As long as you meet the qualifying rules you can claim Carer's Allowance whatever your marital status or whatever relationship you have with the person you are looking after. There is no upper age limit and it is not affected by any savings you have. However, Carer's Allowance is what is known as an overlapping benefit - more information about this can be found in section 3 - and you cannot receive Carer's Allowance while you are in receipt of the State Retirement Pension.

Some of the rules for claiming benefits or getting help from social services can be quite complicated. If you are in any doubt about how the rules apply to you or whether you are entitled to claim you contact our freephone advice service, SeniorLine. Lines are open from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday on 0808 800 6565 (textphone 0808 26 96 96). If you are in Northern Ireland call 0808 808 7575. You can also contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau or carers' organisation for advice.

Requirements
 
To claim Carer's Allowance you must:

• be caring for someone who is receiving  Attendance Allowance (either the lower or higher rate) or
• Disability Living Allowance care component at the higher or middle rate or
• Constant Attendance Allowance (paid with War Disablement Pension and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit); and
• care for the person for 35 hours a week or more; and
• be over 16; and
• not be in full-time education; and
• have passed the UK residence and presence tests (this means you normally live in the UK; and have lived here for 26 weeks out of the last 52); and 
• earn no more than £87 per week.

Your earnings

Your earnings are counted after income tax and National Insurance contributions have been taken off. You can also deduct half your pension contributions towards an occupational or personal pension. If you pay someone to care for the person you look after, you can deduct these costs from your earnings up to a maximum of half your weekly wage. But these care costs can only be deducted if you pay someone other than a 'close relative' to provide the alternative care.

Restrictions
 
If someone else also cares for the person you look after, only one of you can qualify for Carer's Allowance. If you each meet all the qualifying conditions, you will need to decide between you who should put in a claim.
 
Likewise, if you care for two or more people, you can only claim Carer's Allowance for looking after one of them. A carer is only allowed to receive one award of Carer's Allowance, no matter how many people they are caring for. You cannot add together the time you spend caring for two or more people. You have to show you are caring for one of these people for at least 35 hours a week.

Carer’s Allowance and your pension
 
If you are receiving any State Retirement Pension you will be affected by the 'overlapping benefits rule' described in the section 'Carer's Allowance and other benefits'. This may mean that you will not receive Carer's Allowance. But if you get Pension Credit, because your income is below a certain level, even with State Retirement Pension, you will still be entitled to a 'carer addition' with the guarantee credit part of Pension Credit. You would also get a 'carer premium' for Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit. See Income Support and Pension Credit and Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit for more details.