Carer's Credit

Carer’s Credit helps stop gaps in your National Insurance record if you must give up working while you are caring for someone else. 

You need to pay National Insurance to qualify for a State Pension.

Carer's Credit can also help if you are not paying National Insurance because you need to reduce your hours.

If you get Carer’s Credit, you do not get extra money. But it protects your right to a State Pension later in life.

You do not need to apply for Carer’s Credit if you are already getting benefits such as:

• Carer’s Allowance
• Universal Credit
• Job Seeker’s Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support as a carer, or based on incapacity
• Child Benefit for a child under the age of 12.

These benefits will automatically help protect your right to a State Pension.

You may benefit from claiming Carer’s Credit if you:

• look after someone for 20 to 35 hours a week
• help look after an ill or disabled person, but the main carer claims Carer’s Allowance for looking after them
• look after several people, but do not care for any 1 person for 35 hours or more a week
• look after someone as well as doing paid work, but do not earn enough to pay National Insurance for the whole year
• look after someone and are self-employed
• look after someone and are a full-time student.