Answers · UK 2025/26

Can I get National Insurance credits for being a carer?

Yes -- Carer's Credit gives you a Class 3 National Insurance credit for any week you spend at least 20 hours caring for someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit, helping protect your State Pension record without you having to pay any National Insurance contributions. If you receive Carer's Allowance itself, you get National Insurance credits automatically, so Carer's Credit is specifically aimed at carers who don't qualify for or claim Carer's Allowance but still provide substantial care.

Last updated: 2 July 2026Last reviewed: 2 July 2026How we verify

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Unpaid carers can easily fall behind on building up their State Pension entitlement simply because caring responsibilities prevent them from working enough hours to pay sufficient National Insurance -- Carer's Credit and Carer's Allowance both exist to help protect carers' pension records, though they work slightly differently. **Carer's Allowance -- automatic credits** If you receive Carer's Allowance (the main carer's benefit, currently requiring you to care for someone for at least 35 hours a week and meet income/other eligibility rules), you automatically receive Class 1 National Insurance credits for each week you receive the allowance, protecting your State Pension record without needing to make any separate claim. **Carer's Credit -- for those who don't qualify for Carer's Allowance** Carer's Credit is specifically designed for carers who provide substantial care (at least 20 hours a week) for someone receiving a qualifying disability benefit, but who don't receive Carer's Allowance themselves -- perhaps because their caring hours fall below the 35-hour Carer's Allowance threshold, or because they're excluded from Carer's Allowance for another reason (for example, if they're also receiving a certain level of another benefit that overlaps with it). This lets carers who wouldn't otherwise get any National Insurance protection still build up qualifying years towards their State Pension. **Qualifying disability benefits** The person you're caring for generally needs to be receiving one of a list of qualifying disability benefits (such as Personal Independence Payment daily living component, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or highest rate, or certain other qualifying benefits) for you to be eligible to claim Carer's Credit based on caring for them. **How to claim** Carer's Credit is claimed using a specific application form (CC1) from the Department for Work and Pensions, and can, in some circumstances, be backdated -- unlike Specified Adult Childcare Credits, which are claimed differently, Carer's Credit has its own dedicated application process specifically for adult care situations. **Multiple caring situations** You can potentially claim Carer's Credit while caring for more than one person, or for periods when your caring responsibilities change, provided you continue to meet the 20-hours-a-week threshold and the person(s) you care for continue to receive a qualifying benefit. **Why this matters for your State Pension** Each qualifying year (whether from paid work, Carer's Allowance credits, or Carer's Credit) counts towards the 35 years needed for a full new State Pension -- without these credits, many long-term carers would otherwise face significant gaps in their National Insurance record purely because caring responsibilities prevented them working enough to pay National Insurance directly. **Practical tip** Check your State Pension forecast to see your current qualifying years, and if you're providing substantial unpaid care but not claiming Carer's Allowance or Carer's Credit, look into whether you're eligible, since these credits are free to claim and can meaningfully protect your future pension income.