Carer's Credit Guide UK (National Insurance Credits for Carers 2026)

What Is Carer's Credit

Carer's Credit is a Class 3 National Insurance credit awarded to unpaid carers who provide care for at least 20 hours per week to someone who is ill, disabled, or elderly. It was introduced in 2010 to replace the Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) scheme. Each week you receive Carer's Credit counts as a qualifying year towards the State Pension (you need 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension). It also protects your entitlement to other contributory benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance and Bereavement Support Payment. Unlike Carer's Allowance, Carer's Credit is not means-tested — it does not matter how much you earn, have in savings, or what other benefits you receive. It is also non-taxable and does not affect any means-tested benefits you or the person you care for receive. Carer's Credit can be claimed in addition to other benefits, and you can claim it even if you are also working (as long as you care for 20+ hours per week). It is often described as a "pension top-up" for carers because its primary purpose is protecting your retirement income.

Who Is Eligible (Caring 20+ Hours Per Week)

You are eligible for Carer's Credit if all the following apply: you are aged 16 or over and under State Pension age; you provide unpaid care for at least 20 hours per week (this includes emotional support, supervision, helping with cooking/cleaning, managing medication, taking someone to appointments, and being on call); the person you care for does not have to be related to you, and you can care for more than one person (the total caring time across all people must be at least 20 hours/week). You are not eligible if: you are over State Pension age, you are paid to care (e.g., employed as a carer by a local authority), or you care for fewer than 20 hours per week. You can still claim Carer's Credit if you are employed or self-employed — as long as your caring hours plus your working hours total 20+ hours of caring. You can also claim if you receive Carer's Allowance (which includes NI credits already), though the credit may be duplicative. If you are already getting NI credits through Carer's Allowance, you do not need to claim Carer's Credit separately. However, if you are not entitled to Carer's Allowance (for example, because you earn over £151/week), Carer's Credit is especially valuable. See also our Carer's Allowance guide for the cash benefit option.

How to Claim Carer's Credit

Claiming Carer's Credit is straightforward. Download the Carer's Credit claim form (CF411A) from gov.uk or call the Carer's Allowance Unit to request a paper copy. You will need: your National Insurance number, the name and address of the person you care for, their date of birth and National Insurance number (if they have one), and details of the care you provide. The person you care for does not need to claim a disability benefit, but if they do, include the benefit details as they support your application. Send the completed form to: Carer's Allowance Unit, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 2AB. HMRC will assess your application and notify you of the outcome. If approved, the credit is applied to your NI record automatically — you do not need to take any further action. It can take up to 8 weeks to process. You can backdate your claim for up to 3 months. If your caring situation changes (e.g., hours drop below 20/week or you stop caring), you must notify HMRC. You should also check your NI record online via your gov.uk personal tax account to confirm the credits have been applied.

• Form: CF411A (download from gov.uk or request by phone)
• Send to: Carer's Allowance Unit, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 2AB
• Processing: up to 8 weeks
• Backdating: up to 3 months

How Carer's Credit Protects Your State Pension

Your State Pension is calculated based on your NI qualifying years. To get the full new State Pension you need 35 qualifying years. If you have gaps in your record because you were caring instead of working, those gaps can reduce your pension entitlement by about £221.20 per week (the full new State Pension amount for 2026/27) divided by 35 — roughly £6.32 per week per missing year, every year for the rest of your retirement. Carer's Credit prevents this by adding a Class 3 NI credit to weeks when you care for 20+ hours per week. These credits accumulate into qualifying years: you need 52 weeks of credits (or a mix of credits and paid contributions) to make one qualifying year. If you care for several years, each year counts as a qualifying year towards your pension. Carer's Credit is particularly important for women and men who take time out of the workforce to care for a relative — these caring gaps are one of the main reasons people fall short of the 35-year requirement. You can check your current qualifying years via your NI record online. If you already have 35 qualifying years, Carer's Credit will not increase your pension further (since the new State Pension is capped at 35 years), but it may still protect your entitlement to bereavement benefits. See our State Pension guide for full details.

Carer's Credit vs Carer's Allowance

Many carers confuse Carer's Credit with Carer's Allowance, but they serve different purposes. Carer's Allowance is a weekly cash benefit (£81.90 for 2026/27) paid to carers who earn no more than £151 per week after deductions, while Carer's Credit is an NI credit that protects your pension but pays no money. You can receive both if you qualify — Carer's Allowance automatically includes NI credits, so you do not need to claim Carer's Credit separately if you already get Carer's Allowance. However, many carers cannot get Carer's Allowance because they earn over £151/week (even if most of their earnings go towards care costs). For these carers, Carer's Credit is the only option for protecting their pension record. Carer's Credit is also available to those who care for someone 20+ hours per week but who are not the main carer (the person cared for may already get Attendance Allowance from someone else's care). Importantly, Carer's Credit does not count as income and does not affect means-tested benefits, unlike Carer's Allowance which is counted as income for Universal Credit purposes. See our Carer's Allowance guide for a full comparison of the cash benefit.

What Happens When Your Caring Role Ends

When you stop caring for 20+ hours per week, you should notify HMRC so they stop your Carer's Credit. You can do this online via your gov.uk personal tax account or by contacting the Carer's Allowance Unit directly. If you later return to work, you will restart building NI contributions through your earnings (if you earn enough to pay NI). If you are unable to work after caring, you may be eligible for other benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), or Universal Credit — see our Universal Credit guide. Any Carer's Credit you built up while caring remains on your NI record permanently — it does not expire. If you have a gap between caring and returning to work, you may be able to claim New Style ESA or New Style JSA, which also provide NI credits. If you have already built 35 qualifying years through a mix of paid work and Carer's Credit, you have done enough for the full State Pension. You can check your projected State Pension amount online via the Check your State Pension service on gov.uk at any time. Our State Pension guide explains how your pension is calculated.

FAQs

Can I claim Carer's Credit if I work?

Yes — as long as you care for someone for 20+ hours per week unpaid, you can claim Carer's Credit regardless of your earnings. This makes it especially useful for carers who earn too much for Carer's Allowance.

Does Carer's Credit affect the person I care for's benefits?

No. Carer's Credit does not count as income and does not affect any benefits the person you care for receives, including Attendance Allowance, PIP, or Disability Living Allowance.

How do I know if Carer's Credit has been approved?

HMRC will write to you with the outcome. You can also check your NI record online via your gov.uk personal tax account to see if credits have been applied. Allow up to 8 weeks for processing.

Can I backdate Carer's Credit?

Yes — you can backdate your claim for up to 3 months. If you have been caring for longer, you should claim as soon as possible to minimise gaps in your NI record.

Do I need Carer's Credit if I already receive Carer's Allowance?

No — Carer's Allowance automatically comes with NI credits. However, it does not hurt to have both, and you will not receive duplicate credits for the same period. Just make sure you are not missing out if you are not on Carer's Allowance.