If the person you are caring for has been awarded Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance and is not waiting for a decision, you can put in a claim for Carer's Allowance as soon as you become a carer. However, if you have satisfied the criteria for some time when you make a claim, you can ask for your Carer's Allowance to be backdated for up to three months.

If the person you are looking after has applied for Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance but has not yet received a decision, you do not need to complete a claim form for Carer's Allowance until the person has received the decision.  As long as you claim Carer's Allowance within three months of the date the decision is made, you will be awarded Carer's Allowance from the first day that Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance became payable.