Carer’s Credit is a weekly Class 3 National Insurance credit for carers which will protect your future entitlement to State Pension and bereavement benefits. Carer’s Credit can also help if your spouse or civil partner needs to claim bereavement benefits.

You can get Carer’s Credit if you look after one or more people, for a total of 20 hours or more a week, who get:

• Personal Independence Payment daily living component at either rate
• Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or highest rate
• Attendance Allowance at any rate
• Constant Attendance Allowance at any rate
• Armed Forces Independence Payment (Pensions for veterans.

If the person or people you care for are not getting any of the qualifying benefits listed above, you may still be able to get Carer’s Credit if they have been certified by a health or social care professional as requiring the hours of care being provided each week.

You must be aged 16 or over and under State Pension age. There is no limit to the number of people you can look after. If someone else also looks after the people you look after, you may still get Carer’s Credit.

The caring week runs from Sunday to Saturday so you can get Carer’s Credit even if you only care at weekends.

Who is not eligible

You cannot get Carer’s Credit if:

• you are not habitually resident in Northern Ireland
• you are in prison
• you are under 16 or over State Pension age

Other information

You will already be getting Carer’s Credit if you get:

• Carer’s Allowance
• Child Benefit for a child under the age of 12

In these cases you do not need to fill in an application form as the credits will be awarded automatically. If you are a foster carer and get National Insurance credits from HM Revenue &  Customs, you don't need to fill in an application form.

You will not be paid any money if you are entitled to Carer’s Credit. You will receive National Insurance credits. Income, savings or investments do not affect Carer’s Credit.

If you have a break in caring

You can still get Carer’s Credit for any breaks of up to 12 weeks in a row. For example, you will still get Carer's Credit for 12 weeks if:

• you take a short holiday
• someone you look after goes into hospital
• you go into hospital

You must tell Disability and Carers Service straight away if you have a break in caring of more than 12 weeks in a row.

Effect on other benefits and entitlements

Carer's Credit will not affect other benefits that you, or the person you care for, receive.

How to apply

Download the application pack below or request a pack by phoning the Disability and Carers Service.

• Carer's Credit claim form, guidance notes and care certificate

Complete the application form and any care certificates you need to support your application. Carers will have up to the end of the tax year, following the tax year in which caring took place, to apply for Carer’s Credit.

Changes to your circumstances and those of the people you care for can affect your eligibility for Carer's Credit.

You should tell Disability and Carers Service when:

• you stop looking after the person
• you no longer spend 20 hours or more a week looking after them

You should also tell Disability and Carers Service if you stop looking after them for a period of more than 12 weeks. This could be because:

• you or the person with disabilities go on holiday
• you or the person with disabilities go into hospital
• you or the person with disabilities go into residential care
• the person no longer gets Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate for personal care (or this reduces to the lowest rate for personal care), Personal Independence Payment daily living component, Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance or Armed Forces Independence Payment
• you are detained in legal custody
• you are going to leave Northern Ireland - tell Disability and Carers Service about this as soon as you can
• you or the person you care for change address

If you temporarily stop looking after them for 20 hours or more a week, you need to tell Disability and Carers Service if this break lasts for more than 12 weeks.