Care homes and benefits - Carer's Allowance (for someone looking after you)

If someone gets Carer’s Allowance (CA) for looking after you, their benefit will stop when you move to live permanently in a care home as they will no longer be providing care for you.  

You or your carer should tell the Carer’s Allowance Unit that you have moved into a care home.

Although Carer's Allowance will stop, carer premiums paid as part of other benefits may continue for up to eight weeks. The Carer's Element of Universal Credit will stop straight away.

If the person who was looking after you loses their Carer's Allowance and they are getting other benefits, such as Universal Credit, Income Support, Pension Credit or Housing Benefit (England, Scotland, Wales)/Housing Benefit (Northern Ireland), they should tell the relevant benefit office – for example, Jobcentre Plus, the Pension Service or local authority office so their other benefit claims can be updated.

If your stay in the care home is temporary, your carer's Carer's Allowance will stop if your Disability Living Allowance care component, Personal Independence Payment daily living component, Adult Disability Payment daily living component, or Attendance Allowance stops after 28 days.

Otherwise, Carer’s Allowance will stop if your carer has a break from caring for you for more than 12 weeks in a 26 week period.

Reviewed: May 2022