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You could get Carer鈥檚 Credit if you鈥檙e caring for someone for at least 20 hours a week.

Carer鈥檚 Credit is a National Insurance credit that helps with gaps in your National Insurance record. Your State Pension is based on your National Insurance record.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

If you鈥檙e eligible for Carer鈥檚 Credit, you can get credits to help fill gaps in your National Insurance record.

This means you can take on caring responsibilities without affecting your ability to qualify for the State Pension.

To get Carer鈥檚 Credit you must be:

• aged 16 or over
• under State Pension age
• looking after one or more people for at least 20 hours a week

The person you鈥檙e looking after must get one of the following:

• Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or highest care rate
• Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest care rate
• Attendance Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment daily living part
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Child Disability Payment (CDP) care component at the middle or highest rate
• Adult Disability Payment daily living component at the standard or enhanced rate
• Pension Age Disability Payment

If the person you鈥檙e caring for does not get one of these benefits, you may still be able to get Carer鈥檚 Credit. When you apply, fill in the 鈥楥are Certificate鈥� part of the application form and get a health or social care professional to sign it.

Breaks in caring and eligibility

You can still get Carer鈥檚 Credit even if you have breaks from caring (up to 12 weeks in a row).

For example, you鈥檒l still get Carer鈥檚 Credit for 12 weeks if:

• you take a short holiday
• someone you look after goes into hospital
• you go into hospital

Keep the Carer鈥檚 Allowance Unit updated if you have a break in caring of more than 12 weeks in a row.

Before you start

You do not need to apply for Carer鈥檚 Credit if you:

• get Carer鈥檚 Allowance or Carer Support Payment - you鈥檒l automatically get credits
• get Child Benefit for a child under the age of 12 - you鈥檒l automatically get credits
• are a foster carer - you can apply for National Insurance credits instead

Apply using a form

Download the Carer鈥檚 Credit claim form.

The form includes a Care Certificate - ask a health or social care professional to sign it for you.

You can also get the form by calling the Carer鈥檚 Allowance Unit.

Alternative formats

Call the Carer鈥檚 Allowance Unit to ask for alternative formats, such as braille, large print or audio CD.

Where to send your form

Do not write anything except the freepost address on the envelope. You do not need a postcode or a stamp.

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.