Guides › Public Services › Carer's Allowance Earnings Limit: £204 a Week and Overpayments
Carer's Allowance Earnings Limit: £204 A Week and Overpayments
Carer's Allowance is £86.45 a week if you care for someone for at least 35 hours a week and they get a qualifying disability benefit. You can work, but you must not earn more than £204 a week. If you go over the limit in a week, you are not entitled for that week and could be overpaid. Carer's Allowance counts as income for means-tested benefits and is taxable.
At A Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Carer's Allowance
Who Can Get It
You must care for someone for at least 35 hours a week, regularly, and they must get a qualifying disability benefit. You must be over 16. You do not need to be related to them or live with them. source
The Earnings Limit
You can work, but you must not earn more than £204 a week. If you earn over the limit in a week, you are not entitled for that week, and you risk being overpaid by DWP. source
Other Benefits and Tax
Carer's Allowance usually counts in full as income for means-tested benefits, but you may get a carer amount in Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit. It is taxable. In Scotland it has been replaced by Carer Support Payment. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- Each weekCheck your earnings against £204Going over even once can cause an overpayment
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Check the cared-for person gets a qualifying benefit.
Step 2 of 5
Keep a weekly record of your earnings.
Step 3 of 5
Tell DWP straight away if your earnings go up.
Step 4 of 5
If told you were overpaid, ask for the calculation.
Step 5 of 5
Ask for a mandatory reconsideration if it is wrong.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Mandatory Reconsideration (GOV.UK)
The first step to change a decision. Usually within one month.
Citizens Advice
Free, independent help with benefits, including challenges and appeals.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
Pension contributions and some work expenses can affect how earnings are counted, so ask an adviser before assuming you are over the limit.
Rules here are for England and Wales. Scotland has its own disability and carer benefits from Social Security Scotland, and Northern Ireland benefits are run through nidirect.
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Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 16 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- turn2us.org.uk/get-support/information-for-your-situation/carer-s-allowance/what-is-carer-s-allowance Checked 16 October 2026
- gov.uk/mandatory-reconsideration Checked 13 October 2026