More than 150,000 people missing out on up to £6,840 cash boost

More than 150,000 people could be missing out on up to £6,840 by not claiming Carer’s Credit.

Carer’s Credit helps top up your National Insurance record, which can in turn impact how much state pension you get in later life. Your state pension is based on your National Insurance record.

To get Carer’s Credit, you must be under state pension age and caring for someone for at least 20 hours a week. The person you’re looking after must also be in receipt of a disability benefit, such as Personal Independence Payment.

READ MORE: HMRC new alert as some UK workers can get money back - check your eligibility

READ MORE: Boots shopper looks '20 years younger' and gets 'compliments' thanks to £10 cream

When the Carer’s Credits were first introduced in 2010, it was estimated that around 160,000 people might be entitled. But just 9,040 carers claimed the credit in 2023/24, according to a freedom of information request by Quilter.

Every year of Carer's Credits is worth a year of National Insurance contributions, which is £6.58 a week or £342 a year of state pension.

If you times that over a 20-year retirement, then you would be £6,840 better off. In order to claim Carer's Credit, the person you're looking after must be receiving 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 they don't get one of these benefits, you may still be able to get Carer’s Credit if you fill in the "Care Certificate" part of the application form and get a health or social care professional to sign it.

You don't need to apply for Carer’s Credit if you get Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment. You have to care for someone for 35 hours a week to get Carer's Allowance, which is worth £83.30 a week.

There is an earning limits, which sets how much someone can earn in income and still be eligible for Carer's Allowance. This is set at £196 a week.

If your earnings go over the limit - even by just £1 - you lose your entitlement to Carer's Allowance. You don't have to be related to the person you're caring for, and if more than one person cares for the same person, only one of you can claim Carer's Allowance.

You should keep in mind that claiming Carer's Allowance can affect the benefits of the person you're looking after, as well as your own.