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Carer's Allowance

From €135 to €462 a week depending on your age, whether you get the full or half rate, and how many people you care for. A Child Support Payment is added on top for each qualifying child.

Last checked August 2026

What it is

Means-tested payment if you care for someone full-time. Since 2 July 2026 the weekly income disregard has been €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple, so many more carers now qualify for the full or a partial payment. Already on the State Pension or another payment? You can keep it in full and get Carer's Allowance at half rate on top.

Who can get it

You provide full-time care and attention, which means at least 35 hours a week spread over 5 to 7 days
The person you care for is 16 or over and expected to need that care for at least 12 months, or is under 16 and getting Domiciliary Care Allowance
You are not working, studying, training OR DOING VOLUNTARY WORK for more than 18.5 hours a week COMBINED, and you can show the person you care for has adequate care while you are out
You pass a means test on your income and savings (and your spouse or partner's, if you have one)
You are 18 or over (Carer's Benefit and the Carer's Support Grant both start at 16, so a younger carer may still get those)
You are habitually resident in Ireland

Good to know

Rates depend on your age: under 66 it's €270 a week at the full rate or €135 at half rate; 66 or over it's €308 full rate or €154 half rate.
Caring for two or more people adds 50%: €405 a week under 66, or €462 a week at 66 or over.
A Child Support Payment is added for each qualifying child, €58 or €78 a week depending on the child's age. You get the full rate if you are parenting alone or the half rate (€29 or €39) if you live with your spouse or partner, and it is not paid at all with half-rate Carer's Allowance.
The weekly income disregard used in the means test rose sharply from 2 July 2026, to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple, so it is worth checking again even if you did not qualify before.
Carer's Allowance became a taxable payment from 1 January 2026 (it was not taxed before), so it is now reported to Revenue.
Already getting a payment like the State Pension, Illness Benefit, Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance or One-Parent Family Payment? You do not have to choose. You can keep that payment in full and get Carer's Allowance at half rate on top, €135 to €154 a week caring for one person and more for two or more, once you meet the normal caring and means test conditions. It does not work alongside Jobseeker's Allowance or Benefit, Working Family Payment, Carer's Benefit itself, basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance, the Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds, Back to Education Allowance or the Jobseeker's Transitional payment.
YOU DO NOT NEED A PAYMENT IN YOUR OWN NAME. If you are included as a QUALIFIED ADULT on your spouse or partner's social welfare payment, you can claim half-rate Carer's Allowance on that basis too, and you keep the qualified adult increase in full. That covers a lot of people who assumed they were out because the payment is in their partner's name. One exception: if their payment is a working scheme payment like Community Employment, you have to come off it first.
If your spouse or partner is on Tus, Gateway, Community Employment or the Rural Social Scheme, Carer's Allowance is paid at the FULL rate, not half. That is €270 a week rather than €135.
The payment does not stop the moment life gets in the way. You keep it for up to 13 weeks if you or the person you care for is in hospital, 12 weeks if they go into a nursing home full time, and up to 3 weeks a year while you take a holiday, as long as care is arranged. If the person you care for dies, it continues for 12 weeks.
The first €50,000 of your savings is ignored. For a couple, your combined capital is halved first and the €50,000 disregard applied to that.
Two of you can SHARE the caring on alternate weeks. You share one Carer's Allowance and one Carer's Support Grant between you, but you each get Free Travel.
A late claim can be backdated up to 6 months if you can show good reason for the delay.
Carer's Allowance brings free extras: a Free Travel Pass automatically for every recipient, the annual Carer's Support Grant, a GP Visit Card, and the Household Benefits Package if you live with the person you care for. These come with the half-rate payment too, and half-rate Carer's Allowance is left out of the means test for Fuel Allowance.

How to apply

Applications go through DSP. The official page has the full eligibility rules and the application itself.

Go to the official page →

Checked against the official source on 8 August 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.

Questions people ask

How much is Carer's Allowance in 2026?

It ranges from €135 to €462 a week depending on your age and circumstances: €270 full rate or €135 half rate under 66, €308 full rate or €154 half rate at 66 or over. Caring for two or more people adds 50%. A Child Support Payment is added for each qualifying child.

Is Carer's Allowance means tested?

Yes. Since 2 July 2026 the weekly income disregard is €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple, a big rise, so it is worth checking again even if you did not qualify before.

Is Carer's Allowance taxable?

Yes, from 1 January 2026 it became a taxable payment reported to Revenue. Before that it was not taxed.

Can I get Carer's Allowance if I already get the State Pension or another payment?

Yes, in many cases. You can keep your other payment in full and get Carer's Allowance at half rate as well, as long as you meet the normal caring and means test conditions. It works alongside payments including the State Pension, Illness Benefit, Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance and One-Parent Family Payment, but not with Jobseeker's Allowance or Benefit, Working Family Payment, Carer's Benefit, basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance, the Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds, Back to Education Allowance or the Jobseeker's Transitional payment.

What extra supports come with Carer's Allowance?

A Free Travel Pass automatically, the annual Carer's Support Grant (€2,000 per person cared for), a GP Visit Card, and the Household Benefits Package if you live with the person you care for. You must also be habitually resident in Ireland to qualify.

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