Do you get Carer's Allowance? You may be able to get help with your housing costs too. This help comes through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. Here is
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Do you get Carer's Allowance? You may be able to get help with your housing costs too. This help comes through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. Here is how Carer's Allowance works with housing support. We also explain what extra help you may be able to get.
What is Carer's Allowance?
Carer's Allowance is a benefit for people who care for someone. You usually need to care for at least 35 hours a week. The person you care for must get a qualifying disability benefit. This could be Disability Living Allowance at the middle or higher rate care component. It could also be Personal Independence Payment at either rate.
It does not pay very much. It also overlaps with several other benefits. So getting Carer's Allowance can change your other benefits in tricky ways.
Does Carer's Allowance affect Housing Benefit?
Carer's Allowance is a qualifying benefit. It may change your Housing Benefit in a few ways:
Carer premium: Do you claim Housing Benefit, not Universal Credit? If you get Carer's Allowance, you can get a carer premium. This is added to your applicable amount. That is the figure used to work out your benefit. It raises the amount of housing costs the benefit system will help with.
Earnings disregard: Carer's Allowance is not earnings. It counts as income when Housing Benefit is worked out. But carers also get a disregard. This lowers the amount of other income that counts against you.
Underlying entitlement: Sometimes you have "underlying entitlement" to Carer's Allowance even if you do not get it. This can happen because another benefit would be cut pound-for-pound. You can still get the carer premium even if no Carer's Allowance is paid.
Does Carer's Allowance affect Universal Credit?
Do you get Universal Credit instead of Housing Benefit? Then the carer premium is replaced by the carer element of Universal Credit. You can get the carer element if you get Carer's Allowance. You can also get it if you have underlying entitlement. It is added to your Universal Credit award.
The housing costs element within Universal Credit pays for housing support. Having the carer element does not cut your housing element.
What about the benefit cap?
Do you get Carer's Allowance or the carer element of Universal Credit? Then you are exempt from the benefit cap. This is a big help. Say your household's total benefits would go over the cap. Getting Carer's Allowance, or the carer element, takes that limit away completely.
What if I live with the person I care for?
Sometimes carers live with the disabled person they care for. This brings up some questions:
- Are you a joint tenant with the person you care for? Then the tenancy structure affects how housing costs are worked out
- Are you a non-dependant in the cared-for person's household? Then non-dependant deductions apply to their Housing Benefit. But these are waived if you get Carer's Allowance
When should I contact Support for Tenants?
We help tenants with housing disrepair claims. Is your home in disrepair? Or is the home of the person you care for in disrepair? Then call us. The rules apply in the same way.
Call us on 0800 030 4669. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
Sources
- Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (Carer's Allowance) (legislation.gov.uk)
- Carer's Allowance (GOV.UK)
We review every guide at least twice a year and update it when the law changes. If you spot something out of date or wrong, email help@supportfortenants.co.uk.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 15 June 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only, not a promise; every case is different.
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