushes the total past 35 hours.

Show the wording on the form

Q35, page 7

Have you spent 35 hours or more each week providing care for this person since the date you want to claim from?

Answer options: No / Yes

Q34 - Is another person already claiming for the same individual?

What they’re really asking: Whether a different carer is already receiving Carer’s Allowance, Carer Support Payment (Scotland), or the UC carer element for the same disabled person.
How to answer it well: Only one carer can claim Carer’s Allowance for each disabled person. If two people both provide care, you’ll need to agree between you who claims. Consider who benefits most from the National Insurance credits, who is under the earnings limit, and how each person’s other benefits would be affected. A carer who doesn’t claim CA can still ask their UC office to add the UC carer element (there’s no earnings limit on that).
Common mistake: Assuming you can’t claim because another family member also helps. Only one CA claim is allowed per disabled person, but that doesn’t have to be the person who does the most hours.

Show the wording on the form

Q34, page 6

Is another person getting Carer Support Payment or an extra amount of Universal Credit for providing care for them?

Answer options: No / Yes

The earnings limit and what counts as earnings

Carer’s Allowance has an earnings limit that changes each April. From 6 April 2026 the limit is £204 a week after allowable deductions. The limit goes up most years, so always check the current figure on GOV.UK before you claim or if your pay changes. The earnings limit works as a cliff-edge: if you go even £1 over in a given week, you lose that whole week’s Carer’s Allowance. There’s no taper.

Q83 to Q101 - Employment and what gets deducted from your earnings

What they’re really asking: Your gross pay and all the deductions that are allowed before the earnings test is applied.
How to answer it well: The figure that counts is your net earnings after deducting: income tax; National Insurance contributions; 50% of pension contributions into an occupational or personal scheme; the cost of any specialist equipment you have to buy for work; and - importantly for parent carers - the cost of paying someone to look after the disabled child or your other children while you work, up to 50% of your remaining earnings. That last deduction can bring many part-time working parents well under the limit even if their gross pay looks close. The person you pay for childcare mustn’t be your spouse, civil partner, parent, child or sibling. If you pay for childcare with Tax-Free Childcare top-up, you can only deduct the amount you actually pay, not the government top-up.
Common mistake: Calculating earnings by dividing your monthly salary by 4. The correct method is monthly figure x 12 / 52 = weekly average. Dividing by 4 overstates the weekly figure.

Variable or fluctuating earnings

What they’re really asking: Whether your earnings are the same each week or vary (e.g., overtime, zero-hours, self-employment).
How to answer it well: If your income fluctuates, the law allows DWP to average your earnings over a recognisable work cycle or a five-week period rather than looking at individual weeks in isolation. In practice, DWP hasn’t always done this correctly - this failure is the root cause of the large-scale earnings overpayment problem that the government is reviewing. If your hours or pay vary, contact the Carer’s Allowance Unit (0800 731 0297) and ask them to confirm how they’ll calculate your earnings before a decision is made. Get their answer in writing or note the date, time and name of the person you spoke to.
Common mistake: Assuming DWP will automatically average out variable earnings. They may not. Proactively raise it.

Q102 to Q113 - Self-employment

What they’re really asking: Your self-employed income, trading details and most recent accounts.
How to answer it well: Self-employed earnings are usually based on your most recent finalised accounts divided into a weekly average. If your business is new, or if income has changed significantly since the accounts were prepared, tell DWP and they should calculate on more current figures. Send the accounts with the form. Legitimate business expenses (equipment, travel between workplaces, professional fees) are deducted before the earnings test, as is 50% of any private pension contributions.
Common mistake: Sending old accounts without flagging that trading has changed substantially - this can result in an assessment based on figures that no longer reflect your actual income.

The caring-hours section of the form (Q35 to Q70)

Questions 35 to 70 cover how many hours you care and any breaks (including hospital stays and holidays). A break doesn’t automatically stop your entitlement for that week, but it does need to be disclosed. The rules around breaks are more generous than many people realise.

Q38 to Q50 - The person you care for in hospital or a care home

What they’re really asking: Whether the person you care for has had any stays in hospital, a care home or respite care since the date you’re claiming from.
How to answer it well: A stay of less than 4 weeks in hospital doesn’t automatically end Carer’s Allowance, provided you were still providing care for 35 hours a week during that stay (which may include visiting and supervising). For longer stays, or if you stopped providing the 35 hours, the benefit may stop for those weeks. Respite care is treated differently to hospital: declare it and let DWP assess - you may still qualify if the child’s qualifying disability benefit continues and you continue to provide some care.
Common mistake: Not disclosing a hospital stay because it was short. Always declare it - the form asks, and non-disclosure can create an overpayment later.

Q61 to Q70 - Other breaks in caring

What they’re really asking: Any other periods when you didn’t provide at least 35 hours of care in a week, including your own holidays.
How to answer it well: If you go on holiday without the person you care for, your Carer’s Allowance stops for those weeks. Declare all breaks, even short ones. You can use the free-text box at Q122 if you need more space. A break doesn’t end the overall claim - it only pauses payment for those specific weeks.
Common mistake: Forgetting to declare a holiday or other break on the form, which creates an overpayment that DWP can recover later.

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Overlapping benefits and underlying entitlement

Carer’s Allowance can’t be paid at the same time as certain other benefits of a similar value, most commonly State Pension. But even when payment is blocked, claiming still has real financial value - this is called underlying entitlement. If you receive other means-tested benefits, claiming Carer’s Allowance (even if you get nothing from it directly) can add extra premiums and exemptions.

If your State Pension is higher than the Carer’s Allowance rate

What they’re really asking: Whether you can receive Carer’s Allowance when your State Pension already exceeds it.
How to answer it well: If your State Pension is at least as high as the current Carer’s Allowance weekly rate, you won’t receive a Carer’s Allowance payment. But you should still claim, because underlying entitlement means you’re formally recognised as a carer. That recognition can add a Carer Premium or Carer Addition to means-tested benefits, and it exempts your household from the benefit cap. The DS700(SP) is the shorter version of the form (14 pages rather than 22) for people who already receive State Pension.
Common mistake: Not claiming because you’ve been told you can’t receive payment. The non-payment doesn’t mean there’s nothing to gain.

Carer’s Allowance and Universal Credit

What they’re really asking: How Carer’s Allowance interacts with a UC claim.
How to answer it well: If you receive UC, Carer’s Allowance is deducted from your UC pound-for-pound, so you typically see little change in your total income. However, claiming CA means your UC should include the UC Carer Element (a separate addition). The net effect is that the Carer Element is larger than nothing, so you’re usually better off claiming. Separately, you can ask your UC work coach to add the UC Carer Element without claiming CA - there’s no earnings limit on that element. Tell your UC work coach about your caring role - it’s not added automatically.
Common mistake: Assuming Carer’s Allowance increases your total money when you’re on UC. The pound-for-pound deduction means the gain comes from the Carer Element, not the raw CA payment.

The overpayment risk: what you need to know

Overpayments are stressful, and they’re the single biggest practical risk for parent carers who work. Because the earnings limit works as a cliff-edge - lose 100% of the benefit if you go £1 over - small changes in pay or hours can create a debt without you realising. DWP data shows that roughly 1 in 5 carers who work experienced an overpayment; an independent review found around 212,000 cases from 2015-2025 alone. Knowing the rules and reporting changes promptly is the most effective protection.

The cliff-edge effect

What they’re really asking: Whether earnings in any individual week exceeded the limit, even slightly.
How to answer it well: The earnings limit applies week by week. If you earn even £1 over the limit in a specific week, you lose that whole week’s Carer’s Allowance - not just the excess. There’s no taper. A pay rise, a one-off bonus, or extra hours in a single week can all trigger this. You must report any change in earnings to the Carer’s Allowance Unit (0800 731 0297) or online at gov.uk/carers-allowance-report-change as soon as it happens.
Common mistake: Waiting until the annual review or your next claim to report a pay rise. Report it immediately - the overpayment clock runs from the week the limit was first exceeded.

Reporting obligations and the 2026 reassessment

What they’re really asking: What changes you must report and what help is available if you’ve already received an overpayment notice.
How to answer it well: You must tell DWP straight away if: your earnings change; you stop or start working; you start earning more than the weekly limit in any week; the person you care for goes into hospital or care; or they stop receiving their qualifying disability benefit. If you’ve already received an overpayment notice relating to earnings averaging (where DWP may have calculated your income incorrectly), this may be covered by the government’s reassessment exercise covering 2015-2025 cases. If you receive a notice before that exercise contacts you, request mandatory reconsideration within 1 month, and negotiate affordable repayment with DWP Debt Management (0800 916 0647) while the challenge is pending.
Common mistake: Stopping claiming Carer’s Allowance altogether because of an overpayment. This is the worst outcome, as it removes both the payment and all the underlying entitlement benefits. Get advice first.

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