Half-rate Carer's Allowance

If you are getting certain social welfare payments and you are providing full-time care and attention to another person, you can keep your main social welfare payment and get a half-rate Carer’s Allowance as well.

If you are in one of the following situations you may qualify for half-rate Carer's Allowance:

• Already getting Carer's Allowance but also meet the qualifying criteria for another social welfare payment

If you are getting Carer's Allowance and you also meet the qualifying conditions for another social welfare payment (for example, a State pension) you should apply for the other payment. If you qualify for the other payment you will be paid it in full and keep half your Carer’s Allowance payment as well. (For a list of social welfare payments paid with half-rate Carer's Allowance - see 'Rules' below)

If you are currently getting Carer’s Allowance and your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is claiming another social welfare payment (for example, Jobseeker’s Allowance), your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may claim an increase in their social welfare payment for you as a qualified adult and your Carer’s Allowance will be reduced by 50%. This can only be done with your consent but it may increase your total household income.

• Changed from another social welfare payment to get Carer's Allowance

If you were on another social welfare payment before claiming Carer's Allowance, you may get your original payment reinstated and also get half-rate Carer's Allowance, if you continue to meet the qualifying conditions for both schemes. (For a list of social welfare payments payable with half-rate Carer's Allowance - see 'Rules' below)

• Caring for someone and being claimed for by a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant

If your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is claiming for you as a qualified adult on their payment and you are providing full-time care to another person, you can apply for half-rate Carer's Allowance and keep your current Increase for a Qualified Adult in full.

• Getting a social welfare payment other than Carer's Allowance and caring for someone

If you are getting one of the social welfare payments payable with half-rate Carer's Allowance (see 'Rules' below) and caring for someone, you may keep your social welfare payment and qualify for half-rate Carer’s Allowance.

People parenting alone

People parenting alone, who meet the qualifying criteria for Carer's Allowance, may qualify for both One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) and half-rate Carer’s Allowance (CA). If your youngest child is aged between 7 and 15 inclusive, you must qualify for Carer's Allowance to continue to qualify for OFP. You will also get a Child Support Payment (previously called an Increase for a Qualified Child or IQC) for other children in your family until they reach 18 (or 22 if in full-time education) while you are getting CA and OFP. (See our page on One-Parent Family Payment for more information on other exceptions to the age limits.)

You must meet the qualifying criteria for Carer’s Allowance. For example, the person you are caring for must be so incapacitated as to require full-time care and attention and you must satisfy a means test. There is more information in our page about Carer’s Allowance.

If you satisfy the conditions for Carer’s Allowance, it will be awarded at 50% of the rate that would apply if you were not getting any other payment. You will also be eligible for the Carer's Support Grant and a Free Travel Pass. You may also be eligible for the Household Benefits Package.

The half-rate Carer’s Allowance is disregarded in the means test for Fuel Allowance.

You can get half-rate Carer’s Allowance with the following weekly social welfare payments:

• State Pension (Contributory) and State Pension (Contributory) Increase for a Qualified Adult
• Deserted Wife's Benefit
• Invalidity Pension and Invalidity Pension Increase for a Qualified Adult
• Jobseeker's Benefit Increase for a Qualified Adult
• Jobseeker's Allowance Increase for a Qualified Adult
• Illness Benefit and Illness Benefit Increase for a Qualified Adult
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension
• Injury Benefit and Injury Benefit Increase for a Qualified Adult
• Death Benefit
• Health and Safety Benefit
• Partial Capacity Benefit
• Maternity Benefit
• Adoptive Benefit
• Parent's Benefit
• Paternity Benefit
• State Pension (Non-Contributory) and State Pension (Non-Contributory) Increase for a Qualified Adult
• Blind Pension and Blind Pension Increase for a Qualified Adult
• Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension
• One-Parent Family Payment
• Deserted Wife's Allowance
• Disability Allowance and Disability Allowance Increase for a Qualified Adult
• Incapacity Supplement and Incapacity Supplement Increase for a Qualified Adult
• Farm Assist and Farm Assist Increase for a Qualified Adult

You cannot get half-rate Carer’s Allowance with the following social welfare payments:

• Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) and SWA Increase for a Qualified Adult
• Jobseeker's Benefit
• Benefit for people who retire at 65
• Jobseeker's Allowance
• Working Family Payment
• Back to Education
• Carer’s Benefit
• Jobseeker's Transitional payment

You cannot get Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) or Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) and half-rate Carer's Allowance because you must be actively seeking employment and be available to take up employment to qualify for JA and JB. However, you may qualify for half-rate Carer's Allowance if your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is getting JA or JB and claiming for you as a qualified adult.

If you satisfy the conditions for Carer’s Allowance it will be awarded at 50% of the rate that would apply if you were not getting any other payment.

Any increase you may be entitled to, for example, a Child Support Payment (previously called an Increase for a Qualified Child or IQC), living alone and living on an offshore island will be paid with your main social welfare payment and not with the half-rate Carer’s Allowance.

Change of circumstance

You may continue to be regarded as providing full-time care and attention if you or the person being cared for is undergoing medical or other treatment in a hospital or other institution for a period not longer than 13 weeks. If you are getting half-rate Carer’s Allowance for a child, it can be paid for up to 6 months if the child is in hospital.

Half-rate Carer's Allowance continues to be paid for a period of 12 weeks if the person being cared for moves permanently into a residential care or nursing home. You must contact the Carer's Allowance Section with the date of the permanent move.

Carer's Allowance continues to be paid for 12 weeks after the death of the person being cared for.

You apply on the standard Carer’s Allowance form.

To apply fill in an application form for Carer's Allowance (pdf). You can also contact your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office for a copy of this form.

Send the completed application form with the relevant certificates to Carer's Allowance Section at the Department of Social Protection - see 'Where to apply' below.