Later Life · Ireland

Carer’s Allowance Ireland 2026–27: The €2,000 Couple Limit, Rates and How to Apply

Carer’s Allowance pays up to €270 a week to people who care full-time for someone, rising to €280 from January 2027. It is means-tested, and that is where most carers rule themselves out too early: since 2 July 2026, the first €2,000 a week of a couple’s income is ignored, and from July 2027 it will be €2,300.

Check the means test for your household with the Carer’s Allowance calculator: earnings, savings, couple or single, and your weekly rate for each period.

Who can get it

• You care full-time (at least 35 hours a week over 5 to 7 days) for someone aged 16 or over who needs full-time care for at least 12 months, or for a child under 16 who gets Domiciliary Care Allowance.
• You are 18 or over and habitually resident in Ireland.
• You do not work, study or train for more than 18.5 hours a week.
• You pass the means test, which counts your partner’s income too.

Two carers can share the care on alternate weeks and share one payment. If you get another social welfare payment, you may get half-rate Carer’s Allowance on top of it.

The rates

Child Support Payments are added for children (in 2026, €58 a week under 12 and €78 at 12 or over, half that if you live with a partner; €64 and €84 from January 2027). There is no increase for a qualified adult.

The means test, step by step

1. Cash income: your and your partner’s earnings, after PRSI, pension contributions and trade union subscriptions. Child maintenance does not count.
2. Capital (savings, investments, property other than your home): a couple’s combined capital is halved; the first €50,000 counts as nil, the next €10,000 as €1 a week per €1,000, the next €10,000 as €2, and the rest as €4; the result is doubled for a couple.
3. Take off the disregard: €1,000 a week for a single person, €2,000 for a couple (from July 2027, €1,150 and €2,300).
4. For a couple, halve what is left. That is your weekly means. Up to €7.60 you get the full rate; above it the rate falls by €2.50 for each €2.50 of means.

Citizens Information’s worked example (John earns €1,800 a week, Mary €250, savings €145,000) gives weekly means of €63. On the Department’s rate table that pays €212.50 a week; our calculator reproduces both figures.

What a couple can earn and still qualify

A carer under 66 caring for one person, not working, with €20,000 in savings. The partner works and pays normal PRSI. Computed by our calculator’s tested code:

What else comes with it

• The Carer’s Support Grant, paid automatically every June.
• A GP visit card and Free Travel.
• The Household Benefits Package, if you live with the person you care for.
• PRSI credits, and Long-Term Carer’s Contributions or HomeCaring Periods that count towards your State Pension.
• Fuel Allowance, if you meet its own means test (Carer’s Allowance itself is not counted in it).

How to apply

1. Apply online at MyWelfare.ie with a verified MyGovID account, or on paper with form CR1 (one form for each person you care for).
2. The doctor of the person you care for completes the medical form CARMed1 (not needed for a child getting Domiciliary Care Allowance). If you work, your employer completes CA-ER1; if you study, the college completes CAR-ED1.
3. If you apply online, send these forms within 21 days.

Sources

• Citizens Information: Carer’s Allowance (conditions, means test and worked example, rates, Budget 2027, other supports, how to apply; page edited 8 October 2026)
• Department of Social Protection, Rates of Payment 2026 (SW19): Carer’s Allowance tables by weekly means

Rules and rates read on 3 November 2026. General information, not advice: the Department of Social Protection decides on your claim.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Carer’s Allowance in 2026 and 2027?
The maximum is €270 a week if you are under 66 (€308 if 66 or over), rising by €10 to €280 and €318 from January 2027. Caring for two or more people raises it by 50%. Child Support Payments are added for children.

What is the income limit for Carer’s Allowance?
Since 2 July 2026 the first €1,000 a week of a single person’s income, or €2,000 a week of a couple’s combined income, is ignored, after PRSI, pension contributions and union subscriptions. From July 2027 that rises to €1,150 and €2,300. Above it, the payment reduces gradually rather than stopping.

Can I work and get Carer’s Allowance?
Yes, for up to 18.5 hours a week of employment, self-employment, voluntary work, training or education, as long as you still provide full-time care (at least 35 hours a week over 5 to 7 days). Your earnings count in the means test.

Is my partner’s income counted?
Yes. The means test counts your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant’s income too, but takes off the €2,000 a week couple disregard and then halves what is left.

What else do I get with Carer’s Allowance?
The annual Carer’s Support Grant, paid automatically in June, a GP visit card, Free Travel, the Household Benefits Package if you live with the person you care for, and PRSI credits. You may also qualify for Fuel Allowance.

How do I apply for Carer’s Allowance?
Online at MyWelfare.ie with a verified MyGovID account, or on paper with form CR1. The doctor of the person you care for completes the medical form CARMed1 (not needed for a child getting Domiciliary Care Allowance), plus an employer certificate (CA-ER1) if you work. Send the forms within 21 days of applying online.